Britney Spears - Back in rehab?

How did this girl....


...turn into this woman?


Britney Spears has checked herself into a treatment facility. Wow.

After a few months of bizarre behavior, including last weekend when the Britster shaved her head completely bald, many have spectulated that Ms. Spears was having some sort of mental breakdown. Try as I might to defend her, I have come to the point where I have just decided to pray for her and her kids.

I mean, I remember running home after school to see the "Oops I Did It Again" video, featuring Britney as the provocative schoolgirl. I watched her progression from the former Mickey Mouse club member to the sultry pop starlet who landed more half-naked magazine covers than anyone except Ms. Jackson If You're Nasty, including this Esquire cover, which I felt was actually kind of classy.

I mean, I would have killed for Britney's abs, which she maintained by doing a rumored 500-1000 crunches a day. She seemed to have it all. A great career, relationships, money...so what happened? Was it K-Fed? The Madonna kiss? Hanging with Paris and Lindsey?

But perhaps the better question is: Why do we care so much?