Top Hat Topics: Book Edition

We pop in during our break to talk biopic pronunciation (kidding, but not really) and all things Britney's biopic. We then try to figure out if all the Britney references/cosplay/sampling that's been happening are being driven by the biopic or something else is going on (the name on everybody's lips at the VMAs was definitely Britney!)

We start off our concluding episode of the Britney book club season by unfortunately having to spend even more time discussing Justin Timberlake's continuing lack of couth before we then go Spears by Spears through some of the media exclusives that we've seen over the last few months. We also cover rumors of movie rights, the critical reception of the book, and its impressive sales stats, before moving on to our final reflections about the The Woman In Me's insights, themes, and impact.

On this episode, we bring back the top hat topics format after a lengthy pause and field some thought-provoking book-related questions from our inquisitive listeners. We discuss theories on why some topics didn't make the book, what we would've loved to hear more about, Britney's maximalist aesthetics, Matthew Rosengart as Chicago's Billy Flynn, and ruminate more on the evergreen question: what about Bryan? And in conclusion, we leave you with these emoji thoughts: ✍️💄🧜 😪💨🐛

We have reached the end of our close read of Britney's memoir, The Woman in Me, and to say it has been an honor and a pleasure to do this would be an understatement! We conclude by discussing Britney's final push to free herself from the conservatorship, including her 911 call to report herself as a victim of conservatorship abuse, her court address heard round the world in June 2021, and when she was finally able to choose her attorney, Matthew Rosengart, which ultimately results in the conservatorship being terminated in November 2021. We also discuss Britney's duet with Elton John and her journey to heal and navigate her life as a free woman. We wrap up this episode by discussing the rose emoji-filled acknowledgements section 🌹🌹🌹

In our penultimate close read episode, we cover chapters 40-45 of The Woman in Me. We discuss Britney's brave act of resistance during the announcement of her second residency, her traumatic involuntary stay in a mental health facility, her attempts to make sense of her family's behavior during and after the stay (including the incident between Jamie and her son), and her determination to end the conservatorship once and for all, including how her social media activity factored into this plan. This is our most emotional episode of this series, as we also reflect on what Britney shares about how the Free Britney movement impacted her. 

This episode's close read of The Woman in Me covers chapters 34-39. We discuss the revelations that Britney shares about her relationships with Jason Trawick and Charlie Ebersol, her Vegas residency, the grueling Piece of Me tour, and how the humiliating restrictions stifled her creativity, all while Britney tries to fight back against the conservatorship and maintain her resolve. We also talk about what we learn is the one career bright spot for her during this period - her album Glory.

This episode's close read of The Woman In Me covers chapters 28-33. We spend most of this episode discussing the early days of the conservatorship, as Britney details the isolation, misogyny, and hypocrisy she experienced under the restrictive legal framework. We also cover the two 5150 holds she was placed under at the beginning of 2008, her pre-conservatorship relationship with the "photographer," and put on our tasteful pantsuits to discuss what we think is one of the most memorable chapters of the book: Britney's thoughts about Lynne's book, Through the Storm. 

In this episode, we discuss chapters 24-27 of The Woman in Me. This section covers 2007, a very turbulent year for Britney which still looms large in the public consciousness. We discuss her clubbing with Paris Hilton, her continued custody struggles and isolation, the infamous head shaving and umbrella incidents, and the Gimme More performance at the MTV VMAs.  

In this latest close read episode of the Woman In Me, we cover chapters 18-23: the KFed era. We discuss the fateful meeting at Joseph's, their whirlwind courtship, their wedding, Chaotic, the birth of their two boys, and their divorce (a tumultuous 2+ years for Britney). We do also discuss some work stuff, like her dislike of the Onyx Hotel tour and the recording of her masterpiece, Blackout. 

This episode's close read of The Woman in Me covers chapters 15-17. We discuss the backlash Britney faced following Cry Me a River, as well as her 'street brawl' with Colin Farrell, social anxiety, her time in New York, working with Madonna, the In the Zone era, the infamous Diane Sawyer interview, and conclude with her Vegas marriage & annulment.