I think her weight gain is only important because of what it tells us about the whole basis of her career. I don't think she's ever had more than two molecules of talent, yet people are slamming this performance like it's something new. God knows she's never been able to sing worth beans (everything she's ever done has been created in a studio and lip-synched to in "live" performances) so this was no different. People are talking about her lackluster dancing, but aside from the sloppiness and low energy, it was really no clunkier than her usual dancing (I saw her several years ago on Letterman, and remarked on how her choreography was nothing but a series of drill team style chucks, each one easy to spot because of the way she'd turn, stalk back to her tape mark, plant her feet, then launch into the next one. Fred Astaire must've been spinning nimbly in his grave at the claim that this was "dancing.")
So I contend that what she did on the VMAs was really no more incompetent than anything she's ever done before, except then she was doing it with a slender body, tight abs and a much firmer butt. That just kept most people from noticing how talent-deficient she really is. Take away the hot looks, and there's very little left.
For God's sake, they were in Vegas: they could have hired any one of 25 Britney impersonators or 5,000 strippers, and any of them could have done that routine better. After all, they do exactly the same thing for a living that Britney does: dance around with their clothes off to a prerecorded Britney Spears track.
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I think her weight gain is only important because of what it tells us about the whole basis of her career... aside from the sloppiness and low energy, it was really no clunkier than her usual dancing... Take away the hot looks, and there's very little left. Excellent points. What she does is physically demanding, and I'm willing to give her credit for stamina, but it's a stretch to call it "dancing" except as the term has been redefined by music videos in general.
Her younger videos were a little sharper. What I would call white-girl jerky cheerleader moves. Last night was sluggish and walking around. And even standing. Her earlier “performances” had more going on and quicker movements.