Britney Spears and "Yes We Can": Why Rolling Stone Probably Shouldn't Have

Back in 1990, near the peak of her international fame and right about the time she was officially canonized by Miami's Cuban exile community, Gloria Estefan was involved in a nasty tour bus accident. For those who don't remember, Estefan had to have two titanium rods implanted in her spine as a result of the crash and many wondered whether she'd ever walk -- to say nothing of doing that conga -- again.

During the year of intensive physical therapy that followed the surgery, Estefan was closely monitored by every local TV station in South Florida -- each one keeping a constant vigil at the side of Miami's patron saint as she attempted to work her way back to full body-shaking strength.

In particular, WSVN dubbed its coverage "Road to Recovery" and featured nightly updates on Gloria's progress. Although it felt like overkill, even at the time, there was nothing inherently awful about the way the station went about reporting the Gloria Estefan story.

In fact, it was only in retrospect that whole thing would seem kind of tasteless.

Two years later, Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida. It devastated the region, killed 65 people and left thousands homeless. As the area struggled to revive itself in the wake of the storm, WSVN once again tagged its coverage "Road to Recovery."

Though I hadn't yet worked for the station when the Estefan incident happened -- I was nothing more than a 20 year old viewer at the time -- I remember talking to one of my WSVN co-workers in the fall of 1992, as our hurricane recovery coverage ramped up, and wondering aloud, "So let me get this straight: We're indirectly comparing the worst disaster in South Florida history with Gloria hurting her back. Shouldn't we at least come up with a slogan we haven't already used to death on something that now seems really inconsequential?"

Why do I bring this up?

Because although WSVN couldn't have anticipated the much more worthy "Road to Recovery" story to come when it used the line to describe Gloria Estefan's personal tragedy, Rolling Stone damn well knew the pedigree attached to the phrase "Yes We Can" -- the unspoken cultural trademark it now carries -- when it chose to bastardize it for the cover of its latest issue.

The result?

A photograph of Britney Spears, grinning like an idiot, adorned with boldfaced type proclaiming "Yes She Can!"

It's certainly not inherently offensive to co-opt Barack Obama's campaign slogan -- the one which not only helped define him as a candidate and win him the election, but which served as a battle cry for a nation desperately in need of something to believe in. For Christ's sake, though -- Britney? That's who you're going to ascribe this powerful phrase to after adjusting it to meet your trivial needs?

Britney Fucking Spears?

Just a few short weeks ago, the statement "Yes We Can" sounded like a clarion call across America -- an affirmation of absolute purpose made by the first black president of the United States as a means to inspire millions.

And you're equating that with Britney no longer shaving her head in public or attacking the paparazzi with an umbrella?

Really?

I'll occasionally spend a good amount of time trying to come up with creative titles for the pieces on this site and my own in an attempt to fulfill my obligation to be a smart-ass. But I always try to be cognizant of the line that separates clever from stupid (which is not to say that I always respect that line). Doing a groan-and-eye-rolling twist on an expression of momentous significance is easy and cheap -- a fast grab at the lowest-hanging fruit on the "wit" tree -- and it's way beneath the editorial board at Rolling Stone.

I'm willing to concede that I may be taking this too seriously; some will argue that it's just a political slogan, after all. But I can't be the only one who thinks that even if there's no parallel with larger events to be drawn from the Britney cover -- even if it doesn't tread on sacred ground, like telling a 9/11 joke on 9/12 -- the whole thing is just really fucking cheesy.

"Yes We Can" isn't simply another catchphrase to be milked to death by anyone looking to sell a product.

Rolling Stone could've -- and should've -- come up with a better tagline.

Maybe "Road to Recovery."

Hey, it worked for Gloria.

Follow Chez Pazienza on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chezpazienza

Comments

[QueenOfViolets]

Note to columnist: "Road to Recovery" is a metaphor. People can use the same metaphor without making the intentional associations you're accusing them of making.

Maybe by now "Road to Recovery" has even become a cliche. But still, this doesn't mean everyone who uses the same cliche is comparing their use to the uses of everyone else.

This habit of over-association on the left reminds me of the William Ayers fixation on the right.

