My comments:

Set the record straight is an expression meaning to display the truth about something that was previously misunderstood or wrongly portrayed. The record refers to general knowledge or popular thought regarding something or someone, like Britney Spears for example, and setting it straight means to replace false information with more accurate news. Many rumors regarding Britney Spears and her private life circulate around American pop culture, so she released a documentary on her life called, “For the Record” where she attempted to “set the record straight” on those rumors and misunderstandings about her life.

Spears told MTV, "I wanted to make this film because I started to feel like I wasn't being seen in the light that I wanted to be seen in. This is an opportunity to set the record straight and talk about what I've been through and where I'm headed."

A preview of the documentary can be found here: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1596736/20081009/spears_britney.jhtml

The phrase can be heard today everywhere from political campaigns, to movies and music lyrics in American pop culture.

About the author:

Chantal Anderson is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site. Originally from Seattle, Washington she has found her way around the world doing photo essays in Greece, Mexico and Thailand. She is currently completing a double degree in Journalism and International Studies from the University of Washington.