Karaoke Korner

Who needs permission?

Britney shows off her rebellious side

By Patiweth Sethchindapong, Photograph courtesy of AP

Britney Spears makes headlines everywhere she goes and it�s not surprising given her often erratic behaviour, like running off to get married then getting divorced, alleged drinking binges, late-night partying, run-ins with paparazzi... Spears just can�t stay out of the gossip columns, including our very own. But, as the reigning queen of pop, is it her prerogative to behave like this?

Prerogative is a noun meaning a right or privilege belonging to a person or group because of their importance or social status. So, because she�s a celebrity, Spears maybe thinks that she has the right to do whatever she wants. However, like many other stars in the public eye, she also appears not to want the attention she gets. In this week�s song, she sings: �Everybody�s talking all this stuff about me/ Why don�t they just let me live?� Is it Spears� prerogative to have her cake and eat it? That�s for you to decide.

About Britney Spears
Name: Britney Spears
Nationality: American
Style: Pop
Label: Jive Records
Album: Baby One More Time (1999), Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), Britney (2001), In The Zone (2003)
In brief: Born Britney Jean, Spears grew up in a small town in Louisiana. She began performing as a singer and dancer at a very young age and auditioned for the Disney Channel�s The New Mickey Mouse Club when she was 8 years old. Although she was turned down because she was too young, Spears persevered, and at 11, she auditioned for a second time. This time she made it, joining two other well-known �Mouseketeers,� Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. At 15, Spears landed a deal with Jive Records and in 1998 released her debut single �Baby One More Time.� The single shot to the top of the charts and kick-started Spears career, while at the same time pushing her private life into the spotlight. Recently married (for the second time � her first marriage lasted 55 hours), Spears announced a few weeks back that she would soon be taking time out to concentrate on family matters.
Official website: www.britneyspears.com
If you like Britney Spears, check out: Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore

Discussion

Look at the definition of the word prerogative. What importance do you think social status has in Thai society and is this a good or a bad thing? Is society changing for the better or worse and why?

ACTIVITY

The word privilege is defined (in its use here) as the rights and advantages that rich and/or powerful people in a society have. Name three privileges that such people may have. We�ve done one for you.
..................free first-class airline tickets......................................
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�My Prerogative�

By Britney Spears

(Spoken)
People can take everything away from you
But they can never take away your truth
But the question is...
Can you handle mine?

They say I�m crazy
I really don�t care
That�s my prerogative
They say I�m nasty
But I don�t give a damn
Getting boys is how I live
Some ask me questions
Why am I so real?
But they don�t understand me
I really don�t know the deal about my sister
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago
Before I won this fight

(Chorus)
Everybody�s talking all this stuff about me
Why don�t they just let me live?
I don�t need permission, make my own decisions
That�s my prerogative
That�s my prerogative (it�s my prerogative)

It�s the way that I wanna live
(it�s my prerogative)
You can�t tell me what to do

Don�t get me wrong
I�m really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships really
get me down
I see nothing wrong in spreading
myself around

(Chorus x2)

It�s the way that I wanna live
(it�s my prerogative)
You can�t tell me what to do

Why can�t I live my life
Without all of the things
That people say
Oh oh

(Chorus x2)

Vocabulary

erratic (adj): unpredictable
paparazzi (n): celebrity photographers
reign (v): to be the best or most important in a particular situation or area of skill
status (n): the social or professional position of somebody/something in relation to others
persevere (v): to continue trying to do or achieve something in spite of difficulties
audition (v): to give a short performance so that somebody can decide whether a person is suitable to act in a play, sing in a concert, etc.
handle (v): to deal with or control a situation, a person, an area of work or a strong emotion
ego (n): your sense of your own value and importance

Idioms

the public eye: featured on TV, in newspapers, etc.
to have your cake and eat it: to have the advantages of something without its disadvantages; to have both things that are available