Why Y2K Queens Are Embarking On The Redemption Tour They Never Should Have Needed In The First Place.
Everything Y2K is new again including the pop culture icons that graced our screens and magazine covers for much of the late 90s and early 2000s.
Lindsay Lohan is on Netflix.
Monica Lewinsky is starring in Reformation’s latest ad campaign.
Megan Fox is on Call Her Daddy.
Pamela Anderson is front row at Paris Fashion Week.
As these women take centre stage for a second time around, things look a little different. Thank god.
The Dark Side of the Y2K Era
The Y2K era wasn’t all glitter pens and Juicy Couture sweatsuits. It was also a time where tabloid “journalism,” diet culture, and misogyny reigned supreme. Women who were in the spotlight during this era faced an uphill battle to be taken seriously, treated fairly, and maintain their careers amidst pervasive scrutiny. The result was often nothing short of tragic.
The Bright Side of Social Media
Today, these women are collectively flipping the script, making comebacks, and controlling their narrative. What is it about this moment in time that has us all embracing our favourite 90s and early 2000s queens’ comeback season? There’s alot at play and much of it centers around the power of storytelling.
When you know better, you do better. Documentary films and docuseries have pulled back the curtain on the reality of life in the spotlight for young stars in the Y2K era. From Pamela: A Love Story to Quiet on Set to This is Paris, these stories are everywhere and have helped highlight systemic issues within the entertainment industry while encouraging a more empathetic and informed perspective from viewers and fans.
Documentaries are powerful, but in 2024 the conversations driven on social media in the wake of these films and series increase their reach and impact exponentially. This democratization of dialogue allows for a multitude of voices to be heard, including those of the subjects themselves, who can directly interact with their audience, share their stories on their own terms, and counteract misinformation.
Importantly, at the forefront of many of these conversations are women in media with engaged female audiences like Alex Cooper, founder of Unwell and host of Call Her Daddy, who recently interviewed Megan Fox. Here’s an excerpt of the conversation:
“I read an old article, okay? And they described you as a screen saver on a teenage boy’s laptop, a middle-aged lawyer’s shower fantasy, and a sexual prop used to sell movies. The objectification of you, Megan Fox, is so much larger than you. It is the embodiment of misogyny and what’s wrong with our fucking society. And it’s terrifying even hearing it come from [your] own voice of, I didn’t ask for this. I’m not out there selling my body and my soul to this. I’m just trying to do my job, and somehow people are like, take her the fuck down.”
Social media has played an important role in taking some of the power away from Hollywood executives and tabloid magazines, and putting it back into the hands of female storytellers like Cooper who are using their platforms to help even the playing field.
Female founders like Yael Aflalo of Reformation are also contributing to the changing tides. Monica Lewinsky’s new “You’ve Got The Power” campaign for Reformation promoting (yes, clothes and accessories) but also, voter registration is a striking example. The campaign created $2.2 million in Media Impact Value within 48 hours of it’s launch and highlights Lewinsky’s work as an activist rather than her association with Bill Clinton’s political scandal.
Key Takeaways for Creatives and Marketers
Creatives and marketers are under a ton of pressure these days to produce. Trust us, we get it. Submitting a lackluster analytics report at the end of the month sucks. But, you know what sucks more? Being a jerk. When you notice accounts everywhere piling on to a public figure think carefully about whether or not you or your clients should contribute to the conversation or just … you know … stfu. Sometimes it’s hard to know where the line is. Our rule of thumb? If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it on the internet.
