Oh Britney

I feel badly for Britney Spears. She really seems lost and in need of serious help. I have to admit that after she filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, I was really pulling for her to come back. I gave her some slack about her behavior at first because I've been through a divorce, too, and it's not easy. And I certainly didn't have to do it in front of adoring fans and scathing critics. But then I couldn't help but shake my head at the pictures from the stalkarazzi - no underwear, irresponsible behavior, and then the head shaving. She kind of went from clueless-but-magnetic-bumpkin-gone-hollywood to...well...bedraggled and pathetic.

And then she was one hot mess at the MTV Video Music Awards last night. I heard her new single, Gimme More, earlier in the week and thought it was pretty catchy. So, I was kind of hoping that her comeback performance would be a glance at someone with renewed commitment and enthusiasm for her craft. But, it certainly wasn't.

Now, I don't really care about her weight gain. I know that a lot of people are pointing to her "paunch" or "beer belly". But honestly, the woman has had two children, gone through a divorce, and has clearly made some poor choices in recent months and years; I'm not sure that her diet and exercise routine are first and foremost on her mind. Frankly, I find it odd when Hollywood starlets are photographed one day very pregnant and then suddenly they're able to wash laundry on their abs a week later. And, I don't think that Spears looked that bad; you just can't compare her to her pre-baby years at this point. The problem was with the costume and the misguided soul who decided that it would be a good idea to present Spears that way. If she had come out wearing something with a little more coverage, I'm sure that most people wouldn't have noticed. I realize that covering her up would have been breaking her image, but I think the people around her need to realize that she isn't the same girl she once was. Her image needs to change.

No, what disappointed me about the VMA was her performance. I've never credited her as a good singer, but I do think that she was a great performer and turned out some really catchy hits. She used to be a great dancer. Her VMA performance looked like a choreography session in preparation for the actual performance - like she was still learning her moves and where she was supposed to stand. It was weird to see all of the other dancers so professional and convincing, and Spears looking like it was her first time on stage. She may as well have been singing instead of lipsynching, because she hardly did any of the dancing other than the kind of stand-in-place dancing you see at a dance club with regular, everyday people. Definitely not VMA-opening calibur. It was simply going through the moves without any actual follow through.

I wonder whether she really wants to be part of this industry any longer. It seems like she has lost her drive, which is what made her successful in the first place. Without that, she can come out with the best album in November, and people will still eat it up but without the performances behind her music, it won't be the same. I kind of want to see her fade into obscurity for awhile. Take her children, and move to a small town where she stops relying on all of the toxic people around her and grows up a bit on her own. Gets some help for the depression and other problems derailing her life, and gets away from the paparazzi for goodness sake. Takes some community college classes or something to finally get the education that she's lacking. Then comes back five or ten years from now with a newfound energy and spirit - an older, wiser Britney Spears.