Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion

The Woman in Me
Has anyone read this? I've read recently. Thoughts? Fan or no, interesting memoir of the biggest pop icons of our time.

Selina wrote: "The Woman in Me
Has anyone read this? I've read recently. Thoughts? Fan or no, interesting memoir of the biggest pop icons of our time."

Not really of fan of her but maybe would read it if I see it at the library.

You can also find it on audiobook

Here's what cover looks like. Of course she is topless lol. I don't think nudity bothers her. She's like a modern day Marilyn Monroe.

I'm not a fan of hers, so will pass.

I was not really a fan either, but the memoir is interesting. I suppose you have to be a certain age to relate. Britney is one year younger than me, so I kind of relate, we grew up in the same eras.

I do remember when she first debut, and people were a bit confused about her first big hit, Hit me Baby one more time. It was a banger (you can dance to it) but some were like..is it about domestic violence??

The thing I learned most while watch footage of Britney performing is that she has amazing choreography. Though all pop stars of that era were dancing 'nsync' like her, she was the lead. or Queen B.

She surpasses Madonna in that respect. Even Janet Jackson could not do fwd and backflips in performance. Though I don't think Britney can top Paula Abdul for originality.

Britney's influences were Janet Jackson for choreography, Mariah Carey for emotions, and Madonna for her sex appeal.

When Britney had her meltdown, it was all over the tabloids and people were talking about her shaved head and making jokes about her for months, if not years.

Britney has bipolar disorder, and she acknowledges that mental illness runs in her family in the first chapter. Singing for her is a release, and a way to get attention, because her family life was not good. Her parents are separated. Her dad was an alcoholic. They lived in Louisiana, which is a poor state by US standards.

That never crossed my mind that Hit Me Baby One More Time would be about domestic violence.

Koren wrote: "That never crossed my mind that Hit Me Baby One More Time would be about domestic violence."

If taken literally. "Hit me' means call me. But some people don't know that.

Also 'My loneliness is killing me' could probably be taken literally. "When I'm not with you I lose my mind' - craziness?

Lyrics, if your read them, tell a different story to the beat

lyrics---

[Intro]
Oh, baby, baby
Oh, baby, baby

[Verse 1]
Oh, baby, baby
How was I supposed to know
That somethin' wasn't right here?
Oh, baby, baby
I shouldn't have let you go
And now you're out of sight, yeah

[Pre-Chorus]
Show me how you want it to be
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now
Oh, because

[Chorus]
My loneliness is killin' me (And I)
I must confess, I still believe (Still believe)
When I'm not with you, I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time

[Verse 2]
Oh, baby, baby
The reason I breathe is you (Oh yeah)
Boy, you got me blinded
Oh, pretty baby
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
It's not the way I planned it

[Pre-Chorus]
Show me how you want it to be
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now
Oh, because

[Chorus]
My loneliness is killin' me (And I)
I must confess, I still believe (Still believe)
When I'm not with you, I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time

Of course Britney didn't pen this song, honor goes to pop factory song writers Max Martin and? who are Swedish. Swedes known for turning out Abba, Ace of Base and other earworms.

Britney travelled to Sweden to record this song as I recall and she did things in one take.When she was younger she had a good deep voice and was on Star Search at 10 years old or something? But pop required her to sing in a different baby sounding voice, it's sweet, but not deep. Not sure if she's auto-tuned now.

But later when she was under consevatorship, the hit machine would churn out albums and songs under her name where she wasn't even singing them, the vocals were done by a soundalike. Isn't that terrible, to put our songs and not even be allowed or able to sing them just lip sync.

Many horrible things were done to Britney or by the person in charge of her conservatorship.

Karin wrote: "Many horrible things were done to Britney or by the person in charge of her conservatorship."

Her dad and another lady who was pastor/pastrix of a church he went to. She tried to get Britney's money for her church (and other stars). There was also some shady guys on the make.

