"This is my game, my rules/And I can see, obviously/baby, you don't know/what it's like to be me." Yes, as these lyrics from "What It's Like To Be Me" say, on May 17, the time will come for us to know what it's like to be ... Britney Spears.
Oh man, did I really say that? Do we really want to know what it's like to be her? Well, it doesn't matter because UPN is unveiling their latest reality series with exclusive home videos of Spears and her husband, Kevin Federline, prior to the media frenzy that has become their marriage.
The videos, taken by the couple, will document their relationship from the day they met to their wedding day. And, as if that's not enough, UPN is shooting new footage and commentary with Spears and Federline to complement the show.
This all sounds fine, but let's analyze the facts, shall we? The show is airing on UPN, a network that barely makes the ratings chart every week. For so long, it has been considered the worst network on television, turning out multiple flops and being the brunt of jokes and ridicule. And now, Spears wants to improve her image and change media speculation about her marriage with a show on it?
As if her life wasn't public enough, with the paparazzi following her and the media reporting her every word and action, it is unbelievable that she would agree to broadcast such a private part of her life.
According to UPN's Web site, Spears said, "I feel that last year the tabloids ran my life and I am really excited about showing my fans what really happened rather than all the stories, which have been misconstrued by journalists in the past. As I mentioned before, I am now going to be expressing my personal life through art."
She is expressing her personal life through art. That's interesting. Basically, she is showing viewers what she has long wanted to keep private to prove the media wrong. Well, I agree, this series is absolutely worth it if I can watch Spears fall in love with her present husband, eight months after the actual wedding, when she is now pregnant with his baby.
On the Web site, Federline declares that the show will be "a documentation of love." So, I wonder, will there be any mention of his ex-girlfriend who was pregnant with his baby while he dated Spears?
Okay, maybe that is me being judgmental because of the tabloid information. Unfortunately, it is hard to be positive when the facts are there in black-and-white. And, after seeing the pictures the paparazzi took during their courtship, I am not sure that we need to see any home movies that are supposed to be about private moments.
It all comes down to the fact that this is just another reality show that will supposedly draw viewers in because of its internationally-recognized star. It is made to showcase Spears and increase her celebrity. And, by creating a new reality show, UPN feeds into the genre of unscripted programming that has been drowning viewers in a sea of confessionals and dating tragedies.
We will have to wait and see what happens after the show premiers. And then, maybe this time next year, we will watch Spears deal with motherhood or sign divorce papers. It's tough to tell at this point. But, as they say in the business, "The show must go on!"
