Britney: anti-choice poster child?

Posted by Laura Barcella at 6:00 AM on March 24, 2006.

So creepy, so disturbing, so outright odd, you just can't make this stuff up...

Beginning in April, a Brooklyn art gallery will display a life-size clay sculpture of pop songstress Britney Spears giving birth to her first child, son Sean Preston, on a bearskin rug. According to the press release from Send2Press.com:

"Natural aspects of Spears' pregnancy, like lactiferous breasts and protruding naval, compliment a posterior view that depicts widened hips for birthing and reveals the crowning of baby Sean's head."

Yup. It's a memorial of Britney Spears. Giving birth. On (huh?!) a bearskin rug. On her hands and knees. With a curiously slim, un-dimpled physique (she's supposed to be preggers -- did the artist not do any research? Did he not behold any photos of Spears when she was actually with child?)

What's going on here? Who in holy hell created this montrosity, and why?

The artist in question is a British bloke named Daniel Edwards. He helpfully explained his inspiration: "She was number one with Google last year, with good reason --- people are inspired by the beauty of a pregnant woman."

But the worst of this nightmare is yet to come. See, Edwards is working with the Capla Kesting Fine Art gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to dedicate his sculpture to the anti-abortion movement. (The formal dedication ceremony will happen on April 7th, if you're itching to attend.)

Indeed; you read that correctly. This repellent work of "art" -- again, to reiterate, a creepily sexual sculpture of a young, cheesy pop star with her legs spread, back arched, pelvis thrust, butt in the air, and generally, you know, looking more prepared for a roll in the sack than the painful expulsion of a small human from her body -- is, in fact, called "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston."

"Britney provides inspiration for those struggling with the 'right choice,'" artist Edwards noted. (And apparently, the 'right choice' always means carrying a pregnancy to term, right Mr. Edwards?)

Lincoln Capla, the art gallery's co-director -- also male; also physically incapable of ever having to deal with an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy -- also weighed in:

"A superstar at Britney's young age having a child is rare in today's celebrity culture. This dedication honors Britney for the rarity of her choice and bravery of her decision.

Um, ok -- I must have missed the memo about why it's important to commend "superstars" who bravely decide to become young moms. Oh, I forgot -- these are anti-abortionists; there are no memos! There is no logic! But we should all kiss Britney's ass because she set the courageous example of being young, white, and rich enough to raise a child.

Whoop de doo. Give her a cookie, if you must -- but please don't use some nutty, obsessed artist's hypersexualized fantasy of celebrity childbirth as your twisted anti-choice propaganda. On second thought -- do that, if you really think it'll help your cause. I think it makes all of y'all anti-choicers look as crazy as the artist -- which, of course, you are.

Laura Barcella is AlterNet's associate editor.