Iran’s State-Run Media Attacks Britney Spears
Iran's state-run media giant, IRNA, is attempting to discredit Spears' support for the Iranian protesters.
For about a month now, protests have been raging throughout Iran, as women are fighting back against the government’s attempts to limit their freedoms.
As the women of the Middle Eastern country work toward equality, they have been receiving support from people all around the world, including a number of celebrities.
Now, one who lent her name and fame to their cause has received blowback, but not from the protestors themselves.
Islamic Republic News Agency, known simply as IRNA, has seemingly attacked Britney Spears, who is one of many famous artists publicly supporting the women in Iran in their protests.
The company is known as the official news agency of the country, so whatever it says is usually considered to be in-line with the thinking of the government.
Me & my husband stand with the people of Iran fighting for freedom.
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) October 16, 2022
The entire hubbub began on October 16, when Spears took to her official Twitter account to share a message of solidarity. The pop singer commented, “Me & my husband stand with the people of Iran fighting for freedom.” In just two days, the post racked up more than 200,000 likes, and it was applauded by thousands online.
On October 18, IRNA shared a screenshot of not just Spears’ tweet, but a nasty comment left by someone who clearly didn’t like what the star was saying. Underneath Spears’ show of support, a person who goes by the name Saeed on Twitter wrote, “Nice talk. Can you manage your own money yet?”
American singer @BritneySpears was placed under her father’s conservatorship in 2008 due to her mental health problems. That gave Britney’s father control over her finances and even her personal life aspects such as pregnancy, remarriage and visits to her teenage sons.#MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/mmimVJwS4Z
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) October 18, 2022
IRNA uploaded the image and tweeted it out with the statement, “American singer @BritneySpears was placed under her father’s conservatorship in 2008 due to her mental health problems. That gave Britney’s father control over her finances and even her personal life aspects such as pregnancy, remarriage and visits to her teenage sons.”
It’s assumed that by bringing up her conservatorship, the state-run media giant is attempting to discredit Spears’ support.
It’s a poor argument, and one that doesn’t hold much water these days. The Grammy winner is no longer being controlled by anyone, and she is now just another successful adult living her life.
Unsurprisingly, IRNA’s tweet was met with condemnation from fans online, with plenty calling out the account for sexism, misogyny, and for being downright “disgusting,” in the words of one poster.
Women in Iran are currently protesting in huge numbers, as President Ebrahim Raisi’s government is looking to enact strict laws that require women to wear hijabs.
The wave of unrest began when a woman named Mahsa Amini was arrested for wearing hers improperly, and then she was killed while being held. While the government insists it is not responsible for her death, many don’t believe the claims, and her passing has launched a movement that has become large enough for the whole world to take note.
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