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A review by ashlightgrayson
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
This memoir expands upon how Britney Spears has been taken advantage of by both the music industry and her family. She was also a victim of sexism and mysoginy that was especially rampant in the music industry in the early 2000s. Some of the recollections of what the media, other female artists, and even the men she dated said about her was uncomfortable to read. Her family life was tumultous, according to Britney, which wasn't surprising to me. Children with troubled childhods seem to have a proclivity for ending up in the industry and being used and abused. It was disheartening seeing her describe how selfish and entitled her family became after she started really earning money.
She spends a lot of time talking about her romantic partners as well. I wish the timeline for a lot of her relationships was more clear cut. It was hard to keep track sometimes of the length of her relationships or when certain events happened within them. Her relationship with Justin Timberlake is one of the most iconic. She mentions how important the familial support she got from his family was, but doesn't go into detail beyond that. I wish she had because it would have painted a clearer picture of her relationship with him and maybe would have explained why she stayed in such a terrible relationship for so long. She goes into detail about a miscarriage she had while with Justin. A lot of people in their 20s make insensitive decisions, but serenading your girlfriend with a guitar while she's miscarrying is a whole other level of dense to me.
The most fascinating aspect of her story was her elaboration of what was happening in her life when she opted to shave her head. She was undergoing a child custody battle with then ex-husband Kevin Federline and lost both physical and legal custody. She then shaved her head as a way to cope and the media made her out to be crazy. It seems horrible to be so stuck in the limelight that people can't even let you grieve in peace. Her mental breakdown is a lot more undestandable in retrospect. It's just terrible how women are villainized for doing something like shaving their heads, which would be seen as perfectly normal if a man did it.
Despite a lot of the negative aspects, there is still a sense of hope in Britney's story. It was touching seeing how much she cares about her children. It's clear that she had a strong passion for dancing and singing when she started doing it professionally. It's really all the turmoil and exploitation that has unfortunately dimmed her love for music and dance. Her long history with relationships where partners have failed or betrayed her has also made it more difficult for her to trust people again. Now that she is free of her conservatorship, I hope that she is able to find some peace and contentment. This is an interesting read even if you are not a fan of Britney Spears. It reveals a lot about the negative aspects of the music industry as well as the huge failings of the justice system, specifically for individuals in conservatorships. As a society it is clear that we have not yet stopped weaponizing the "crazy woman" trope against women in real life. We still have a long way to go, and Britney's story showcases that.
She spends a lot of time talking about her romantic partners as well. I wish the timeline for a lot of her relationships was more clear cut. It was hard to keep track sometimes of the length of her relationships or when certain events happened within them. Her relationship with Justin Timberlake is one of the most iconic. She mentions how important the familial support she got from his family was, but doesn't go into detail beyond that. I wish she had because it would have painted a clearer picture of her relationship with him and maybe would have explained why she stayed in such a terrible relationship for so long. She goes into detail about a miscarriage she had while with Justin. A lot of people in their 20s make insensitive decisions, but serenading your girlfriend with a guitar while she's miscarrying is a whole other level of dense to me.
The most fascinating aspect of her story was her elaboration of what was happening in her life when she opted to shave her head. She was undergoing a child custody battle with then ex-husband Kevin Federline and lost both physical and legal custody. She then shaved her head as a way to cope and the media made her out to be crazy. It seems horrible to be so stuck in the limelight that people can't even let you grieve in peace. Her mental breakdown is a lot more undestandable in retrospect. It's just terrible how women are villainized for doing something like shaving their heads, which would be seen as perfectly normal if a man did it.
Despite a lot of the negative aspects, there is still a sense of hope in Britney's story. It was touching seeing how much she cares about her children. It's clear that she had a strong passion for dancing and singing when she started doing it professionally. It's really all the turmoil and exploitation that has unfortunately dimmed her love for music and dance. Her long history with relationships where partners have failed or betrayed her has also made it more difficult for her to trust people again. Now that she is free of her conservatorship, I hope that she is able to find some peace and contentment. This is an interesting read even if you are not a fan of Britney Spears. It reveals a lot about the negative aspects of the music industry as well as the huge failings of the justice system, specifically for individuals in conservatorships. As a society it is clear that we have not yet stopped weaponizing the "crazy woman" trope against women in real life. We still have a long way to go, and Britney's story showcases that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Sexism