BRITNEY SPEARS AS A BRAND; A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIA MANIPULATION AND CELEBRITY

Abstract

This research looked at the media’s manipulation and representation of celebrity. It focused specifically on Britney Spears, considering both her personal and professional life. It focused on the globalisation of Spears and her position as a brand. Key events from the beginning of her career up to and including her latest album, Femme Fatale (2011) have been identified and are presented chronologically. An electronic database was used to find a range of broadsheet and tabloid newspapers, from both the USA and UK, to critically analyse the media response to these events, using an inductive interpretive approach. A clear idea of the effect of mass media emerged, along with an exploration of the globalisation of Spears as a brand and how this helped enhance her professionally, yet also showing how Spears struggled to cope with the constant media intrusion into her personal life. This analysis results in a richer understanding of the relationship constructed between the media and celebrity figures, and in particular the distinction and blurring of professional and personal roles that results.