Louise O'Neill: The world set Britney Spears on fire and we watched her burn

The popstar had a breakdown before our eyes and we devoured it like it was a soap opera.

Since the Framing Britney Spears documentary was released a few weeks ago, there has been much conversation around our collective complicity in the treatment of the popstar.

Last April, I spoke on an episode of The Vulture Club podcast. Guests are asked to pick a cultural moment they still think about, the obsession to which they constantly return. 

I chose Britney Spears and, in particular, her abs. I spoke about the impact the Hit Me Baby, One More Time video had on me as a thirteen-year-old girl, this dazzling star with her white teeth and tanned skin, her shirt tied up to show off her flat stomach.