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We're sure you've been waiting with bated breath for the results of last night's Bitch "Pop Culture Debate Club" at Portland's famed In Other Words bookstore. We got a great turnout for the event, probably because the topic — "Britney: Who's to Blame?" tends to be one on which people we know have plenty of opinions. The gals from local discussion group Feminist Club put forth debater Renee Honn to argue the "It's Society's Fault" side.

Our own Briar Levit battled her blocked sinuses to deliver an impassioned "She Should Be Taking Responsibility, Already" point of view. Both sides were well-researched and -reasoned, but Briar pulled an unexpected trump card in the form of former president Abe Lincoln and his own well-concealed battles with depression.

In the end, the applause-o-meter reflected an audience with little patience for Ms. Spears — the verdict seemed to be that, even at the mercy of a media circus she can't control, Britney is too old and has too many financial resources to play the victim. We all also publicly acknowledged that the course of history would have been very different had Mr. Lincoln flashed his junk to the world in the throes of his darkest hour.

The undercard match, "Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama" invited passionate debate from the audience about the nature of the electoral politics and ways to make an impact on the world. Who won? You'll have to watch the video clip, which will be available right here on this website in the coming days.

Bitch's "Pop Culture Debate Club" is held quarterly in conjunction with the release of each new issue. Issue #39 — The Wired Issue — is available now, and packed with great pieces on everything from sex and love in Second Life, a history of fembots, and the weird world of domestic discipline.