By the time I started kicking around the idea around of writing a series about a teenage pop star, Britney Spears’ roller coaster of public scandals had come and gone and she already had settled into her conservatorship. Back then mental health was only mentioned by the media in the most scandalous or ominous of terms. The media didn’t seem to consider why this successful, intelligent young woman was acting in such a way. Rather they preferred to gleefully point out each successive event or shake their heads in disappointment. Things were not like they are today where people are applauded for taking care of their emotional well-being, held up as an example for seeking treatment or praised for speaking openly and honestly about their struggles and how they deal with them. If they were I don’t think Britney would be in the position she’s in today, but that’s a whole different topic…
When I started writing my series, we lived in the same area as Britney. I never thought anything about seeing her at the local Starbucks because like many L.A. residents, seeing celebrities around town is no big deal. She was just another mom spending time with her kids. I didn’t set out to mirror her career or that of Christina Aguilera, Pink or any of the young female pop stars that had hits on the chart at that time. THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART was more of a cautionary tale of the Hollywood machine in general, inspired by the things I had seen and experienced during my career in film and television.
But I can’t deny that the whole #FREEBRITNEY movement is very relevant to my series and my main character – teenage pop sensation, Dani Truehart. Several readers and reviewers have asked me if that was what inspired me to write the series and the answer is a resounding NO. That being said, there are some very key similarities to Britney’s story and Dani’s story.
First and foremost, it should be said that no one – myself, the media or the fans – has any idea what this woman has been through, seen or endured. There is not one of us who has walked in Britney’s shoes and therefore we cannot with any authority or factual certainty pass judgement or speak to who she is or what she thinks or how she feels. It is her story alone to tell.
But that is exactly one of the many aspects of fame that fascinates me. Because fans and critics alike feel a certain inalienable right to speak, judge or expound upon the public and private lives of celebrities for the mere fact that they are famous. Strangers speak with confident authority about people they do not know personally. Reporters often focus on the more salacious details of a story regarding a star to gain viewers or clicks, sometimes leaving out more mundane aspects that might explain the situation in a perfectly normal way. And it is this constant judgement and speculation that must make it exceedingly difficult to be a celebrity, especially one who is so young and still discovering who they are. In BURNING BRIGHT, the second book of my series, as Dani’s fame increases, so do her fans and their obsession with her and her life. This ardor is a double edge sword because while it sells albums and keeps the record label happy, it also spurs on the paparazzi and media scrutiny which can make having an off day in public a full-blown, career-jeopardizing scandal. After all, no one blows up Twitter when a celebrity has a great day. But everyone turns on the news when one has a very public meltdown. Deep down many people feel a little satisfaction that someone so rich and seemingly perfect has been taken down a few pegs. Schadenfreude sells.
Super-fans live and breathe their idols and it has to be said that the changes in Britney Spear’s conservatorship might never have come to fruition without the constant pressure of her fans. Their concern for their beloved pop icon kept her name to the forefront in social media in a positive way and ensured her situation was never forgotten, no matter how much time passed since her last album. They were her defenders and saviors and it’s pretty amazing what they did. Did they actually decode messages in her Instagram posts? Were they so in tune with Britney that they were able to be the voice that she was unable to use under her conservatorship? It’s pretty hard to argue otherwise. For that’s what they did – by making signs, marching in front of courthouses, broadcasting podcasts, posting blogs and doing interviews on every platform they could find. They fought as if her life depended on it.
And while some people question the soundness of adults who obsess over every post, interview and appearance of a star they have never personally met, their devotion has deep roots and is nothing to be trifled at. Listening to interviews, podcasts and reading posts, time and time again these super-fans describe how Britney’s music, confidence and career touched them personally. She inspired them or gave them hope. There’s something so intangible and powerful in music and dance that stretches across culture and class, that connects with the innate essence of who someone is. And finding that connection at a time of emotional growth, personal crisis or social isolation can leave a life-long impression on a soul. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for someone who’s impacted your life in such a way.
And some celebrities have that ability to reach their audiences in such an emotional way.
The positivity of the #FREEBRITNEY movement is undeniable. We live in a time of dystopian discord – political divide, class and cultures at war and the very earth itself seeming to revolt against humanity. It is inspiring to see that so many people from so many different walks of life have joined together to save one woman, most of whom they have never met.
I could say much more about the movement and how aspects of Britney’s and Dani’s story intersect, but I’ll save that for another post. For now let’s hope that we all experience the fervor and passion that Britney’s fan feel to go to bat in such a positive way for someone or something we believe in. I hope someone fights like that for all of us should we ever need it.
Happy Tuesday.💕