People often say that fame comes with a price. But how high should that price be, especially for women? This month, we read Sarah Ditum's Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s, a pop history book that explores this question.

Through Toxic, Ditum re-evaluates the lives and careers of nine women who made headlines in the period she calls the "upskirt decade" or "tabloid 2000s." From Britney Spears to Jennifer Aniston, Ditum offers a new perspective on  people who were constantly under the microscope of Perez Hilton --  and the glare of paparazzi cameras. We talk about Ditum's nine short biographies and consider how this book serves as a history of the internet.

Original air date: March 27, 2024

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