With vaginas, pathos, bathos, umbrellas, breasts, infectious hooks, infectious diseases, blood, sugar, sex, magik, two cute babies, lust, caution and greed the story of Britney Spears may yet be the parable of our time. For paparazzi and the media in general, it's also a financial boon. The AP recently surveyed the mini-economy Ms. Spears spiral into sordid titty-flashing has created. She's bumped up ad sales rates for print media. She's routinely causes spikes in web traffic. By the US version of OK! she's been featured on the cover 54 times. More than half of the magazine's covers ever.

"An editor's dream is to have a real life soap opera unraveling in front of you, and Britney provides that every week," said Sarah Ivens, OK!'s U.S. editor. The magazine has a 10-person team in Los Angeles devoted to Spears coverage. "We're on constant Britney alert."

But the article somewhat interestingly mentions that it's not all a cash-for-tit-flash/meltdown dream for the Britney Spears Transnational Industrial Complex (BSTIC). What about all those poor LA County employees that have to protect and serve.

For instance, the increased scrutiny puts a burden on Los Angeles civil service units, which have to keep Spears safe and public spaces uncluttered.



The L.A. Police Department wouldn't estimate the extra costs Spears generates. Her ambulance incident last week was handled by officers already on duty. The fire department said it was considering charging Spears for the ambulance ride, but did not disclose how much.



Spears' numerous court appearances - for custody hearings, divorce proceedings and a civil case - have more measurable effects. Richard Barrantes, chief of court services division of the LA County Sheriff's Department, said when Spears and Federline were in court on Oct. 26, his office billed the court $2286.10 to cover the cost of extra security at the courthouse.