Themes and message
The main themes explored in the essay “I Killed Britney Spears” by Jean Hannah Edelstein are the public’s responsibility when following tabloid media, fame and role models, and growing up.
Through this essay, the writer argues that following celebrity gossips and tabloid media makes people partially responsible for the way the image of a celebrity is constructed and destroyed. The writer also tries to show that being famous is not as glamorous and enviable as it may seem because fame implies that celebrities have no private life and no freedom, and are always vulnerable to tabloid media which can ruin their image in an instant.
The responsibility of the public
The core theme of the text is that of responsibility of the public. Using her personal example with following in the media the life of pop star Britney Spears, the writer shows that the public is partially and indirectly responsible for the downfall of celebrities and sometimes for damaging their mental and physical health.
By making Britney Spears a role model, the writer together with millions of other fans gave the media and the celebrity’s managers and family a reason to “continue bleeding her dry” (p. 160, l. 27).
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Fame and role models
The essay also explores the theme of fame and role models, as the writer focuses on pop star Britney Spears and the way she became a role model for the writer.
When the writer discovered Britney Spears she immediately identified with the singer’s life and songs and turned her into a role model: “Britney Spears, I decided, embodied all of the possibility of my young female life.” (p. 158, ll. 12-13)
This was because the writer and the pop singer were the same age and because Spears could do things that the writer could not. She could be a virgin and still have very sexual musical performances, she could wear the clothes that the writer could not, and she was a public figure, revered by fans.
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Growing up
The theme of growing up is explored through the writer’s experience and her change of perspective on her teen idol, Britney Spears.
As a young teen whose parents wanted her to get a degree, the writer discovered in Britney Spears an idol. She thought that the pop star “embodied all of the possibility” (p. 158, ll. 12-13) of success. She looked up to the pop star and imagined that a life of fame is an ideal life. She envied Britney for being famous, for being able to sing about sex while still being a virgin, and for receiving awards for her music.
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