Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Britney's Changing Image
So I'm guessing since you all are in class, you're avid tabloid readers like myself. Has anyone else noticed the change in coverage of Britney Spears? A few months ago the paparazzi and tabloid writers were looking for any photo or story to portray the singer in an unfavorable way. Gradually, I've noticed that the headlines have been more about her recovery than any little thing that makes her look bad. I was on line at the market and noticed the cover of one talking about "Brit's Hot New Bod." Personally, I think she looks exactly the same as she did a few months ago. This is what got me thinking about the way tabloids can single-handedly change a star's image. Forget what's true and false, they have all the power to change the public's opinion. Another example is Angelina. At first, she was the homewrecker that split up Brad and Jen, but when people got tired of reading about that, they switched gears to make her a philanthropic saint. In a weird way, these tabloid writers have way too much power.
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I had the same exact thought run through my head as soon as I saw that cover image and headline of "Britney's Hot New Body": doesn't she look exactly the same? I think you make a valid point in commenting on how these media outlets and blog posters certainly frame and mold a star's' image. In fact, I commented on this some time ago in reference to Perez Hilton whom I read every so often to catch up on what's happening in Hollywood. Though I know that I could certainly be getting my information from less-catty and publicized celebrity gossip-bloggers with horribly designed web pages, there's something about Perez's presence and know-all that (in a reality-TV sense) keeps me coming back to him. And again beyond that I suppose I'm most intrigued by his exposure and self-imposed greatness and power to comment rather condescendingly on particular celebrities and their "celebspawn" so easily and without guilt. Furthermore, I echo your point that magazines, bloggers and the like very sneakily are able to turn the tide in favor of or against certain celebrities in the way that they have of Angelina and Britney. One day they're commenting on how atrocious and ghastly this person's outfit is and "no wonder their careers going bad" to the next when they've "cleaned up" and landed a new role. It's as if they ultimately determine when the public should and shouldn't admire or despise this or that celebrity at any given moment, from week to week and even from hour to hour. Who's to say what's cool or not, what's beautiful or not, what's scandalous or not, and what's newsworthy or not? It always goes back to the mediated images that we're exposed to every single day and it's just a fact of being aware of this mediated imagery and being an educated media viewer.
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