Poor Britney Spears. There, I've said it. I feel bad for the woman.

Spears's performance at MTV's Video Music Awards a week ago Sunday evening added yet another infamous chapter to her life's story. She didn't look confident in her knowledge of the intricate dance steps, and her lackluster lip-synching clearly illustrated that she was out of practice.

But, while critics have a right to criticize her work based on those two aspects, many chose to critique her appearance - most specifically the size and shape of her stomach - in addition to her choice of costume.

Granted, Spears's behavior since marrying and subsequently divorcing Kevin Federline has been erratic. I've personally criticized her behavior in the past, especially in her interview with Matt Lauer for "Dateline NBC." Her crass snapping of chewing gum while answering Lauer's questions, in addition to her seating position while wearing a dress, didn't exactly scream classy.

Further, classy isn't a word I'd use to describe her more recent activities of shaving her head and climbing in and out of the back of limousines without underpants. Having mentioned all those things, though, I feel compelled to defend her against the critics who took issue with her appearance at the VMA's. She is a public figure, so it is anyone's right to criticize Britney Spears for her actions and behavior, but taking cheap shots at her appearance seems counter to what we as a society are trying to accomplish regarding fostering positive body image and perception.

I don't consider myself a huge fan, but while watching her performance, I thought she looked good. After having been away from the stage for so long, I even thought it was brave of her to perform. Good for her for getting back into her chosen profession after having two children and going through a very public divorce.

I quickly realized that I was not in the majority as I subsequently read several negative accounts about the size of her thighs and her untoned stomach from various media outlets. I even saw a side-by-side comparison between what her stomach looked like during this most recent performance and when she performed at the VMA's in 2001 on the Daily Mail's Web site out of London.

To quote the Daily Mail story: "Instead she [Spears] packed quite a paunch and weight also appeared to have gathered around her hips."

It seems as though the media has once again determined that bodies should be perfect, whatever that means.

Consider this question: Would an ordinary, non-celebrity woman be criticized for having Britney Spears's body? If a regular person got up on stage and, as a result, showed off her stomach, would she be criticized for it not being perfectly toned? Would people tell her that she looked awful, or praise her for taking the attitude that she was comfortable with herself and loved her body, however it looked?

Granted, Spears did put on the scant costume, but shouldn't it be her right to wear it, regardless of what her stomach looks like, without major media outlets criticizing her appearance?

Through various human interest stories, the media tells young men and women to be proud of their bodies, but after seeing their immediate critique of Spears, I am skeptical of how genuinely they believe in that sentiment and venture to say that her critics are sending a hypocritical message - love your body, as long as it fits our nearly impossible to attain standard.

Think about the message that sends to the average young person who, without knowing, is internalizing that society values trim bodies and thinks poorly of bodies that don't fit that mold. Think about the damaging consequences of that message to the average young person who is already being brought up in a symbol-, status-, and expectation-saturated world.

Love or hate her, Spears's performance is now recorded for posterity. What can be, and should be, changed is the way that critics respond to a body that does not fit its definition of being acceptable for public viewing. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes and shouldn't be used to measure the success or failure of an individual. Everyone has an opinion of Britney Spears, and while her behavior may be worthy of criticism, her body certainly is not.

JESSICA KOSOWSKI is the Sun Chronicle's Living Well editor. She can be reached at 508-236-0331 or at jkosowski@thesunchronicle.com.