She didn't mention all this in the memoir though, because they only told her what they wanted to keep her working (and making $$)

Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Many horrible things were done to Britney or by the person in charge of her conservatorship."

Her dad and another lady who was pastor/pastrix of a church he went to. She tried to get..."

Wow, talk about a shady pastor, but some are, of course, just like in any field.

Britney's mother wrote a book about her after the tabloid scandals broke, sister Jamie Lynn got pregnant at 16, Britney losing it, Justin Timberlake break up.

KFed has written his side of the story. Not complimentary to Britney.

Her sister also penned a memoir. I've only read the mother's memoir

Things I Should Have Said: Family, Fame, and Figuring it Out by Jamie Lynn Spears.
You Thought You Knew by Kevin Federline
Through The Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World by Lynne Spears

Selina wrote: "Britney's mother wrote a book about her after the tabloid scandals broke, sister Jamie Lynn got pregnant at 16, Britney losing it, Justin Timberlake break up.

KFed has written his side of the stor..."

Thanks, I'll avoid them. It's hard to know who is right without having been there, and some of them could collude to say the same thing. I'm not saying Britney didn't lose it--it's difficult to have fame too soon, especially if someone else is calling all of the shots.

If you see older MTV behind the scenes videos of her when she was young, she's very genuine, but later on, you can tell her heart isn't really in it anymore.

Also she had to lie about being a virgin I don't know why..I suppose to please the Conservative Christian crowd. People were so obsessed with Britney's love life, paparazzi didn't hang back with her.

Selina wrote: "If you see older MTV behind the scenes videos of her when she was young, she's very genuine, but later on, you can tell her heart isn't really in it anymore.

Also she had to lie about being a vir..."

Many young stars had to lie about things, including ones on the Disney channel (eg Miley Cyrus.) Not just for the conservative Christian crowd, either, depending on the age of the star.

I got the book again from the library - this time the actual copy not an e-book, because I wanted to read it through again and take my time. When it's an e-book you can't easily flip through or go back on pages.

It's interesting to read what she thinks about her stardom and compare it to her performances as recorded on MTV with her behind the scenes videos, Ellen interviews, American Idol judge appearances, and actual concerts.

Justin Timberlake - huh. Typical male star, had a lot of groupies but Britney for the most part was faithful to him. He did her dirty though, but they were so young. I think if Britney had a family with him instead of K-Fed it would have been so different.
But he wasn't ready to be a father. I wonder if he's a father now, or married. Will have to google to find out.

Selina wrote: "I got the book again from the library - this time the actual copy not an e-book, because I wanted to read it through again and take my time. When it's an e-book you can't easily flip through or go ..."

Wikipedia says Timberlake has 2 kids.

Huh married actress Jessica Biel in 2012. 2 sons, Phineas and Silas.
Apparently they not together anymore, and she is left raising the kids.

I haven't seen Jessica in any movies. I don't listen to Justin Timberlake. My personal feelings is he's all about himself and his career.

Britney's songs feature in '& Juliet' the musical.
Based on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (young love!) but from Juliet's POV.

Other Max Martin songs feature as well boy band songs, and pop hits from Katy Perry, etc.

Having listened to a lot of Britney after reading her memoir, I know her songs quite well.

Oops I did it Again
Baby one More time
Stronger
I'm not a girl, not yet a Woman (Where title 'Woman in Me' comes from)
Overprotected

Other songs I like
Lucky
Toxic
Radar
Piece of Me (it referenced the Paparazzi)
Circus
Till the World Ends

She did one with Elton John after getting out of the conservatorship. People say Blackout was her best album, and she recorded it when she was going through a tough time.
Some of her songs were very risque though. She herself thought they were too sexual. One song she wrote herself was about her lost baby.

Can't get away from Britney, she'll always be an icon of late 90s early 2000's pop culture.

Britney was the buddy read nobody buddy read with me lol.
I think she'd cry if I told her that.

