Was Gimme More at the ‘07 VMAs Bad?

[RichAssPiss 4,872]

It was a mess. It opens on her visible tracks. A nail flies off mid-performance. The choreography was so sluggish and she looked confused because she didn't run tech rehearsal. In the live broadcast you legit saw people in the crowd laughing at her. I think they chose different shots for the rebroadcast. I love her but she was not ready. We were all rooting for her though.

[QueenMortuana 1,177]

I thought it was terrible at the time but now I appreciate the performance a lot more. She did what she could. 

[Reginald 13,840]

2 minutes ago, RichAssPiss said:

It opens on her visible tracks. A nail flies off mid-performance. The choreography was so sluggish and she looked confused because she didn't run tech rehearsal. In the live broadcast you legit saw people in the crowd laughing at her. 

 The tracks, gurl.... right at the beginning, too.  That's how you knew it was going to be a whole mess of a performance. 

Add in her wandering around the stage in her underwear with a dazed expression, strippers everywhere, and the cuts to celebrities laughing at her... ugh. It feels extremely exploitative. 

Considering that this was her first major performance in three years , and that the only recent news about her involved mental breakdowns and trips to rehab, this was such a bad look. MTV did her dirty as hell in 2007, she should never have gone on stage. I wonder how she feels about this now 

[Akiki 3,900]

20 hours ago, HeavyyMetalVenuss said:

possibly controversial thread incoming? 

it might come from being too young to have experienced everything firsthand, but i’ve never seen why this performance has so much controversy and hate surrounding it! when i watch the performance, britney looks sexy, and i don’t think it’s as terrible as it was made out to be at the time.

compared to her other vma’s performances this could be considered not as good, but that’s also from her catalogue setting such high standards.

do you think that this might come from nostalgia, and time proving to be kind with us becoming more aware of what was really happening with britney? i feel like the world is a lot kinder for the most part, regarding mental health and body image since the performance 13 years ago.

it makes me sad to think about her already struggling with her life, nonetheless with the world seemingly against her at the time.  i think most of the hate against the performance at the time stems from the hate train that was going on against her, rather than the performance itself.

That performance wasn't bad. It was tragic. 

[buzzkill 5,142]

I think it’s in that place that its just too iconic to be BAD. But it’s bad 

[imsourcandy 107]

Sure it wasn’t great but this song is everything. First song I ever bought on iTunes. Lol

[Economy 48,831]

The lip syncing was bad

The dancing was robotic 

There was no emotion or stage presence

 

Yes it was bad. But there's no reason to tear her apart especially with what she was going thru and media as usual was not being kind

 

Also even tho it was bad, I've seen worse. 

 

And yes I agree she was still sexy nevertheless. Ironically even tho the performance was bad I still enjoyed it. Britney just has that effect

[L0NEL1GHTS 1]

It was a decent performance.  I really wish she had been in a better place and knocked it out of the park.  But she gave it what she had.  I’d love to name ten VMA performances that were actually bad,  but y’all would attack me 

[Comet 366]

It’s kind of iconic now but unfortunately not for the right reasons. I remember being so hyped about the song. But it seems like she wanted anything but “more.”

[ThefamebaII 96]

I remember watching the 2007 VMAS when I was 12, and didn’t understand where the hate she got came from. 

I Specifically recall all of the articles that shamed her body using this bad angled photo. The magazines loved seeing her mess up, so they could sell more magazines. If you go to Ebay and search 2007 Britney Spears magazines, you’ll find a bunch of tabloids “exposing” her “secrets” and calling her a drug addict. 2007 was not a nice time in pop culture publication. 

 

[ItWasntLaauv 6,392]

It was really sad.

[maryloo 547]

I want to echo everything other commenters have said, but also point out that we have come a long way since then regarding mental health and women’s bodies. Britney was shamed left and right for being too fat for that costume and was ridiculed for her mental problems. If she had a breakdown today, there would be a very different response. I remember watching it live, very excited to see Britney perform again. And I remember being very sad that it was really bad and not the level of her past performances. I also remember thinking she was too large for that costume, which makes me really sad in hindsight. I grew up thinking women needed to be sticks with flat stomachs, the tiniest pouch unforgivably hideous. I hope that we can raise girls to not look at themselves and others that way anymore. Britney deserved better.