Jayson’s Reviews > The Woman in Me > Status Update
Jayson
is 40% done
Notes:
(1) Britney likes to describe herself as "innocent" a lot.
- Every time she does I can't help but think, "But you're 'not that innocent,' you told us so!"
(2) Wow! Apparently, Justin Timberlake's a real scumbag! I'd have never guessed.
- Their relationship sort of reminds me of Charles and Diana: he openly cheats on her, so she cheats on him.
(Continued in comments)
— Jan 19, 2024 08:40AM
Notes:
(1) Britney likes to describe herself as "innocent" a lot.
- Every time she does I can't help but think, "But you're 'not that innocent,' you told us so!"
(2) Wow! Apparently, Justin Timberlake's a real scumbag! I'd have never guessed.
- Their relationship sort of reminds me of Charles and Diana: he openly cheats on her, so she cheats on him.
(Continued in comments)
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is 97% done
Britney met husband Hesam on the set of her "Slumber Party" video
Notes:
(1) "The timing of the end of the conservatorship was perfect for our relationship; we were able to establish a new life together, without limitations, and get married."
- An unfortunately ironic line about "perfect timing." This book came out just as her marriage ended.
(Continued in comments)
— Jan 22, 2024 03:15AM
Britney met husband Hesam on the set of her "Slumber Party" video
Notes:
(1) "The timing of the end of the conservatorship was perfect for our relationship; we were able to establish a new life together, without limitations, and get married."
- An unfortunately ironic line about "perfect timing." This book came out just as her marriage ended.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is 86% done
Notes:
(1) "When I’d sung the song 'Overprotected' so many years earlier, I’d had no idea what overprotection was. I’d learn soon, because once I made it clear that I wasn’t going to keep doing Vegas, my family made me disappear."
- Once we get to the Las Vegas section, the book morphs into a kind of dystopia.
- Suddenly, Britney's Katniss Everdeen.
(Continued in comments)
— Jan 21, 2024 11:30PM
Notes:
(1) "When I’d sung the song 'Overprotected' so many years earlier, I’d had no idea what overprotection was. I’d learn soon, because once I made it clear that I wasn’t going to keep doing Vegas, my family made me disappear."
- Once we get to the Las Vegas section, the book morphs into a kind of dystopia.
- Suddenly, Britney's Katniss Everdeen.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is 69% done
Notes:
(1) "As parents we’re always telling our children, 'Stay safe. Don’t do this; don’t do that.' But even though safety is the most important thing, I also think it’s important to ... feel liberated, to be fearless and experience everything the world has to offer."
- Fine advice... if it wasn't about nearly driving a car off the edge of a cliff.
(Continued in comments)
— Jan 21, 2024 01:30AM
Notes:
(1) "As parents we’re always telling our children, 'Stay safe. Don’t do this; don’t do that.' But even though safety is the most important thing, I also think it’s important to ... feel liberated, to be fearless and experience everything the world has to offer."
- Fine advice... if it wasn't about nearly driving a car off the edge of a cliff.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is 54% done
Notes:
(1) "[Kevin Federline] was getting ready to shoot the cover for his album. He was in the studio all the time. He really thought he was a rapper now. Bless his heart—because he did take it so seriously."
- LOL! Britney low-key trashing K-Fed's rap career is so far the best thing about this book!
- The "bless his heart" really twists the knife.
(Continued in comments)
— Jan 20, 2024 07:30AM
Notes:
(1) "[Kevin Federline] was getting ready to shoot the cover for his album. He was in the studio all the time. He really thought he was a rapper now. Bless his heart—because he did take it so seriously."
- LOL! Britney low-key trashing K-Fed's rap career is so far the best thing about this book!
- The "bless his heart" really twists the knife.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is 20% done
Notes:
(1) In addition to being full of personality, the start of the book, up to the account of her birth, is beautifully written.
- Even just reading the two-paragraph prologue, I already have a far greater sense of Britney Spears the person than I ever did of Meghan Markle in the entirety of Prince Harry's "Spare"—2023's other blockbuster memoir.
(Continued in comments)
— Jan 18, 2024 06:30AM
Notes:
(1) In addition to being full of personality, the start of the book, up to the account of her birth, is beautifully written.
- Even just reading the two-paragraph prologue, I already have a far greater sense of Britney Spears the person than I ever did of Meghan Markle in the entirety of Prince Harry's "Spare"—2023's other blockbuster memoir.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) So, I didn't plan to read this now. I had a library hold with an estimated wait of 6-18 weeks, but somehow managed to snag a skip-the-line copy.
