3.5/5 stars

Sarah Ditum presents a scathing account of the toxic culture from the 2000s. For those of us this lived through this time it provides a fresh perspective on how the media portrayed women and fed narratives that fed off of scandal.

Have we come far enough from that toxicity? No, but the historical perspective does allow us to see how far we have come.

"Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s" by Sarah Ditum is a compelling and insightful examination of the tumultuous relationship between women, celebrity culture, and the media in the early 2000s. With sharp wit and thoughtful analysis, Ditum delves into the complexities of this era, shedding light on the impact of tabloid journalism on women in the public eye.

One of the book's greatest strengths is Ditum's ability to offer a fresh and unique perspective on a period that is often overshadowed by sensationalism and gossip. Through meticulous research and a keen eye for detail, she presents a nuanced portrayal of the tabloid-driven frenzy that engulfed famous women during the 2000s. By contextualizing these events within the broader cultural landscape, Ditum provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by women seeking success and fame in that era.

Ditum's writing style is both engaging and incisive, making "Toxic" an enjoyable and informative read. Her analysis is insightful and thought-provoking, inviting readers to consider the role of media in shaping public perception and the often devastating consequences it had on the lives of female celebrities. Throughout the book, Ditum encourages readers to question their own consumption of tabloid news and its impact on the lives of those in the spotlight.

Furthermore, "Toxic" doesn't merely focus on the negative aspects of tabloid culture but also celebrates the resilience and strength of the women who navigated its treacherous waters. Ditum highlights instances where female celebrities managed to reclaim their narratives and use their platforms to effect positive change. This balanced approach adds depth to the narrative and leaves readers feeling empowered and hopeful.

Another standout aspect of the book is Ditum's ability to connect past events to contemporary issues. By drawing parallels between the tabloid culture of the 2000s and today's media landscape, she emphasizes the importance of learning from history to avoid perpetuating harmful behaviors and attitudes. This relevance to modern times makes "Toxic" not only a compelling historical account but also a cautionary tale that remains relevant in our media-saturated world.

In summary, "Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s" is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of celebrity culture, media, and gender. Sarah Ditum's intelligent analysis and captivating storytelling make this book a captivating exploration of a transformative era in media history. Thought-provoking, insightful, and empowering, "Toxic" is a valuable addition to the conversation surrounding the portrayal of women in the public eye.

Toxic is a thoughtful and painstakingly researched look at some of the most famous women of the early 2000s. It documents how these women each served as archetypes for whatever cultural anxiety was plaguing us at the moment, and how we collectively sought to punish them for it.

I remember the Britney, Paris, Lindsay and Janet stuff from when it all went down, and Aaliyah died in my first year of teaching middle school, so I knew the affect it had on my female my students. I didn't know much about Amy Winehouse and was completely unfamiliar with Chyna, so I found their chapters to be interesting. I've never seen an episode of the Kardashians but somehow knew everything that was discussed in the chapter, so I assume it's now just a part of the DNA of the average American, and Aniston's story was just as familiar because I did follow her for many years.

I found the organization of the book to be interesting because the women at the beginning and at the end of the book carved their own paths and while they were affected by the men in their orbit, their stories were ultimately their own. The two women in the middle were Aaliyah and Janet, whose stories were so entangled with famous men that their chapters ended up being mostly about the men. I don't think there was a different way to have told Aaliyah's story because her story WAS R. Kelly's story. Janet, on the other hand, had her own story long before JT was a part of it. The fact that the bulk of her chapter involved JT felt like she was once again getting lost in the background of her own life.

All in all, an excellent read. I appreciated the careful documentation of events (complete with sources)... in fact, the final 55 pages are devoted to chapter-by-chapter footnotes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this in one sitting. Having grown up during this era, I found myself nodding along to almost everything. I was a bit surprised at the inclusion of Chyna among the other perhaps more ubiquitous names of the 2000s, but that might just be the environment I grew up in. It was also fascinating to see the trajectory of a career, in some cases a life, laid out chronologically as opposed to getting bits and pieces from the (toxic) media of the time. I highly recommend this book.

I devoured this book. Loved the commentary on these figures of pop culture. Each chapter was presented well, featuring a different woman/figure and the events that led to their "downfalls" as well as their respective reckonings with the public. I will be recommending this book when it is published next year.

