'Brilliant . . . really made me realise how no one has pulled back and given an overall story
to the last 20 years . . . It's clever because it makes me think about now' ADAM CURTIS
FILMMAKER Britney Paris Lindsay Aaliyah Janet Amy Kim Chyna Jen. Nine iconic women
whose fame in the early internet years of the century came at a price. In Toxic: Women Fame
and The Noughties journalist Sarah Ditum describes how each of the women changed 'celebrity'
forever despite often falling victim to it during what we now view as one of the most hostile
eras in which to be female. Through Paris' ambivalent relationship with her blogger namesake
Perez Hilton to Britney's paternalistic governors Jen's attempts to control her career and
image and Janet's betrayal at the Superbowl these celebrities of The Noughties were presented
with the riches of early social media and market opportunity as long as they abided by the new
rules of engagement. Some of these high-profile women were hypersexualised and 'upskirted' by
the press some were shamed by their advertising sponsors others were contracted by shady
management companies and industry figures such as Harvey Weinstein and R Kelly. Together they
illuminate the culture of the early twenty-first century. Toxic: Women Fame and The Noughties
is a wild ride through the millennial years.
