Britney vs. Christina, the later years....

Some of you may know that Christina Aguilera and music industry executive Jordan Bratman are now the parents of a son. In contrast, Britney Spears has two children by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Years ago I used to prognosticate about the future of the young Ms. Aguilera and Spears; my own prediction was that Britney's career and life track would be rockier and less intelligently decided than Christina's. The main rationale I had at the time was that Christina has a greater quotient of native singing talent, while Britney relied on less durable strengths, so to speak.

I think my general assessment is looking good at this point. Compare their choice of husbands. Jordan Bratman may not be a handsome man, but he is responsible, competent and complements his wife's career track. It seems likely that his career was aided by nepotistic connections, so Aguilera integrated herself into a broader network with a great deal of social capital. In contrast, Spears hooked up with her back up dancer, a man who already had two children from a previous relationship and evinced no great talent in his own pursuits. Kevin Federline as a public personality was a creation of Britney Spears, and though her own travails have left him to be the last man standing when it comes to responsible parenting I don't think that this leopard can truly change his spots. Though I can't attest to Federline's skillz, I think one could suppose he is by inclination more of a classic player than Jordan Bratman. What you see in the lives of these celebrities are the alternative strategies which we humans employ to obtain our life's "satisfaction."