If I had become a sociologist instead of a designer, I would round up Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and study them both under a high powered lens until one of them burst into flames. These two women have very similar backgrounds, similar careers, similar fan bases and similar amounts of money at their disposal. Lately however, one has been prone to fits of anger, self-mutilation and shallow attempts at attention, while the other seems to be in cruise control.

Both Britney and Christina have had every advantage in their short lives. Both started out as cute Mouseketeers back when they were just young’ins. Both had flourishing music careers and legions of teeny-bopper fans who squealed at their every peep. Somewhere along the way Britney decided that she needed to marry at the age of 23 and have kids. So she hooked up with K-Fed and has now had her second child with the man that some refer to as the biggest loser on the face of the earth. She’s checked in and out of rehab more times than Robert Downey Jr., thinks its about time that the Sinead O’Connor / Ilia look comes back in fashion, and now we get reports that she’s tried to hang herself with her rehab bed sheets.

We all know Britney craves constant attention, and these latest antics are probably just more of the same. After all what do you do for an encore to selling millions of records, being an international sex symbol and looked up to as a huge role model for kids? I’m starting to wonder however, if somewhere deep inside she is looking to go out like Marilyn Monroe. A kind of freakish candle in the wind that lives forever when it finally is extinguished in a blaze of glory. Can any of us really picture the Britney of today growing old gracefully? Will she ever live down the the recent downward spiral of behavior she’s slipped into? In some strange way I feel sorry for her and there is a part of me that hopes she gets some serious help. Something tells me that’s not gonna happen though. Not as long as Christina seems to have it so together.