Sure, I know about Britney Spears‘ fast track down the self-destruction path. It’s hard not to know. When I turn on the TV, she makes the evening news (that’s in addition to tabloid “news” magazines littering our stations). When I wait to checkout at the grocers, her image graces the tabloid magazine decking the “impulse-buy” aisles. I’m not a groupie by any means, although I admit I enjoyed her early boppity-songs like “Baby One More Time” and “Oops I Did It Again”. However, I find “Piece of Me” is one of Spears’ most candid work to date.

The images and words for “Piece of Me” far surpasses an initial, weak attempt with the images in Spears’ music video “Everytime”. “Piece of Me” shows us that how much of what Spears was and has become is as much a reflection of our society as the choices Spears has made as an individual.

What kind of mental state of mind can I expect from a person whose “adoring” public and paparazzi treat her as their property with full rights to worship as an object while at the same time laugh, gawk, and sneer at her? That’s in addition to “set-up situations” Spears alluded to in “Piece of Me”: “I’m Mrs. ‘You want a piece of me?’ Tryin’ and pissin’ me off / Well get in line with the paparazzi / Who’s flippin’ me off / Hopin’ I’ll resort to some havoc / End up settlin’ in court”.

I’d be amazed if she DIDN’T descend down the spiral of destruction.

So here’s to another celebrity who our society relishes in building up to tear down in public spectacles. Who opportunists drools over. Who false friends swarms around… And from whom photographers and tabloid journalists earn their keep for another day.