She is an icon, a punchline, and everything in between. But in the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, currently airing on FX and Hulu, Britney is portrayed as a victim. The people she trusted, especially the men, the press that never left her alone to heal, the forces that propelled her to superstardom and then mocked her misfortune. On Sunday, less than 48 hours after the documentary was released, "WE ARE SORRY BRITNEY" (opens in new tab) was trending on Twitter and the film sparked a lively dialogue about how she had failed.

The film delves into the ups and downs of Britney's life, from her days as America's sweetheart to her current conservatorship, where she has only limited control over her life, to Justin Timberlake, who made her play the villain in the tale of their breakup, to her marginal She shines a harsh light on the media who pushed her and ridiculed her when the cracks appeared. And a hard look at the obsession with Britney, which MTV VJ Dave Holmes says "we don't even know her," and the #FreeBritney movement that has dominated coverage of Britney over the past year.