- The trade-off is I only have 7 (now 6) days to finish this. Which shouldn't be a problem, but it's still a major risk.
(2) This should check off my "non-fiction" and "recent mega-bestseller" reading goals for the year.
— Jan 17, 2024 12:10AM
Notes:
(1) So, I didn't plan to read this now. I had a library hold with an estimated wait of 6-18 weeks, but somehow managed to snag a skip-the-line copy.
- The trade-off is I only have 7 (now 6) days to finish this. Which shouldn't be a problem, but it's still a major risk.
(2) This should check off my "non-fiction" and "recent mega-bestseller" reading goals for the year.
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Justin Timberlake's a real scumbag! I'd have never guessed. The cornrows were a clue
mwana wrote: "Justin Timberlake's a real scumbag! I'd have never guessed. The cornrows were a clue"I must have missed his cornrow phase. Never paid much attention at all to him nor 'N Sync.
Omg the cornrows. 😂😂😂
Christine’s_books wrote: "Omg the cornrows. 😂😂😂"I don't know, still looks better than the Sideshow Bob curly fro he was sporting on the left.
(2) "The label came to me with a concept for the '… Baby One More Time' video in which I would play a futuristic astronaut. The mock-up I saw had me looking like a Power Ranger. That image didn't resonate with me, and I had a feeling my audience wouldn't relate to it, either."
- That sounds an awful lot like the "Oops ... I Did it Again" video, which is ironic given the title.
- Seems like the label got their way in the end, possibly to recoup development costs.
(3) "The director for the ["... Baby One More Time"] video, Nigel Dick, was open to my ideas. In addition to the school bell cuing the start of the dancing, I added that it was important that there be cute boys."
- Whew! Glad she said "boys" there. You know, given her inclination toward older guys.
(4) "In the pop dance world, there are two camps. Most people will say that LA dancers are better. No disrespect to them, but my spirit has always liked New York dancers best—they have more heart."
- Hmm, I wonder if the dance wars are anything like the East Coast/West Coast rap wars? I envision more twirling.
(5) Britney went on a twenty-six mall tour to promote her debut single.
- Wow! That's so very '90s. You'd be lucky to find many malls still around and operational these days.
(6) We learn that Britney's real hair color is black.
- Exactly how long has she been dying her hair? That much bleach can't be good for your health.
- The darkest I've ever seen her hair was light brown.
(7) The whole period covering her early success is really glossed over quickly. Sucks for me, because this is the time of her life and career that I'm most interested in.
- Though, I can sort of understand since it's only the space of a few years. And additionally, years with Justin she probably wants to put behind her.
- I guess it's not really a departure from the rest of the book. She doesn't so much tell stories as she drops a lot of quick anecdotes. This book never really dwells on anything for too long.
- Possibly, it's meant to convey how much of a whirlwind this period was.
(8) "Was I mad at being 'outed' by [Justin] as sexually active? No. To be honest with you, I liked that Justin said that. Why did my managers work so hard to claim I was some kind of young-girl virgin even into my twenties? Whose business was it if I’d had sex or not?"
- Well, at least she addressed the virginity thing. Reading about her less-than-virginal youth, I thought I'd imagined it.
- I must correct myself from earlier. She lost her virginity at 14, not 13. My math didn't add right.
(9) Probably the biggest revelation to come from this memoir is that Justin made Britney have an abortion.
- Which, the way she describes it, sounds more like she wanted to keep it but acceded to his wishes because she thought he was smarter than her.
(10) Justin breaks up with Britney over text. Later on he visits her and gives her a framed letter that he wrote.
- I don't know what's more bizarre, framing a letter before you give it to someone, or the fact that Britney still keeps it under her bed.
(11) It sort of makes sense how Britney would turn a blind eye to Justin's infidelity and emotional abuse. She writes that his family was more family to her than her own.
- Boy, Britney really throws Jamie-Lynn Spears under the bus. Calls her a "bitch" and a "witch."
(12) "'We have to get this annulled,' [my parents] said. They made way too big of a deal out of innocent fun."
- I wouldn't exactly describe drunkenly marrying your childhood friend as "innocent fun." I'd have to side with her wicked parents on this one.
- You know, even though it's not mentioned here, I still remember her short-lived husband's name was Jason Alexander. I remember thinking at the time, "Britney Spears married the guy from Seinfeld?"