<![CDATA[Jezebel: toxic]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jezebel.com.png <![CDATA[Jezebel: toxic]]> http://jezebel.com/tag/toxic http://jezebel.com/tag/toxic <![CDATA[Britney's Naked Gyrating Is Good For Her Pocketbook, Possibly Bad For Her Psyche]]> 20/20 premiered a censored version of the video for Britney's new single, "Womanizer" on Friday. Why'd they censor Miss Brit? Because about 17% of the video (uncensored version after the jump!) consists of Britney writhing around completely naked and well-oiled in a sauna. The blogosphere's reaction is pretty much "Yay! The old Britney is back! She looks hot!" and when I first saw the video, I concurred. She does look hot and like she's having a good time, and while "Womanizer" is no "Toxic," it is upbeat and catchy and will probably be appearing on a workout mix I own in the near future. However, after that initial reaction of "Yay!", my second thought was, isn't this career track what made Britney go batshit in the first place?

It's pretty much accepted conjecture that the reason Britney had a breakdown is because she never had any control over her own life. From the time she started in show business, a manager or handler was determining her every move, her every career choice. Now, post-breakdown, her career is back on that same path that caused the breakdown in the first place — the one that requires her to strip down to her skivvies and gyrate for the masses. The flip side of the coin is that Britney's talent has always been this sort of hyper-sexual performance. She can't pull a Christina Aguilera and fall back on her singing, because she's not a great singer, so what, career-wise, could she do to resurrect her image? One suggestion: taking a page from the Cher play book and becoming a camp icon, embracing ballads and club tracks that don't require Brit to strip down and shimmy. However, the massive amounts of praise Britney's getting for this particular method of comeback means that she's going to keep going this way for the foreseeable future, regardless of the toll it takes on her psyche.

But you know what's awesome about the "Womanizer" video? Britney xeroxes her ass, and I fully support any and all ass-xeroxing agendas.

Britney Spears' 'Womanizer' Video: Check Out The Uncensored Version! [MTV]
Britney Spears Womanizer Music Video Uncensored [PopBytes]

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<![CDATA[Our Problems With Milk Really Suck]]> The toxic milk scandal out of China brings up so many issues: breastmilk versus formula; a possible cover-up involving gorillas with kidney stones; the safety of products mass-produced in China (especially after last year's toy recall). But also: Just what, we, as humans, put in our bodies. When Sadie wrote about PETA urging Ben & Jerry's to use breast milk for their ice cream, a few commenters actually wrote, "Ewww." But when we posted about a dog who is nursing some baby tigers or a dog who adopted some baby bunnies, the response was more like, "Awww."

How come when polled about cross-nursing, some women found it "disgusting" or weird? Just so we're clear: Humans drinking human milk is "weird," but humans drinking animal milk is not; and tigers drinking dog milk is adorable. How did we come up with these conclusions?

Meanwhile, the latest reports out of China are that melamine use is "rampant" there. The European Union will now test all imported goods from China containing more than 15% milk powder, according to the Wall Street Journal. All products originating from China for infants and young children containing any percentage of milk will be banned.

It's weird that this natural thing, the first substance most of us receive as nourishment after we are born, has been coopted by industry and tainted. See what happens when you screw with Mother Nature?

EU Restricts Chinese Milk Imports [WSJ]
Now The Apes Fall Victim To China Toxic Milk Scandal As Officials Admit Cover-Up During Olympics [Daily Mail]
Melamine Use "Rampant" In China Feed Business [Reuters]
Now Two Gorillas Suspected Of Milk-Powder Poisoning [Reuters]
Earlier: I Scream You Scream
Breastfeeding A Friend's Baby: Bonding? Or A Blurring Of Boundaries?

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