Writing Assignment #5

To Be An American Pop Princess


Backstage Jessica could hear the roar of the crowd. The noise of their hands colliding together and their voices straining for volume in order to get her back on stage was deafening. They chanted, “Encore, encore, encore!” Jessica could feel the exhaustion aching in every one of her muscles, but she quickly caught her breath before the various people controlling the show’s logistics acted as her shepherds, maneuvering her back onto stage like she was one from their flocks. She pasted on her million-dollar smile as she skip-ran back to her adoring fans. As she returned to center stage, Jessica saw hundreds of signs all saying the same thing, “I love you Jessica Spears!” or “I’m your #1 fan Jessica!” She gave her signal to the band and dancers, the drums began to rattle, the fans started to scream, and Jessica’s angelic voice started the first line of the last song.

Jessica Christina Spears, born some two decades ago, had always been told that she had the voice of an angel. Upon hearing her sing, friends and family would immediately be floating euphorically on a cloud somewhere high in the heavens. Just as marvelous was, and still is, her unparalleled beauty. Her blonde tresses were just like brilliant rays of sunlight, and her dazzling blue eyes were a portal for anyone who makes eye contact with her, to the crystal blue sky or shimmering sapphire waters of the sea. Jessica definitely had a passion for singing, but it wasn’t as grand as the passion her parents had for her to become the most famous singer possible. Fast forward to today, and Jessica is at the tenth concert of her third world tour, and she’s the most famous pop “princess” from the USA, thus fully realizing the dreams of her parents.

Jessica stepped off the stage for the last time tonight and was whisked away to her dressing room by her team of people. She was dripping wet and her clothes stuck to her as if her sweat and make-up had fused together to become a permanent glue. Her faithful assistant, Candy took on the arduous task of continuously yanking at Jessica’s Dolce & Gabbana leather pants until they would finally released their grip from her perfectly toned thigh muscles. After she had been helped out of her performance clothes Jessica refreshed her aching body with a cleansing shower. While showering, she wondered to herself how she ever got to this place in life. Concert after concert, interviews after interviews, nightly show appearances. Life never seemed to stop and ask her what she wanted any more.

While under the soothing beads of the hot shower her mind took over, slipping into a fanciful state where she thought about her deepest, unfulfilled dreams: going college; friends she wished she had, but was never in one place long enough to make; places in the world she wanted to go to and not remain a captive in the confines of a hotel room. Realizing her mind had run away with itself, Jessica shook her head in order to fling those fanciful ideas out of her mind, got out of the shower, got dressed, and braced herself for the hoards of people she still had to deal with in order for her night to be over.

Just as she was applying the pale green and brown eye shadows that were supposed to highlight her much admired blue eyes, her manager, Jonathan rattled the hinges of the door as he stormed into the room. He informed he that there were already critical reports surfacing that Jessica had lip-synched through the entire concert. Her eyes started to well up from the inside out, as if the weak damns in place were going to let the floodwaters break through. Jessica was so weary of these types of scandals always being brought against her. And for what…so that some ridiculous source could profit by slandering her reputation as an artist. Jessica had always been able to confront the press using her charm and self-confidant image to whole heatedly negate the accusations against her. Jessica exuded confidence to everyone around her, but inside she knew these criticisms constantly being brought against her didn’t help with her inner issues of self-consciousness. She felt like everyone-her fans, her family, her manager-presumed to know her, when she didn’t even know herself any more. Jessica’s world had become increasingly confusing to her as the years progressed.

Seeing that she was upset Jonathan started to caress her neck and weave his fingers through her golden locks. Jessica shrugged her shoulder indicating to him that it was even more upsetting for him to continue his ways of seduction. She turned around giving him an all-knowing glance so he would know it was over. She knew that he was taking advantage of their cozy little situation of mixing business with pleasure, by giving himself extras shares of her earnings when he thought she didn’t know. He needed to know that she didn’t need him to fix her problems any more. She was always the one charming her way out of these scandals the media kept projecting onto her. Things were finally starting to seem clear, after having been so unclear for so long. Jessica knew what she needed to do. Her mind, body, and heart ached from all that she was enduring just appease the public that demanded everything of her. She wanted to fulfill those dreams she had fantasized about for way too long. She didn’t know how, but she was going to remedy this problem of her not running her own life.