Britney’s much ballyhooed appearance on How I Met Your Mother last night – a stroke of casting genius. There were people (like me) who don’t even watch that show who made sure to set the DVR. I tuned in for Britney, I came out with a major hard-on for Sarah Chalke.

Still… it’s true: Britney is a booming business.

And she did a good job. She was cute. She was endearing. She was clean. Her weave did not look ghetto. Which means it IS possible – for her to step out with decent looking hair. All she needs is a decent studio stylist….perhaps it’s time to retain one on staff full time, non?

Thing is… as improved as she was last night… I still can’t shake the habit. I still can’t look at her NOW and think about THEN. About Britney at 20. About Britney before the crazy. You think that that Britney will ever be back? Was last night officially the end of the Chicken Fried Era?

Hope is hard to kill.

And hope is beating strong, especially since Britney visited a recording studio yesterday and appears to be slowly inching her way back to work. Apparently it’s been a delicate balance. Having understood that she was overpushed in her youth, her guardians are now encouraging her gently but not pressuring her either.

Too bad they didn’t figure that out 10 years ago.

Photos from Wenn.com