Wednesday, February 13, 2008

An American Tragedy



Any life derailed is a tragedy, but Britney's life - a life lived out as much in photographs as in her music - has been accelerating out of control at an unbelievable speed. Last week's paparazzi chase - or perhaps more accurately attack - may however, turn out to be a cultural as well as a legal turning point. Legislation is now pending in California to limit the proximity a paparazzi can have to their quarry. To anyone who saw the televised chopper shots of photographers descending on Spears as she was leaving the mental ward where she had been forcibly held under California's 5150 law, it seemed like this could not happen a minute too soon. Let's wait and see.