Mixte Magazine

Who could have imagined that Britney Spears’ fans would one day become a global symbol of activism? In just a few years, their unwavering support has enabled the star to free herself from her abusive guardianship and put the spotlight on an otherwise corrupt legal system. The media whirlwind around the #FreeBritney movement is such that it is now pushing America to rewrite its laws, thanks in particular to activists more determined than ever. Lorin Sisco, a long-time fan, lives on the northern shores of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Crossing the Pacific Ocean once a month so she could support Britney Spears was a no-brainer: « Britney has always been with me. My grandmother would recreate outfits from her videos that I would wear every year for Halloween, and the Baby One More Time CD would be on repeat in my mother’s car as I would relentlessly ask her to take me to her concerts. After she passed away in 2020, I felt the need to get involved in a cause I cared about by joining the #FreeBritney movement. » At the time, the world was gently mocking these protesters and their neon colored signs, fighting for a cause deemed frivolous compared to actual social issues: « We received a lot of criticism, we were called conspiracists, pseudo-lawyers who didn’t have any idea what they were talking about, even though we spent hours studying the legislation. I took the time to look at how guardianship works and it was clear that Britney was a victim of the system. Fighting for her release was my first experience as an activist. »

WHEN FAN ACTIVISM RAISES ARMIES

Much like Lorin, hundreds of USians have campaigned to free the idol of their teenage years, imprisoned for thirteen years under her father’s gardianship. Junior Olivas, a business manager living in Los Angeles, is one of the first members of the self-proclaimed Britney Army, which he joined in April 2019: « I had to help her, because her songs have supported me so much throughout my life. I organised the very first march, and it took dozens more to claim our victory almost two years later. Honestly, I thought we’d get things sorted out in a month or two, but I soon realised that the problem was much bigger than Britney when I heard about the dozens of other stories. This activism is now ingrained in me and the fight will continue until the laws are changed. » An activism 2.0 studied by Jennifer Earl, a professor of sociology at the University of Arizona and a specialist in fan studies. « The #FreeBritney movement is a pure example of fan activism, which occurs when people turn their interest in a celebrity into a political and cultural act. Indeed, such social movements have been proven to work in the past. » As a matter of fact, sociologists have been studying fans behaviour since the early 1990s with the emergence of fan studies, following in the footsteps of gender studies. Fans of sagas such as Star Wars were scrutinised, as were fans of TV series and boy bands. At that time, fan activism was most often about mobilising your community by signing petitions to stop a TV channel from cancelling a show, or to get a music tour to come to a specific town. A political turning point came in 2005 with the creation of the HPA: the Harry Potter Alliance. Fans of the literary saga had set up a full-blown charity, using their shared passion to develop a new form of playful activism. Themes surrounding the famous wizard’s universe, such as tolerance and mutual aid, have been used to develop awareness campaigns in favour of net neutrality or to collect funds after the earthquake in Haiti. These fans were strong allies in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights and mobilised in several states across America, making over 6000 phone calls in a single day to convince Rhode Islanders to let their senators legalise gay marriage. Last summer, the HPA was renamed Fandom Forward, in order to reach out to new communities such as those enjoying the Marvel or Hunger Games universe: « Our mission is to turn fans into heroes, and we know that our world is full of potential heroes ». Gone are the days when groupies would be happy to simply add to their star’s bank account by raiding the official website’s merch. Now, a true fan is someone who is committed. “This is one of the strengths of fan activism, says Jennifer Earl. It connects celebrities or beloved works with the political and cultural issues swirling around them. The #FreeBritney movement has succeeded in bringing the issue of abusive guardianship into the national debate. It would have been much harder to do so without the help of an iconic figure, as in this case Britney, who gets us to pay attention to the cause because of her celebrity status. »

