Britney Spears is a neo-existentialist, postmodern philosopher

[BigJohnKC]

To be completely honest, I can't take credit for these thoughts. I read this in my morning paper, so I'd like to share. The author makes a few interesting points, and tends to talk a lot like linuxboy. The article cites the words of Doug Kim, of the Seattle Times:

Let's examine the evidence. The primary slide under our philosophical microscope is the song, "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." The lyrics proceed thusly: "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman/All I need is time, A moment that is mine/While I'm in between."

The simple interpretation is to regard this as a typical adolescent lament about the stage between full free-spirited childhood and burgeoning adulthood. A hardly challenging concept. But is there something more here? What if the "I'm in between" line actually signals the third point of a classic Hegelian dialectical triangle? Girlhood being at one point, womanhood at the second and third being some subtly unstated "third way" that draws on the tension and contradictory nature of the first two states of being to create a superior third? In this scenario, in fact, the third way is Britney herself, who deftly incorporates elements of girlhood and adulthood, positioned as an idealized goal for children and adults to progress toward.

This could be the realization of Hegel's declaration of humanity's most advanced thought, the idea that recognizes itself in all things. The idea here being Britney herself, and all things being, well, all things. Look around your universe. Can you not see evidence of Britney within everything that you see? If you were Britney, wouldn't you?

Britney's message here, therefore, is that childhood is one thing, adulthood another, but both of these are incomplete, inherently contradictory states. And all humanity is headed inevitably toward a convergence of the two that results in a slave-girl-outfit-wearing, midriff-prominent, Pepsi-swilling pop princess with a penchant for hoisting live snakes for dramatic effect. Britney is there in front of us, and all who have not achieved her state are merely incomplete individuals oblivious to our ultimate realization as human beings.

Discuss.

here's a link to Kim's article

 

[ThePresence]

I think I'd rather discuss the US being attacked by a dirty bomb than what Britney's "message" really is.

 

[Skel]

And I thought I had a lot of time on my hands...

 

[damiano]

agree...i can't even read this whole article cuz it's so pathetic

 

[nihil]

For some very odd reason I think that Britney has no idea what existentialism even is.

 

[bleeb]

Who cares what she knows or doesn't know... you guys want sex, and that's the image she sells.

 

[nihil]

Originally posted by: bleeb
Who cares what she knows or doesn't know... you guys want sex, and that's the image she sells.

Do I? Personally, I think that she looks like a whore. She is not my type of woman at all. She is classless and unappealing.

 

[BigJohnKC]

Originally posted by: nihil
For some very odd reason I think that Britney has no idea what existentialism even is.

I agree wholeheartedly. The article is fairly satirical, but I thought it was humorous to refer to her as an "idealized goal for children and adults to progress toward." I doubt her thoughts could ever be quite so deep.

 

[nihil]

Originally posted by: BigJohnKC

Originally posted by: nihil
For some very odd reason I think that Britney has no idea what existentialism even is.

I agree wholeheartedly. The article is fairly satirical, but I thought it was humorous to refer to her as an "idealized goal for children and adults to progress toward." I doubt her thoughts could ever be quite so deep.

I agree dude. She and her little pop friends are a major cause of all these problems that we have with kids today. I mean, we have 12 year olds walking around in thongs and halter tops now. WTF?

 

[Nefrodite]

u sir blow my mind

 

[MikeMike]

pics?

 

[BigJohnKC]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
pics?

lol, I was wondering when someone would say that...

 

[Ramsnake]

Originally posted by: nihil

Originally posted by: bleeb
Who cares what she knows or doesn't know... you guys want sex, and that's the image she sells.

Do I? Personally, I think that she looks like a whore. She is not my type of woman at all. She is classless and unappealing.

looks like a whore... u should watch what u speak

 

[dakata24]

does she even write her own songs? i was under the impression she just sang them.. ya know, nothing like a real music artist

 

[BigJohnKC]

Originally posted by: dakata24
does she even write her own songs? i was under the impression she just sang them.. ya know, nothing like a real music artist

Do any of these post-adolescent pop stars actually write anything? I have a hard time believeing they can actually sign autographs without misspelling something.

 

[Adul]

For some very odd reason I think that Britney has no idea what existentialism even is.

I would like to add probaly half the people on this forum don't know what it is ,, much less britney

 

[Ramsnake]

Originally posted by: BigJohnKC

Originally posted by: dakata24
does she even write her own songs? i was under the impression she just sang them.. ya know, nothing like a real music artist

Do any of these post-adolescent pop stars actually write anything? I have a hard time believeing they can actually sign autographs without misspelling something.

so what if she doesnt write her own songs dammit!...she is a performer...an excellent performer...you probably dont know abt other big name artists who dont write their own songs...

 

[nihil]

Originally posted by: Adul

For some very odd reason I think that Britney has no idea what existentialism even is.

I would like to add probaly half the people on this forum don't know what it is ,, much less britney

Heheh. It would appear that way.

 

[Stratum9]

Originally posted by: Adul

For some very odd reason I think that Britney has no idea what existentialism even is.

I would like to add probaly half the people on this forum don't know what it is ,, much less britney

existence precedes essence.

