Why Does the Public Love to Hate Britney Spears?

There can be no doubt that Britney Spears has been acting a little strange lately.

From her quickie divorce, to her pantyless partying, to her questionable mothering, to her recent 24 hour stints in rehab, Britney has begun to make a career out of providing material for tabloids instead of the music that made her famous.

What led the sexy starlet to the path that she's currently on?

Since the debut of her first hit single "Hit Me Baby One More Time" was released in 1998 every facet of her life has been public news. Everything from relationships, to parenting, to wardrobe, to changing hair color...and yes hair shaving...have all been fodder for tabloids and treated as front page news.

Thanks to the whirlwind of media attention that Spear's life has gotten since 1998 most of her early life and experience in show business is now common public knowledge.

We don't know where our neighbors were born or lived before they lived next to us, but most of us know that Britney Spears was born and raised in the southern United States, was involved in singing contests since the age of six, and was a member of the Mickey Mouse Club television show from 1993-1995. We also know that she and fellow Mouseketeer Justin Timberlake would become an item when they became adults, and go through a messy public break-up years later.

What many people don't know was that Britney was the founding member of an all female pop group called Innosense in 1996. The five girl group was teeny-pop's answer to boy bands such as *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys.

Britney left the group in 1997 to start a solo career which would produce that ever important first hit single "Hit Me Baby One More Time" in 1998.

Spears in her provocative schoolgirl uniform from the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video.

Innosense continued on with other roster changes and low-level success, even making movie appearances and releasing an album, before disbanding in 2001.