Celeb Howard Stern has no issues voicing his opinions on just about anything. While this has gotten him into trouble over the years, it's also built him a massive fanbase. All of his Sirius satellite radio listeners wait for Howard's views on various news stories regardless of whether or not they agree with him. So, it makes sense that news outlets went crazy as soon as Howard started talking about the 'Free Britney Spears' movement and the horrible conservatorship that's plagued that later-half of her life. Let's take a look...
How The Public Treated Britney
On February 15th, Howard weighed in on the Britney Spears conservatorship controversy after watching the New York Times documentary, Framing Britney Spears. He opened the discussion with his long-time co-host, Robin Quivers, by recounting that Britney started out her career as a "hot, insanely sexual teenage icon" and eventually built a really dedicated fanbase. In particular, Britney built a really loyal gay audience.
Howard admitted that he, unlike her loyal fans, doesn't spend a second thinking about Britney Spears. Her music never appealed to him, and he has been open about the fact that he did make fun of her during some of her toughest years. Although Howard spent less time being interested in Britney than the likes of David Letterman, Jay Leno, or Sarah Silverman. This is a charge that nearly everyone in showbusiness (and in the world) is guilty of. But that tends to happen when a celebrity we don't really know goes through something in front of the world. We don't have enough context to decide to remove ourselves from joking about it.
However, the former host of the Late-Late Show, Craig Ferguson, did take a controversial stance not to make fun of Britney during her 2008 meltdown much to the chagrin of the television network that employed him. After all, there were enough people satirizing her at the time. But it wasn't the satirists who were the guiltiest, it was the legitimate journalists such as Diane Sawyer.
In his February 15th show, Howard Stern made sure to point out just how awful Diane had been to Britney, shaming her for her sexuality and, later, her perceived poor mothering.
"[Britney] is like 19-years-old and [Diane's] like 'Why are you wearing these clothes?' And all this kind of s***," Howard explained. "Kind of nasty."
Howard then recounted a story from Framing Britney Spears where a former conservative governor claimed that she wanted to "kill" Britney for the influence she was having an influence on young people.
"It was really kind of despicable," Howard said of Birtney's treatment by the public. "And then there's the paparazzi..."
Of course, that's a whole other terrible part of this Britney Spears story.
Howard's Feeling About The Conservatorship
As awful as some of the public treatment of Britney Spears was, the main point of the documentary was the conservatorship issue of her estate and her lack of personal freedoms. This, of course, happened after she had her meltdown. The powers that be believed she was unfit to govern herself or her children so these rights were given to her father and have remained there despite Britney fighting to free herself.
"Britney Spears, you know, she had to go to rehab at some point. And she was in and out of institutions at some point. But now, her father, who was barely in her life and is evidently no financial genius, he took over her whole empire," Howard explained to his audience, some of whom may not be familiar with the case.
Howard then went on to explain how he thought it was only fair that Britney gains some freedom from her father. Britney herself has fought to give the power of conservatorship over to anyone else but her father... And yet, the court has let her father retain his position over her estate.
This whole scenario, according to Howard, doesn't often happen to male celebrities who go off the deep end. Howard said that he wasn't sure if Britney could run her own finances but didn't see evidence to support that she absolutely couldn't. This is especially true when compared to male celebrities who have also struggled with issues similar to the ones that Britney has.
"I was thinking, this guy Kanye West... he's been acting a little strange, right? They claim he has a mental disorder... No one has appointed a conservator over his finances. I think I'm 'Free Britney' now. I think I'm full-on 'Free Britney'."
"You're going to join the movement?" Robin asked.
"I think I am," Howard responded. He then continued to list male celebrities who haven't gone through what Britney has after their breakdowns. "Charlie Sheen... let me make my argument... [He] was ranting and raving about porn stars, tiger blood, he walked off that hit show of his --which was ridiculous-- But he makes all his decisions for himself. His parents aren't running [things]."
Howard then spoke about Kanye West again, Shia LaBeouf, Gary Busey, and even Ozzy Osbourne, none of whom lost control of their finances.
"They can put [Britney] in charge of her own finances and maybe she'll go bankrupt in a week, I don't know," Howard said.
"She has the right to do that," Robin added.
"Of course!"