 

[dakata24]

Originally posted by: Ramsnake

Originally posted by: BigJohnKC

Originally posted by: dakata24
does she even write her own songs? i was under the impression she just sang them.. ya know, nothing like a real music artist

Do any of these post-adolescent pop stars actually write anything? I have a hard time believeing they can actually sign autographs without misspelling something.

so what if she doesnt write her own songs dammit!...she is a performer...an excellent performer...you probably dont know abt other big name artists who dont write their own songs...

LOL! you must be britney's #1 fan.. :Q meant nothing by it. since she didnt write the song, why analyze it..

 

[yakko]

Neo-existentialist? Philosopher? Who cares? I just want to know how well she can ride my bone.

 

[chickendinner]

I am sure all of her songs were written after she read nietzsche

 

[BigJohnKC]

Originally posted by: yakko
Neo-existentialist? Philosopher? Who cares? I just want to know how well she can ride my bone.

Well said. Quite thought-provoking

Unfortunately, this has been reduced to a "She's hot....I'd do her" thread rather than the thoughtful, philosophical discussion I was hoping might come of it. But I guess I shouldn't have expected so much from this crowd. So perhaps I should turn the tables for a bit and offer up a theory of my own to spark some real discussion here rather than the simple statements about her abilities to think and her looks.

I think I would have to disagree with the author that Britney is in this song defining a third point of a Hegelian triangle. Her lament, it seems, is not about provoking others to join her in a new state of existence, but rather a cry for help in converting from her former state, girlhood, to what she currently desires, adulthood. Her singing tone (or lack thereof), if you might recall, emphasizes this point in it's own way. It would seem that she is lamenting over a missing event in her life that would cause her become an adult.

This causes one to wonder, what might this missing event be? In truth, what is that event that vaults one human being into a state of adulthood? The simple answer is, of course, that she needs very badly to get laid. But perhaps there is more to it than that. The rumor has been passed around that in fact this event has not ocurred in her life as of yet (though this information comes with much disagreement from various sources, most of which are of the opinion that any one female who displays so much sexual agression and seeming experience in her performance and lyrics must ride the bone nightly). Assuming that she is telling the truth when she does state this is so, let's expound more on the event itself. Does the simple loss of one's virginity launch a person into adulthood? Perhaps before answering this question we shoudl define what exactly adulthood is? Can it be possible that a single event can change one's status in such a dramatic way? I say no, as there is more to life than just sex than there must be more to gaining adulthood than doing the horizontal mambo for the very first time.

So perhaps she isn't describing a missing event in her life. She might simply be fed up with little girls treating her like their best friend, or older men treating her like the woman behind the glass divider at the nudie booth. Anyone in her shoes might feel the same confusion as to what state of life to be in. She has never had a chance to grow up as a normal person. She's been famous all her post-adolescent life, and it may be catching up to her. She doesn't know what direction to go in next, and as she doesn't have the world experience of an older woman, she'll need good advisers that will steer her in the right direction. Or maybe just in the direction that will make them richer with no regard to her well-being. Either way, we'll probably be seeing more of her in the near future.

Cheers!

 

[ThePresence]

Unfortunately, this has been reduced to a "She's hot....I'd do her" thread rather than the thoughtful, philosophical discussion I was hoping might come of it. But I guess I shouldn't have expected so much from this crowd. So perhaps I should turn the tables for a bit and offer up a theory of my own to spark some real discussion here rather than the simple statements about her abilities to think and her looks.

I think I would have to disagree with the author that Britney is in this song defining a third point of a Hegelian triangle. Her lament, it seems, is not about provoking others to join her in a new state of existence, but rather a cry for help in converting from her former state, girlhood, to what she currently desires, adulthood. Her singing tone (or lack thereof), if you might recall, emphasizes this point in it's own way. It would seem that she is lamenting over a missing event in her life that would cause her become an adult.

This causes one to wonder, what might this missing event be? In truth, what is that event that vaults one human being into a state of adulthood? The simple answer is, of course, that she needs very badly to get laid. But perhaps there is more to it than that. The rumor has been passed around that in fact this event has not ocurred in her life as of yet (though this information comes with much disagreement from various sources, most of which are of the opinion that any one female who displays so much sexual agression and seeming experience in her performance and lyrics must ride the bone nightly). Assuming that she is telling the truth when she does state this is so, let's expound more on the event itself. Does the simple loss of one's virginity launch a person into adulthood? Perhaps before answering this question we shoudl define what exactly adulthood is? Can it be possible that a single event can change one's status in such a dramatic way? I say no, as there is more to life than just sex than there must be more to gaining adulthood than doing the horizontal mambo for the very first time.

So perhaps she isn't describing a missing event in her life. She might simply be fed up with little girls treating her like their best friend, or older men treating her like the woman behind the glass divider at the nudie booth. Anyone in her shoes might feel the same confusion as to what state of life to be in. She has never had a chance to grow up as a normal person. She's been famous all her post-adolescent life, and it may be catching up to her. She doesn't know what direction to go in next, and as she doesn't have the world experience of an older woman, she'll need good advisers that will steer her in the right direction. Or maybe just in the direction that will make them richer with no regard to her well-being. Either way, we'll probably be seeing more of her in the near future.

Cheers!

Ummm yeah!

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: nihilShe is classless

so now its all about class struggle? is she the archetype that marx was shooting for writing das kapital? the kind of person we would have when the revolution overthrows the capitalists and workers live in utopia?