Bomb or bum rap for Britney? Readers respond

MSNBC

Some are angry at Sarah Silverman, others at media for fat jokes

Britney Spears has been roundly criticized for her leadoff performance at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night.

The Associated Press wrote "She lazily walked through her dance moves with little enthusiasm. It appeared she had forgotten the entire art of lip-synching; and, perhaps most unforgivable given her once taut frame, she looked embarrassingly out of shape."

Reuters said "No longer boasting the buff body that helped drive her to international superstardom almost a decade ago, the mother of two moved sluggishly around the stage."

And gossip blogger Perez Hilton told Reuters "“She blew it. ... It was so bad. It was painful. It was embarrassing. And I loved it!"

But the day after the awards, some critics seemed to soften on Spears. Many pointed out that her supposed out-of-shape frame was much trimmer than most Americans. And a rumor began to circulate that Spears had heard the cruel comments comedian Sarah Silverman was going to send her way just before her performance, thus throwing her off. (Silverman said, among other things, that "(Spears) is 25 years old, and she has already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in her life," and poked fun at a report that Spears called her two sons "mistakes.")

Here are some of your thoughts on Britney's performance and the reaction to it.

SILVERMAN WAS CRUEL
“I feel so incredibly sorry for her, so many people have judged her so harshly, especially with the rumors of what that ignorant what’s her name comedienne said about her and her two beautiful children. Anyone’s confidence would have been shaken and their feelings hurt after hearing someone say those things, I know I would, being a mom myself. If you ask me, Britney does need to take better care of herself and them, and should take some time off to reflect and heal, she’s been through a lot, it’s apparently all snowballing right now. As for the “jokes” Ms. Silverman thought were SO funny, they weren’t, they were cruel and heartless, and she deserves no respect at all for her ignorance, immaturity and cruelty.” --Anonymous

CRITICS WEREN’T HARSH ENOUGH
“Critics are barely scratching the surface of how bad it was, most likely out of courtesy and fear. Lord knows that media outlets want to be first in line to interview her after her next big disaster. And lord knows, she’ll have one. Again, and again, and again.” --Anonymous

FAT JOKE
“Is she pregnant again? Looks like she was about to drop a 10 pounder, maybe that was her problem.” --Anonymous

WANTS CRITICS’ MEASUREMENTS
“I agree that the performance lacked enthusiasm and was very sloppy. However, I think it is in poor taste to criticize Britney’s physique. I for one wouldn’t mind looking like that in a sequined bikini! She has 2 children under the age of 2 for goodness sakes! I’d like the measurements of any of the men who criticized!” --Megan

LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD
“Did not see it, don’t care. Come down to the real world and see what makes it go around.” --Anonymous

CHRIS BROWN NOT CRITICIZED
“’She looked embarrassingly out of shape.’ What the hell were they looking at? I guess you have to have ripped abs now a days for anyone to think your body looks good. Was I watching a different show or did Chris Brown lip-sync too? Ohhhhh wait, that’s ok because he did this elaborate dance number. Excuse me but the last time I looked he was a singer not a back-up dancer. She’s in a no win situation.” --Anonymous

FOCUS ON BEING A MOM
“I do kind of feel sorry for her...she seems like she is trying...it can’t be easy always having everyone watching your every move...that would be hard for anyone...she needs to just take a step back and be with her boys and focus on being a mother for a while.” --Amanda

HEARTBREAKING
“Britney’s performance was heartbreaking. When is someone with influence over this poor, desperately ill girl going to come forward and take charge of her life....before it comes to an end!” --Anonymous

STILL BITTER ABOUT SHAR JACKSON
“I don’t think she is unfairly treated! As the old saying quotes :”you made your bed hard so you lie in it”. She stole a man from a pregnant woman, now she has to pay for it!” --C.A.

STOPPED WATCHING
“I do feel bad for her if she heard the comment that that crappy comedian said about her children. I don’t care who you are. Nobody wants to hear someone call their children referred to as mistakes. That pissed me off and I stopped watching the show. It doesn’t sound like I missed much.” --Lisa

CRITICS PROMOTE ANOREXIA
“These critics are insane. Britney looks healthier than ever! It’s sad that everyone in Hollywood is expected to be anorexic.” --Anonymous

WILL BE FAMOUS FOREVER
“So she gave ONE not so great performance! Everyone screws up at some point. She’s still the most talked about portion of the entire VMA’s.....Madonna took the same approach through her entire career. Britney will be famous forever! This nation is in love with Britney...they can’t stop talking about her! P.S. Her body looks 100 times better than the average American female.” --Lori

EXPLOITED BY MTV
“She was pretty bad, there was not any enthusiasm or passion in her performance. I agree with Kanye West who told Radio station Z100 in NYC today that MTV ‘exploited’ Britney. I agree because they knew she was not ready, but it makes great TV. It’s going to take her doing something even more drastic before people recognize that she truly needs help. I feel for her.” --MPG

IN HER PRAYERS
“Her performance was truly sad. I almost cried for her. Embarrassing! She brings this upon herself. She ‘could’ have a comeback if she even tried to clean up her messy life. I’ll pray for her.” --Kristina

BLOWN CHANCE
“As a professional she looked embarrassingly un-rehearsed, lost in the headlights, amateurish and worse, bored. Opening the VMA’s could have been, and should have been, taken seriously as the career sustaining, or career destroying, opportunity that it was. Many previously irresponsible ‘has-beens’ would have done nearly anything to have taken her place and be given another chance.” --Anonymous