1. Are you afraid you're not being a good role model for children?

2. Why do you present such a sexual image?

3. How's your relationship with Justin Timberlake?

4. Are you trying to be more mature?

It's no wonder Spears hates interviews and prefers to get it over with in one teleconference of journalists from throughout the country. But she is still trying to be the good Louisiana girl that her parents brought her up to be, to mind her manners, say "yes, ma'am" and "yes, sir," and try to be polite even when the questions are like this one:

"If you're a virgin, then how ... I don't know how to put this in a nicer way, but I mean, are there other ways that you and Justin work things out?"

Spears pauses, and you can almost envision her scrunching her face in disgust before replying, "We can go to the next question."

Living under scrutiny

No matter what you think about Spears, you can't help but admire her ability to keep her dignity while being placed under a global microscope 24-7. You see, if you're older than 21, you're not supposed to like Britney Spears. She came out of the teen-pop revolution of the late '90s, after all, a product of the same Orlando machine that churned out the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync.

The sugar-sweet pop that such bands produced became an instant target for music purists, and now that the craze is starting to wind down, those artists are trying to expand their horizons and gain some credibility.

So is Spears on her new album, titled simply "Britney." She co-wrote five of the 12 tracks, and the R&B-tinged music attempts to be more tough, more lean, more ... mature. For Spears, who just turned 20 on Dec. 2, it's a crossroads album that can either provide a bridge to longevity like Janet Jackson's "Control," or trap her in teeny-bopper hell along with Tiffany and Debbie Gibson.

Growing up musically

"I definitely think this is a turning point in my career," she said as she munched on potato chips. "I think that, you know, I'm really just coming into my own and becoming the person I want to be. ... I know this album is probably going to be a growth record for me. And I just want people to buy it and maybe even, like an older generation, maybe buy it and just have respect for it."

A lot of songs on "Britney" hint at being autobiographical. "I'm a Slave 4 U," although it sounds like it should be a sexed-up Prince song, is actually about breaking the bonds of childhood: "All you people look at me like I'm a little girl/Well, did you ever think it'd be OK for me to step into this world?"

Or take this lyric, from "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman:" "It's time that I learn to face up to this on my own/I've seen so much more than you know."

It's pretty obvious that Spears is going through some serious growing pains.

"I think I'm on the verge of being a woman," she said. "It is kind of hard, though, because since I have grown up in the spotlight, people place these things on you to be a certain way ... they treat you a certain way when you're like, 16 or 17. And it's up to you to stand up and say, 'OK, I need my own identity. I need to grow and be an adult and do things on my own.' And it's just a matter of me standing up and saying that."

Marketing emphasizes sex

Spears' attempts to grow as an artist seem sincere enough, but that's not what's being marketed. Since "Britney" came out, you haven't heard people talking about how good the new single sounds, or how they admire her songwriting abilities.

They've been talking about her breasts popping out on the cover of Rolling Stone or the snake that adorned her at the MTV Video Music Awards, or her admitting in an interview that she likes to walk around her house naked.

Spears' marketing machine knows why she's so popular, and it's not just the music. They know that if she portrays a good-girl image, her fan base is going to be limited to prepubescent girls, and that when those girls grow up, they're going to turn to something else. In other words, if Spears doesn't start attracting an adult audience, it's buh-bye, Britney.

But there's more to Spears than the sexy image. She still seems like a sweet, innocent girl who loves her mama, likes to exchange gossip with her friends and enjoys renting videos and eating a big bowl of popcorn with her family on the living-room couch.

Giving proceeds to 9/11

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Spears was one of the first artists to announce that proceeds from her concerts would aid victims of the World Trade Center tragedy. And she makes no pretenses that her music or her live shows are meant to be anything more than sheer entertainment.

"I love being on stage, and I love performing," she said. "It's a creative outlet for me, and personally, when I go to shows, it's an outlet for me as well. You know, just sitting there being entertained and having a good time and just having that escape.

"I think it's a beautiful thing, and I hope that people can see that, and I hope when they come to my show they can forget about everything and just have a good time."