TOXIC PROTECTION

Up until now, this cause hadn’t been given enough attention in the public arena, even though nearly 1.3 million USians are currently under guardianship. It is currently impossible to quantify the number of these allegedly abusive legal measures, although it is easy to imagine the extent of the damage when you know that it is not uncommon to see a guardian representing dozens or even hundreds of people, as in the case of Rebecca Fierle-Santoian, who was arrested and incarcerated in 2019 in Florida for the abuse and neglect of an elderly person placed under her « protection ». The investigation reported nearly 450 individuals legally under her care. It took the death of one of them to shed light on her juicy business. Or when protection becomes exploitation. « The USian legal system is very slow and corruption is rampant: lawyers, judges, nurses, caretakers, doctors… they’re all guilty. We’ve managed to put a lot of media pressure around this issue, » says Vanessa Velasquez, 31, an active member of the Los Angeles Britney Army. While the media painted a sympathetic picture of the movement, suggesting that it merely consisted of flash mobs in front of the courthouse, behind the scenes, a long and tedious process was taking place. Vanessa adds: “Commitment is a big deal, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. Of course, you’re fighting for a cause you believe in more than anything. I went to the Black Lives Matter marches and realised that you can get people to join you on social media to educate them about a given issue. #FreeBritney wouldn’t have been such a victory without Twitter and Instagram to help us spread the word. But it’s a lot of work. We juggle our professional life with activism, which becomes another full-time job: meetings every day, constant communication… It’s tough. I work in management and production, so I offered to put my skills to good use by organising a protest march in West Hollywood, and since then I’ve helped organise all the other marches. Even after our victory, it’s impossible for me to stop my efforts now that I’ve met so many people whose loved ones are victims of abusive guardianships. »

A CORRUPT SYSTEM

This momentous victory took place on November 12, the day Britney’s guardianship ended. But the fans’ euphoria was short-lived. The candy-pink stands outside the Stanley Mock courthouse in Los Angeles were soon abuzz with stories of abusive guardianship with a more than uncertain outcome. Angelique Fawcette, director and producer, is an advocate for guardianship reform. She helped organise the #FreeBritney Unity Rally on November 12, 2021, where she spoke to the crowd about her fight to free Nichelle Nichols, a 90-year-old actress and singer known for being the first black woman to land a non-servant role on television as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek in 1966. « She’s one of my best friends. She’s encouraged me throughout my career. Her son forced her into a mental institution and sold the house she wanted to spend the rest of her life in for over two million dollars. She made it clear that she was against this decision, I even have a video to prove it. My husband and I couldn’t do anything because we are not her family. Now a judge is finally taking this case into consideration and a new ruling should be coming soon, thanks to #FreeBritney’s fight. » California was, for that matter, the first state to change its legislation following pressure from the movement. From now on, guardianships will be more transparent, guardians managing assets of over $1 million will have to be professionally licensed, and $50,000 fines may be issued if they are found not to be acting in the best interests of the protected person. The family of Peter Max, whose portrait was also held up in front of the courthouse, believes that it’s not enough. The 84-year-old painter, a major figure in USian pop and psychedelic art, is still the victim of a decision imposed by a judge to place him under guardianship. Indeed to this day, two lawyers are controlling all of the artist’s administrative and financial decisions, going so far as to prevent his daughter from visiting him. Disturbingly, he and Britney had met in the early 2000s. A photo immortalizes this moment: we see them posing together, all smiles, oblivious to the fact they would one day fall victim to this corrupt system.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

“If it can happen to artists like Britney or Peter, it can happen to anyone, says Hayley Herms, actress, singer and model. I have personally been subjected to 5150, a Californian law that allows for involuntary psychiatric commitment when a third party believes you are a danger to yourself. I was really able to connect with Britney as I myself had experienced the same kind of trauma and how the people around you, the doctors and the whole medical system, can legally take advantage of you. I joined the movement to raise awareness about mental health and medical abuse by giving a voice to those who don’t have one, especially in the current political climate. I want to be part of the change and to witness it in my lifetime, hence my participation in Black Lives Matter as well. I’m just calling for equality in my country. » What about Britney? She waited weeks before publicly thanking the #FreeBritney movement, saying that her fans had literally saved her life. No one can emerge unscathed from thirteen years of psychological abuse, so numerous viral campaigns are now urging fans not to look at or share photos of Britney taken without her consent by the paparazzi. They are committed to letting her live her freedom, without forcing her to take up the fight carried out by the movement. “I appreciate that Britney didn’t ask to be the poster child for abusive guardianship, says Hayley. But because of her, hundreds of thousands of people have decided that our country needs to reform its laws and change its justice system. The end of her guardianship does not mean the end of my activism. » In Hawaii, Lorin reflects on her commitment, more determined than ever: « Defending this cause has brought me much more than I ever imagined. The most important thing is to fight for what you think is right, even if people judge and criticise you for it. Honestly, we could totally keep the movement going to tackle climate change. Never underestimate Britney’s fans! » You better work bitch!