Britney Speared in Lap-Gate: "Just So, So Scary" Emotes CBS' Syler

CBS Early Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

February 8, 2006 - 08:00

It wouldn't have been more than a couple years ago that had headlines invoked Britney Spears in a "lap" controversy, images of graphic goings-on in the Champagne Lounge might have come to mind.

But time marches on, and Britney-the-new-mother is now caught in a lap-gate of an altogether different sort, after photos of her were snapped driving her car with her four-month old son in her lap rather than secured in a car seat. In the latest development, according to this LA Times article, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy went to her Malibu home on Tuesday "to collect information for child welfare investigators" in connection with the matter. For the record, Spears says she was feeling hounded by paparazzi and drove off with the baby in her lap to escape them.

The morning shows worked themselves into a collective lather over the horror of it all, with the sentiment best summed up by CBS Early Show co-host Rene Syler, who, interviewing a child safety expert, emoted: "every time we look at that picture, it's just so, so scary."

Pluh-eese. Sure, kids should be strapped in a car seat in the back. But just a generation or so ago, an image of a parent tooling around with junior in her lap might have evoked cooing sounds from the person sitting in Syler's chair. The Andy Griffith Show meets Leave it to Beaver.

But today, in our therapeutic society, Britney's gaffe, if that's what it is, merited national news coverage. At one point at the beginning of the 7:30 AM half-hour, ABC, NBC and CBS were simultaneously airing a segment on the matter.

In a world where every day untold numbers of terrorists are plotting to kill as many men, women, and yes, little children as possible, where are the MSM's priorities?

[TightyRighty]

My dad spends his days with children whose parents don't buckle them in car seats - the trauma center. He spent his shift not to long ago helping another nurse clean up brain matter that had leaked out of a little girls nose because mom and dad decided not to put her in a seat. The force of the impact was so bad that her brained swelled to the point of having no place else to go but out her nose when she coughed.

While it may not be "child abuse" it's an exceptionally stupid thing to do today. I'd certainly rather spend a couple of minutes buckling up my kids - than a lifetime in that mother shoes.

[bannie]

My brother over one wheel, me over the other

There were six of us, so we took turns. FUN!!! Wind in our faces!

My dad'd be in deep kimchee if they caught him doin' that now. Buncha' wussies.

[angcat]

Sounds like a nighmare for those parents. :(

[al baby]

Hottie Boy I was at a upscale coffee joint in west L.A a year or two Back Getting a plain Black coffee and In Comes Brittany She was dressed like a hooker and walk to the front of the line and barked orders for her and her posse
So my little Freind I call them as a see um