As a millennial firmly rooted in pop culture tropes of the MTV era, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! While the holy trinity of Britney, Paris, and Lindsay has been discussed over and over, I liked how this book viewed them from a different lens. These ladies did what anyone else in their shoes at that time would have done. If it wasn't for them, it would have been other celebrities. Despite whatever downfall or public humiliation they've endured, their stardom has stood the test of time, and those three are more popular than ever now! I really appreciated the chapters on Aaliyah and Amy Winehouse because their history is often not celebrated enough. Aaliyah comes on the hills of the dark aura that is R Kelly, further set into history as a tragic soul gone too soon due to her plane crash. Amy had a good upbringing, but in her pursuit of love and domestic womanhood, fell so miserably far, and she, too, became another life abandoned. I also enjoyed that Chyna the Wrestler was included among the women in the book-it was surprising! I think her story is perhaps the saddest of all because all of her accolades and success were forever marred by her drug abuse and porn history (which was a result of the wrestling industry abandoning her because she was the ex of the son-in-law of the big wig that controlled all of big time wrestling at that time). All in all, this book provides a great refresher on the careers of a few famous women (some living and some not), as well as dissects what made them famous, how they either survived or succumbed to that fame, and what their legacy either is, or might have been. Any pop culture fan would really dig this book. Thanks, NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

Toxic is a well-written, thoroughly researched examination of nine female celebrities from the 2000s, and reading it is simultaneously a trip down memory lane (the infamous Paris/Lindsay/Britney car pic!) and an infuriating reminder of the sexist culture these women navigated their celebrity status in. If you love pop culture, especially the early 2000’s, you will be reminded of the horrors of magazines highlighting women’s imperfections (paparazzi pics of cellulite!), of celebrity sex tapes being shared without abandon, and of the no-holds-barred era of “slut-shaming, fat-shaming, and revenge porn.” A lot of the information within the text is stories most people are well aware of, but there are also a lot of interesting connections to other events that the author seamlessly ties in. Ditum’s passion for pop culture flies off the page and she does a perfect job of exploring a time period that let celebrity women (and women as a whole) down. I highly recommend this fun, eye-opening read!

This was fantastic! Toxic chronicles 9 celebrities and their treatment by the media in the aughts (the author calls the 2000s "The Upskirt Decade;" I've been calling them the "Van Wilder Years" lol). Each chapter is a deep dive into society/media's mistreatment of a specific, iconic woman: Britney Spears, Aaliyah, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Janet Jackson, Chyna Doll, and Jennifer Aniston.

And damn. Those women went through the ringer. I remember almost everything to an extent, even 20 years later, but reading it compiled is so impactful. It was a shockingly unhinged time. After everything, it's incredible that most of them made it out alive (grim, I know, sorry).

I think this a great, and timely book. I think its only now that we can begin to understand how profoundly bizarre and messed up those years are, while still appreciating and being sort of nostalgic for how much we all cared about the same thing at the same time.

This is a juicy, readable, and smart collection of essays and I'm so lucky that I got to read it early!! Thank you netgalley, Sarah Ditum, and Abrams Press. <3

"Alexa, play Toxic by Brittney Spears." What a great and informative book. I normally am not a fan of nonfiction, but this book was great and I actually enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this to my patrons for sure.

This was absolutely fascinating. I learned so much about these women and I really thought I had the full story on most. Will definitely find a way to use this text for a class at some point and really excited to do so.

In this book Ditum takes us back to the early 2000’s to what she refers to as the “upskirt decade” because apparently there was a court case that said upskirt photos were ok because women couldn’t expect privacy in a public place (WTH?!?). And that just set the tone for celebrity coverage in the early days of widespread internet. This book is about different women’s treatment in the media and how that treatment reflected societal norms. It was interesting to me to read this book about a time that I remember living through and to be reminded of how some things have changed and how others have not. Fame requires media coverage but at the end of the day there are actual human beings at the other end of the camera/gossip site/etc and norms change about what is considered ok and what is over the line. Mainly I appreciated this book for making me think about questions of fame vs. privacy and how society views women’s bodies.

