Think about it. Who else would The Gossip choose when officially unveiling its new Classic Celebrity Pictures feature?

For a person who's spent a mere 24 years upon this Earth, Britney Spears has been through a lot. She's been a teen temptress, a pop princess, walking paradox, and a global sex symbol. Now she's producing fewer songs, has her own reality show (the true sign of a has-been in training), is married to the most worthless dirtbag on the planet, acts like she's straight out of the trailer park, cranks out kids like it's her job, and exhibits some seriously weak maternal instincts.

In order words, she's been around long enough -- and become a big enough train wreck -- for some older pictures of her glory days to attain classic status.

Feast your eyes upon this pic, from Esquire. Then think about what might have been, had a man named K-Fed not entered her life. Sigh. At least he can't take away our memories.