In November 2006, paparazzi captured an image that has since defined the decade: a shot of the tabloid holy trinity—Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Britney Spears—getting into a car after a night out at the Beverly Hills Hotel. At the time, the trio were the most hotly covered celebrities by print tabloids and emerging gossip blogs; Spears was in the midst of a divorce after the birth of her second child, Hilton had recently released her debut album and been charged with a DUI, and Lohan was covered more for her partying than her considerable talents.
In the 19 years since the New York Post published that photo, misogynistically dubbed “the Bimbo Summit," it has spawned artwork, a musical, and even Hilton celebrating its anniversary on Instagram. Its lasting legacy alone shows the cultural impact Y2K has had on today, from the proliferation of celebrity obsession to the 24/7 news cycle.
