What was the Britney Spears Virginia Tech controversy about?

Britney Spears is the talk of the town again. The stalking-related arrest of her ex-husband, Jason Alexander on Wednesday has once again brought Spears’ personal life into the limelight, allowing people to revisit the numerous tribulations that she faced throughout her career.

But besides the rising concern for the pop star, one can also recall moments when the “Toxic” singer received severe backlash, and one of the incidents that induced criticism is the Virginia Tech controversy. Let’s shed some light on it.

Britney Spears Virginia Tech controversy explained

While filming the music video for “Perfume”, Spears was shown pointing a gun at a man in a car, but in between takes, she could be seen wearing an orange and red sweater of Virginia Tech, via Glamour. The outfit was believed to have belonged to David Lucado, Britney’s boyfriend at the time.

Of course, people refused to endorse any implication of violence when it came to Virginia Tech as the academic institution was the center of a 2007 campus shooting killing 33 people, including the gunman. Even though the singer replaced the sweater with a plaid button-up in the original video, the controversy, nevertheless, remains unforgettable.

Besides, this isn’t the only time the pop star was called out for an insensitive depiction of violence. Spears’ music video for “Criminal” albeit achieving immense success, garnered criticisms for glamorizing gun violence.

In the video, we see Spears diving into the world of violence after falling in love with a wanted criminal. Spears was frequently seen holding a gun ready for shooting. While many deemed it a glorification of a highly concerning issue like gun violence, both the video and the song were critically acclaimed.