Britney collapse - Icon’s plight deserves our sympathy

EVER since Rome indulged its most popular and deadly gladiators with the exotic pleasures available in the capital of an empire, entertainers have enjoyed a privileged existence; ones of comfort and acclaim, often ones of deadly excess and frequent infamy.

In a world threatened by global warming, chaos in the Middle East and parts of Africa, the end of carbon fuel and the earth-shattering prospect of God Save the Queen being sung at Croke Park the tragic plight of Britney Spears, the song and dance starlet of less than celestial ability, may not seem to be of any great significance.

Spears’s very public collapse over the last few months can provoke nothing but sympathy in even the very coldest of hearts and the argument that she enjoyed a level of comfort and indulgence unimaginable by the vast majority of humanity is utterly irrelevant — Spears is a creature manufactured, shaped and managed by one of the most powerful and least sentimental forces in our world.

She has, or had, more influence over many of our children than all but the most persuasive and charismatic teachers. She was one of the tools exploited by the fashion and entertainment conglomerates to shape our world. She is one of the reasons so many 10 year olds innocently dress as sexually active adults, she is one of the icons that formed the mores of the age. That is why it is at least pertinent to be aware of her tragedy.

That she could not cope with the consequences of her life makes her the same as millions of others, the only difference is the visibility of her distress, the cannibal voyeurism, even the exploitation of her implosion as it were no more than an inevitable milestone in her career.

Her cries for help have a world-wide audience and hopefully they will be heard by someone in a position to help her.

The challenge for the rest us is to realise that at times we must be our brother’s keeper and to respond to the cries for help on our own doorstep.