"Linked-to-ism" -- when people in public life ignore causality and common sense to make wild associations that benefit their own political positions.

There's a lot of it going around. Thank heavens Obama isn't a linked-to-er. He's too sensible and causality-oriented to fall for that.

[zippywpinhead]

I thought Road to Recovery was a Bing Crosby/Bob Hope movie...

[aznurse]

ha!

[Social Construct]

Hmmm. I don't know. Much ado about nothing, I opine. I hope Shakespear fans won't get offended.

[Wordland]

If I were working for the magazine, I might have pointed out the same thing, that reusing the Obama slogan for the tribulations of Britney Spears was tacky and trivializing. But ... "Yes we can" a clarion call? Frankly, although I am an Obama supporter, I think it's a lame slogan. It said nothing much--nothing about what Obama-ites believed or wanted long-term, nothing about how Obama would govern. It apparently just meant we could win. Fine. But so what? Create a vague slogan, expect to see it repurposed everywhere, even to cheer on a toothy, fluffy pop star.

[JoeLib]

Obama will have the last laugh. My highly placed sources within his 2012 re-election campaign tell me his theme that year will be: "Oops, I did it again!"

[cclowe]

Bob the Builder: "Can we build it? Yes We Can!"

[ObjectiveRealist]

Britney who?

[JustinAddison]

Actually the Rolling Stone title suggests a great analogy. Britney Spears is a musician, but is better known as a celebrity. Obama has a somewhat minimal history as a politician, but has become world-famous based on star power and publicity rather than on accomplishments of substance. I think the author of that line was more "hip" than you may think!

[terentz]

We won, you lost -- choke on it.

[LiberalBuzz]

No Kidding,

As for minimal experience, Obama has been working for the people since he got out of law school.

[andvoodoo2]

You need to do a little research on Obama - you are making yourself look foolish with your uninformed comment. Unless, of course, you prefer to remain like your Republican idols - ig.norant and uninformed.

[beatlejohn]

Musician? You have to be joking!

[mykulbee]

Total agreement. If we expect Preident Obama to raise the bar, we'd all better be willing to participate. This ain't a sit-back-and-watch-this-guy moment in history. This is where we ALL get involved and we ALL raise it up at least a notch.

Rolling Stone, yee should have known better. If you're to remain the hippest rag in the room, you'd better kick it up a couple of notches...Mother Jones is right behind!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Chez! Keep up the good work.

[TOOO]

Yes, she should be canned.

[pnd]

Chez, Si se puede! is the original phrase and comes from farmworkers uniting for better working conditions. Yes we can! is the co-optation and translation of that rally cry by Obama's campaign.
Just FYI, buddy - Paige Donner

[blue42]

I CAN'T believe rolling stone use pe obama words to adhere to that ding bat after so many good articles covering prez o. and having him on the cover through out the election. its just shameful we should burn or copies of rolling stone in effigy.

[LaurieR]

Simply using the same phrase doesn't necessarily mean you're "equating" the two. With regard to the Andrew/Estefan situations, they were indeed both roads to recovery. That doesn't mean the headline writer was deeming them to be equally serious roads to recovery. Using the same well-worn phrase to describe two disparate situations is not drawing a parallel between them... the phrase "Welcome home" can be used as a headline for a story about injured troops coming home from Iraq, and a week later for a vacuous celebrity visiting his/her hometown--does that mean you're comparing the two situations and saying they're equally important? Of course not. Not everything can be or should be compared. So yeah, dude, you are kind of taking it too seriously. Especially when you consider that "Yes We Can/Sí Se Puede" was certainly in heavy use in both politics and union activism long before Obama took it on as a campaign slogan.

Britney is still a waste of ink and trees, though. And a Republican to boot. Perhaps that's what's *really* ticking you off. ;-)

[Bongborg]

Gee, that was what I said when all the trolls started freaking out over lipstick and pigs.

[ggm68]

For Britney, of all people. She who, when asked her opinion of George W Bush, said she thought we should all just really y'know support the President and trust him that he was doing right things to keep us safe (i.e. invading and occupying Iraq) and stuff.

[kellygrrrl]

it really only works if the wad of gum is visible and the smacking is audible