I've met Britney a few times (none recently), and have been a fan for a long time (with a brief hiatus when she first met Kevin and really went off the deep end, although I do think she's come back a little bit). I agree she does some really head shaking things, but my encounters with her have always lead me to believe she's not as bad as her detractors like to believe. I think she's young, and possibly, had she really thought about it, might not have chosen this life for herself, if she hadn't already been a child-star. Yes, you're a celebrity, and you can't just decide one day that you're tired of that and return to non-celebrity life. The media doesn't allow it.
Re: the gum thing
She does this ALL the time, and she's been doing it for years. Even when she's presenting at award shows, she has the gum. It's distracting, but I personally think it's an anxiety thing. Something to self-sooth. Just my thoughts.
Re: The paparazzi thing
She's the queen of keeping her name in the papers, I agree. She finds ways to keep herself in the headlines, and she should understand that it's a two way street. However, I do think that with her (and certain other celebrities), the paps really do cross the line. Even when she's doing NOTHING career-wise, they're all over her and her family. I admit I'm just as guilty as the next fan, wanting to see the pictures, but that's only cause they're there...it's really so unnecessary to see her going grocery shopping 6 times a week.
Have any of you seen the shots of her on the beach? It's from an angle where her back is towards the camera, and all the photographers are in front of her. That shot was an eye opener for me...I hadn't realized how many cameras must be shooting at close range to get that "money" shot that ends up in the papers.
To me, the sad part for her is that she really CAN'T just ignore it and make it go away by trying to be as low-key as possible. They'll never leave her alone, not even if she divorced Kevin, remarried some high school math teacher in Louisiana, and returned there to raise her kids in a regular environment as a stay-at-home mom. They'd still be on her doorstep, in her backyard, peeking over the fences, even if she decided never to show her face to the media again.
And I think it all hit her when she had her baby that she was never going to have privacy, neither was her family, and her child will never know "normal."
And, also, I do agree that she's immature when it comes to taking responsibility and knowing when you'd be better to keep your mouth shut. I've read that people think she may be heading towards MariahCarey breakdownville...and who knows how stressed she'll be when the new baby arrives....