Episode 9: Britney, Free
Free Britney started as fan sleuthing, which ultimately helped end Britney Spears’ conservatorship, sparked a pop cultural reckoning and galvanized a disability rights movement. Podcaster and comic Tess Barker (Pop Mystery Pod) unravels that journey of pursuing the truth about Britney–and its thornier consequences–while digital sociologist Naomi Smith explains the allure of conspiracy communities and what happens once their detective work is done.
Read the transcript.
guests:
Tess Barker is a Los Angeles based writer, podcaster, and comic. She is the host and writer of "Pop Mystery Pod," a weekly investigative pop culture podcast. She is one of the co-hosts of the long-running comedy podcast “Lady to Lady” on Exactly Right. Tess also co-wrote and co-hosted “Toxic: The Britney Spears Story," which featured pivotal exclusive reporting, and won both the critic’s and fan choice Webbys for Best Documentary limited-run podcast. Tess has written for outlets including The Guardian, CurbedLA, Los Angeleno, LA Weekly and MTV News. She performs stand up and storytelling all over the country.
Dr Naomi Smith is a digital sociologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast (Australia). She researches why people participate in conspiracy and misinformation practices online. You can find out more information about her research at drnaomismith.com.
sources:
Burton, Jamie. Britney Spears Reassures Fans She's 'Not Dead' Amid Conspiracy Theories. Newsweek. 8 June, 2023.
Earl, William. Lady Gaga, Cher and Other Stars Celebrate the End of Britney Spears' Conservatorship. Variety. 12 Nov, 2021.
Hoffower, Hillary and Crosbie, Eve. Timeline of Britney Spears' Conservatorship. Business Insider. Updated 23 Oct, 2023.
Hsu, Tiffany. Kate Middleton, Britney Spears and the Online Trolls Doubting Their Existence. The New York Times. 20 March, 2024.
Isaac, Paulina Jayne. Britney Spears Used the #FreeBritney Hashtag for the First Time. Glamour. 15 Jul, 2021.
Jennings, Rebecca. Let Britney Spears be weird. Vox. 26 Oct, 2023.
Jennings, Rebecca. Some Fans Wonder, What If Britney Spears Is Still Not Free?. Vulture. 1 Aug, 2023.
Mier, Tomas. They Helped Free Britney. Now They Want Justice. Rolling Stone. 28 Jan, 2022.
Phelan, Hayley. The Oracle of Britney Spears, Vanity Fair. 12 Nov, 2020.
Sanders, Sam. How #FreeBritney Split Into Two. Vulture. 1 Aug, 2023.
Smith, Naomi and Southern, Clare. #FreeBritney and the Pleasures of Conspiracy. M/C Journal. 16 March, 2022.
Smith, Naomi and Southern, Clare. The power and pleasure – and occasional backlash – of celebrity conspiracy theories. The Conversation. 21 Feb, 2024.
Voronka, Jilian. Making Bipolar Britney: Proliferating psychiatric diagnoses through tabloid media. Radical Psychology. 2008.
