Britney Spears tugs at some famous heartstrings

Jae C. Hong / AP

On a basic, human level, the outpouring of sympathy for her can be viewed as evidence that Spears' troubles have tugged at America's collective heart.

By Chris Lee, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 6, 2007

In Britney Spears' time of need, they are reaching out from across the cultural spectrum: an impassioned YouTube devotee and a pop producer, a holy man and a loudmouthed comedian, a pop psychologist and a fellow former child star, all offering words of comfort, career guidance and empathy.

This frenetic week has seen the notorious pop diva lose custody of her two sons (and greet the bad news with characteristic composure by going to get an artificial suntan), top the digital downloads chart with her new single "Gimme More" and fend off rumors of a new sex tape, reportedly shot while she was on vacation in Hawaii. Spears has not, however, publicly sought out anyone's advice. And judging by her curious behavior -- like going shopping instead of attending a divorce court hearing -- the singer seems compelled more by impulse than reason.

But on a basic, human level, the outpouring of sympathy for her -- from such notables as Dr. Phil, hip-hop producer Timbaland, Tatum O'Neal, Roseanne Barr, Kabbalah expert Rav Michael Laitman, PhD and the "Leave Britney alone" guy, among others -- can be viewed as evidence that Spears' troubles have tugged at America's collective heart. Much like the well-wishes a concerned nation sent to disaster victims in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, concern over the electro-pop ingénue -- her alleged substance abuse problems, child custody issues and pop longevity -- is widespread and apparently genuine.

It raises questions: Has Britney Spears taught America how to care again? Or is the celebrity industrial complex forcing the issue?

TV therapist Dr. Phil MacGraw devoted a special edition of his "Dr. Phil" help show around Spears' current predicament, worrying that the singer and mother of two (Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1) is a suicide risk who may need to be committed to a mental institution. "Right now, I believe Britney is so out of control, she couldn't stop this if she wanted to," Dr. Phil said on the show. "If you are addicted to drugs, if you are addicted to alcohol -- I don't know if she is, but there are a lot of indications that she may have that problem -- then I'm not sure she could trust herself to think through this in a reasonable way.

"Maybe she needs to be involuntarily committed; she is not displaying good judgment."

Speaking to "Entertainment Tonight," O'Neal, the Oscar-winning former child actress, likened her experiences as both a young mother and a recovering heroin addict to what Spears is going through. "I relate to her and feel really sad for her," O'Neal said. "I did everything . . . that she doesn't want to do. I did the drug testing. . . . It was very humbling. . . . I wanted those kids in my life."

Earlier this year, around the time Spears was enrolled in a residential rehab program in Malibu, influential pop and hip-hop beatsmith Timbaland told Entertainment Weekly of his ambition to work with the embattled singer. "I feel her pain, it really bothers me," Timbaland was quoted as saying. "I'm the type of person who tries to save the world. I just want to take her away, go overseas, and work [it] out."

Last month, 19-year-old Chris Crocker became an Internet phenom known as the "Leave Britney alone" guy for his defense of the pop diva. Crocker's profane, anguished soliloquy -- a short YouTube film intended to quiet critics of Spears' recent MTV Video Music Awards appearance -- has generated more than 8 million clicks and turned him into a punch-line for late-night talk show hosts. "You're lucky she even performs for you!" Crocker screams into the camera without any apparent irony. "If anybody has a problem with her, you deal with me!"

For his part, Laitman, who is touted in a news release as the "world's leading authority on authentic Kabbalah," recommended in a statement that Spears "explore her heart and rediscover her love for her children."

Coming out of the New York comedy club Comix, where she had performed Wednesday night, Barr struck a note of maternal concern for Spears. "I'm gonna call her," Barr told TMZ. "She needs a mother."

And there's evidence that Spears-inspired compassion is now spreading in the United Kingdom as well. In an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper published this week, British pop sensation Lily Allen offered Spears her unqualified support. "My heart goes out to her," Allen is quoted as saying. "I feel that she must be in a tough place right now. It's really upsetting."

chris.lee@latimes.com

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