I was truly impressed by this book. Sarah Ditum does a really great job of being evenhanded in her criticisms of the 2000's Gawker/TMZ/Perez Hilton media landscape. I was disgusted reliving how these woman were mistreated, but Ditum is quick to not point fingers. Case in point, the author points out that Justin Timberlake, the man we are all supposed to hate now, was stuck in the same machine that almost destroyed Janet and Britney. This isn't to say he isn't culpable at all, but it was refreshing to see a writer not do the lazy, "he's terrible, F-him" hand waving that doesn't point the finger at the real enemies here. I recommend this for readers interested in media and pop culture.

“Toxic” is an examination of nine famous women from the 90s-00s and the ways the cultural climate thwarted their attempts to control their own narratives. I learned a lot about these women and the media landscape at the turn of the century, and while “Toxic” has moments of salient cultural analysis, I can’t help but feel like it’s not as strong of a book as it could be.
For one, there’s an uneven application of sources; there’s a lot of theory in some chapters where others are mostly supported by news articles. I also wonder how this book could have benefited from primary source interviews rather than just research. This book is as much a history of gossip blogs and sites like Gawker as it is about these women, and each chapter (which are all ostensibly centered around one of them) goes so far off topic that it’s easy to forget who the focus is on. Every chapter is annoyingly redundant, bringing up the same facts instead of allowing the reader to use their power of memory or replacing that recursiveness with something new.
I did enjoy the first few chapters, but after that this book lost steam and any sense of order, so I think it would have been more effective with less example women, or if it centered each chapter around an aspect of being a famous women in the aughts rather than a particular person. The order of the chapters didn’t really make sense to me, either; the Kim chapter seemed to be the strongest end point to me given her fame timeline.
Thank you NetGalley and Abrams Press for the digital review copy.

After living in New York with dreams of working in the film industry for six or so years, I left the States for Europe in 2005 and never looked back. I’d always told myself it was mostly due to George W. Bush’s frightening, authoritarian ways, but I also had this constant icky feeling about the pop culture surrounding me. It felt increasingly toxic and at times intolerably cruel and this book puts it all into perspective in such a precise way, I couldn’t help but weep a few times. Not for myself, but for the way we failed so many talented women with our creepy focus on their bodies and personal lives…the way we allowed blogs like Perez Hilton and Gawker to set such a vicious tone…the way we sat back and watched women get abused and objectified while treating it all as entertainment...never questioning our own complicity, and never truly caring about the human being inside.

I’m so grateful that Sarah Ditum wrote this stunning excavation of a shockingly ugly and unbearable moment in pop culture history. Younger readers who weren’t alive at the time or too young to know what was going on will be disgusted at some of the stories, while those who lived through it will find so much clarity and perhaps even therapy in this book, especially in the excellent conclusion chapter.. It’s a tough but impeccably researched and endlessly informative read and I can’t wait for it to come out. Thanks so much for hooking up an early copy.

Toxic by Sarah Ditum provides an in-depth and insightful analysis on pop culture, specifically the media's consumption and treatment of nine iconic women: Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Kardashian, and Chyna. Sarah Ditum is diligent in giving context for those who may not be familiar with these women. I grew up in this era so it was interesting to read about the events I witnessed on the internet and magazines firsthand and looking back on them in a more critical lens. This book discusses the toxic and harmful nature of being a part of the entertainment industry and how the 90s and 2000s were a particularly hostile time to be a woman in media. It was very insightful to read these essays and it encouraged me to be more reflective of my own media consumption and how I perceive women involved in it. I thoroughly enjoy reading works that cover this era of the industry and pop-culture so this was totally up my alley!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

As a pop culture junkie, I cannot express how much I loved this book. As a frequent reader of the OG Perez Hilton, watching the way "troubled" celebs were stalked and dissected paired with the progression and growth of social media. I devoured this book. Well-written, thoughtful, and perfect for fans of Deuxmoi.

4.5/5 : What a great read. I appreciate how each chapter really dissected what each celeb had to go through in the limelight. This was well written and very thorough in research and quotes. I could see this book being discussed in a Women’s Gender & Sexuality Course.

Well written. I am the same age as Britney Spears, so I watched her grow up. This book did a great job explains the time period.