Britney Spears Documentary : How Media Failed These Female Stars

Female Stars Failed By Media: The string of apologies came in after the release of the Britney Spears documentary hit the OTT screens.

Framing Britney Spears highlighted how the pop star had to go through unfair media scrutiny when she faced a crisis in her personal life in the 2000s. While there are wrongdoers mentioned, the main culprit for almost ruining Spears life and reputation is the American media.

Paparazzi attacks and hurtful jokes on prime time television is the least Spears faced. She is not the only women who had to go through such an ordeal while many men just walked around the block after doing whatever they wanted to do. Justin Timberlake recently apologised to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson for the way he treated them in the past and he was one of the few men to admit that he benefitted from "a system that condones misogyny". Not to applaud him for just apologising for his problematic actions but we need more men to come forward and at least take accountability for their actions and acknowledge the privilege they enjoy.

Here are the women who were failed by the media and are yet to be apologised to:

Paris Hilton

Hilton has spoken up about the harassment and abuse she faced as a young child in a boarding school in Utah. Even now when her name is mentioned, the infamous sex-tape from 2001 comes up. The aggressive paparazzi which always followed often asked her questions about the sex-tape. As if that is all her identity was. The question is not if Paris Hilton herself leaked those tapes or was wronged by her partner who leaked it, the fact is that Paris Hilton was 19 years old.

Miley Cyrus

The sweet household name Hannah Montana was at a time one of the most famous television shows around the globe. Miley Cyrus only started facing media criticism after she decided to not be her television show character. Even though the show ended many years ago, Cyrus had to always be like her character and even dress like her character in public life. Then came the Wrecking Ball and the media hit Miley with all they had got. Even though her fans were equally responsible for shaming her.

Lindsay Lohan

Recently a video clip from an old interview of Lindsay Lohan at David Letterman show resurfaced on the internet. The show host, Letterman was seen asking absurd questions to Lohan such as: " How many times have you gone to rehab", " What will they be rehabbing this time." That is just what the tabloids were covering in 2013. Lohan had been addicted to drugs and decided to seek help by going to rehab. What's wrong with trying to fix your problems? Her addiction also got her involved in court cases and while the court gave its ruling, American tabloids had their own trials going on.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson used to date Tony Romo of Dallas Cowboys, an American football team. When Romo displayed poor performance on the field it was his girlfriend Jessica who was blamed every time. The media also body-shamed her a lot when she got pregnant calling her all-sorts of fat animal names. Jessica Simpson had also taken a vow that she won't lose her virginity before marriage and this something that the media could not let go of. The obsession around her being a virgin was shameful and demeaning.

Views expressed are the author's own