New batch of Britney Spears documentaries seem to be doing more harm than good

The Daily Beast

"Spears’ increasingly public conservatorship battle and devastating testimony at a public hearing this summer have made her disenfranchisement undeniable," says Laura Bradley. "Framing Britney Spears—the first episode of Hulu’s docuseries The New York Times Presents… to tackle the case—played an instrumental role in rallying the public around Spears’ struggle and likely contributed to the legal wins she’s finally been able to secure today. A re-examination of Spears’ public downfall, the episode also underscored how family and strangers alike have at best failed Spears and often, even worse, betrayed her. As Spears’ case continues to move forward and perhaps even change California guardianship law for good, projects like Controlling Britney Spears and Britney vs. Spears seem to capture a nation’s desperate hope to do right by our beloved everygirl from Kentwood, Louisiana. But is it really possible for any of these restorative projects to do better this time around without Spears’ involvement? And how many more are we all going to watch before we admit that we’ve simply returned to the same voyeuristic instincts that helped land Spears here in the first place? Like everything else in Spears’ world, the timing of this documentary avalanche has been calculated for maximum impact—and by happy coincidence, of course, maximum profit for others. What better time to drop Controlling Britney Spears, Britney vs. Spears, or Toxic: Britney Spears’ Battle For Freedom (a special CNN report that also aired this weekend) than the eve of her next public court hearing? It would be somewhat deceptive to paint even these recent efforts with a broad brush. Controlling Britney Spears builds on its predecessor with new reporting about how the singer’s 'security' team has been weaponized against her as surveillance. The documentary includes the allegation that in addition to mirroring all of her iPhone activity on an iPad connected to the same cloud account—allowing her conservators to access all of her private notes, messages, and calls—Spears’ security team also bugged her bedroom. In bringing this information to light and making it public knowledge, one could at least argue that the Times documentary might further bolster public support for Spears’ legal battle and place additional pressure on those who’ve subjugated her for years. One can make no such argument, however, for Britney vs. Spears—a stunning example of Netflix’s inconsistent quality control that provides almost no new information while consulting a shocking array of sources to speak on Spears’ 'behalf.'" ALSO: Britney vs. Spears doesn't stack up to the comprehensiveness of FX on Hulu's Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Britney Spears.