I saw her movie, Crossroads on Netflix. She only ever made one movie, and then decided she couldn't be a movie star. Why, because she was afraid she'd become too much like her character, ie. she would lose herself in it, and then wouldn't even know if she was acting. I think thats scary and shows she really takes things to heart. She doesn't act from outside in, she acts from inside out.

Anyway I found the movie quite touching, it was teen film but dealt with serious issues. And Kim Cattrall (Samantha of Sex and the City) played her mother.

I was never a fan--wrong generation--and none of my kids were, either. I don't read many celebrity memoirs or biographies (most of the ones I read were for a competitive reading game.) I think her life has had a great deal of tragedy and am not a fan of kids getting that famous that young--it seldom turns out well. The exceptions are rare where it works well.

I wasn't a fan when I was young she was popular in the late 90s, and I wasn't listening to too much music by the time I'd finished high school and entered the workforce.

I think your prime listening to music years are from age 8-17 when you are young and impressionable.

A lot of celebs put out memoirs. I think it's interesting to read their own take on things rather than just gossip or publicity you read or hear about in the papers.

Whitney Houston waited until she was 18 to sign a record deal and make her debut on tv but she still got gypped by the industry.

You can get shafted by the industry at any age because it's all about producers, et al, making money, so I should have been more clear. There are many other pitfalls to being a celebrity as a child, even for those who don't get shafted.

Not just in music, but all the performing arts. Many get dumped when they are no longer kids, or end up with substance abuse issues, etc. Stellar exceptions are the Fanning sisters--I remember the older one taking about how her parents made her do chores and a number of other things. Her parents worked hard to help their daughters grow up well.

I first heard of Dakota and Elle Fanning because my brother was one of a zillion actors who appeared on (only one episode) a mini series they were both featured in when they were children, which is why I remember reading about her comments l later.

There are many good reasons why people such as Harrison Ford refuse(s) to allow their kids to become working actors before they're adults.

Yea the whole child star thing is shameful.
I guess I'm fascinated with what it's like to be one. I have read a LOT of child star bios and they tend to be all the same.

The Olsen Twins are another that were younger than most when they became famous. They no longer want anything to do with showbiz.

Selina wrote: "Yea the whole child star thing is shameful.
I guess I'm fascinated with what it's like to be one. I have read a LOT of child star bios and they tend to be all the same.

The Olsen Twins are anothe..."

The Olsen twins also had no acting talent. You don't need talent to be babies on TV shows. My kids and I watched one of movies they made as kids and they were terrible at acting. I think it was horrible to make them do all of that, unless they enjoyed it. Apparently Mary-Kate didn't like being on set as much as Ashley who was more amenable to it. However, I know better than to believe anything I read about them in the media.

Why? One summer my brother appeared in one of those "Boys of Summer" type articles about actors. I bought this major magazine issue just to read it and told my mother some of his answers were really odd. She said they hadn't interviewed him. He was given a questionnaire and they just sort of made things up based on his answers (can't remember if it was one of those multiple choice ones which are inane.)

Well yea, they hated the publicity tours. Most performers don't like interviews. Child stars are problematic as they almost always need a stage mother/father to get them to perform, take them to the set, make sure they get schooling, dress/wardrobe as they are growing up etc.

Most PR is made up. The parties and dates are mostly staged. Britney wasn't really a virgin until she married.

Britney was in the news today, she's been arrested for DUI. She was caught driving erratically - she's on meds, but thought she could drink alcohol as well. You can't if you are on meds.

Not that she can't drive - but any amount of alcohol can affect you more in combo with meds. She'll probably lose her license for that.

It sucks not being able to drive, and you lose your independence, but its better than being a danger to everyone else on the road. She could have friends giving her rides, but I do understand that she might just want to go somewhere by herself and not be hassled. Be sober if you driving or get a sober driver if you do want to drink.

The news article was quite detailed on what meds she was on as well. Lamitical, adderall, an anti-depressant - seems she suffers from a combo of bipolar and ADHD.
I don't think she's schizophrenic though there are different meds for that.