Throughout the noughties many of the most famous female stars in the world were hounded, branded ‘stupid’ and laughed at a mocked for showing an interest in fashion and beauty.
But, 20 years on, many tabloid bombshells of yesteryear are now hugely successful on their fields.
In 2006, the New York Post ran a front page with a paparazzi picture of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan – three of the biggest IT girls of the day. The headline they ran with was ‘Bimbo summit’.
But now, the three are hugely succesful, with Paris Hilton reportedly making up to $1million in a single day with DJing gigs.
Elsewhere, Kim Kardashain was purported as a shallow and stupid reality star that topped various lists of ‘most stupid people’, now she’s a billionaire businesswoman that’s liaised with presidents and is even training to be a lawyer.
Here, FEMAIL looks back at the ‘bimbos’ of yesterday who certainly got the last laugh…
KIM KARDASHIAN: Billionaire Businesswoman
Kim Kardashian was considered the ultimate bimbo when Keeping Up with the Kardshians started in 2007 (pictured in 2009). But 16 years on, Kim is now a billionaire businesswoman and activist and has truly cemented herself as a force to be reckoned with (pictured in 2018)
Kim Kardashian was considered the ultimate bimbo when Keeping Up with the Kardshians started in 2007.
Then best known for her sex tape and as Paris Hilton’s sidekick, the beauty topped the various internet lists of ‘most stupid people’, caused outrage and was branded a ‘c***’ when on the cover of Rolling Stone and while one op-ed’s branded her ‘dumb’ and ‘self-centred’.
But 16 years on, Kim is now a billionaire businesswoman and activist and has truly cemented herself as a force to be reckoned with.
Worth an estimated $1.2billion, Kim had become the bastion of parlaying reality TV stardom into a ten-figure fortune.
Alongside her multiple businesses, the star is also training to be a lawyer, while balancing her time as a single mother-of-four.
Her work on prison reform has even seen her speak at the White House, while she’s also considered a tastemaker in the fashion world, recently become the first celebrity ever to creative direct a Dolce & Gabanna show.
Incredibly, she is also training to be a lawyer, and says, eventually, she wants to give up fame to work full time on criminal justice reform.
REESE WITHERSPOON: Best paid actress in the world
Arguably creating the archetype of underestimated bimbo when she played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (left) Reese Witherspoon has surpassed all expectations becoming the richest actress in the world…
Arguably creating the archetype of underestimated bimbo when she played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon has surpassed all expectations becoming the richest actress in the world.
The mother-of-two, 47, who found fame as a sorority girl turned criminal lawyer in the Legally Blonde series certainly has a flair for business.
While her early career was no doubt successful, picking up an Oscar for her part in Walk the Line, eventually Reese got frustrated with the lack of good roles for women, and decided to launch her own production company Hello Sunshine, which just focused on roles for women.
The company, now valued at $900 million, is behind some of the most successful TV shows and movies of recent years, including Gone Girl, Wild, Where the Crawdads Sing, Daisy Jones & The Six, Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere.
She is still making a fortune on the camera too, reportedly picking up $20 million for her role in The Morning Show.
Perhaps telling of her incredible business acumen, the actress also launched her own book club which has millions of subscribers.
Each month, Reese’s Book Club – which has been dubbed ‘publishing’s secret weapon’ – picks a book to be featured, which exponentially increases its sales.
She then buys the film rights to the book, produces them, and auctions them off to streaming services.
PARIS HILTON: Billion dollar fragrance line and retail brand
After building up fame in the late 1990s on the New York social scene, Paris Hilton was often referred to an ‘airhead’ and ‘stupid’ in tabloids. And despite a stake in the Hilton hotel empire, Paris is mostly self-made with more than 29 fragrance lines, making one of the most successful celebrity perfume-makers of all time
After building up fame in the late 1990s on the New York social scene, Paris Hilton was often referred to an ‘airhead’ and ‘stupid’ in tabloids.
And despite a stake in the Hilton hotel empire, Paris is mostly self-made with more than 29 fragrance lines, making one of the most successful celebrity perfume-makers of all time.
She’s also made millions in endorsement deals, with her product lines making more than $4 billion.
On top of all that, the businesswoman makes up to $1 million in one night DJing or making a personal appearance a party.
In 2014, she picked up a hefty $2.7million pay check for four nights work in Ibiza, while in 2009 she picked up $4 million for attending the birthday party of Ed Hardy founder Christian Audigier.
JENNIFER ANISTON
Throughout the nineties and noughties Jennifer Aniston played Rachel Green on Friends, an airhead spoiled-brat who – by the end of the ten year run – becomes a successful businesswoman. But, 20 years after the end of the show, the actress has arguably become the most successful of any of the cast, with her movies grossing more than $1.6 billion at the box office
Throughout the nineties and noughties Jennifer Aniston played Rachel Green on Friends, an airhead spoiled-brat who – by the end of the ten year run – becomes a successful businesswoman.
And Jennifer herself seems to have mirrored her character.
At first she was seen by the press as blonde bimbo with her divorce from Brad Pitt – and his subsequent marriage to Angelina Jolie -branding her ‘poor Jen’ for decades.
But, 20 years after the end of the show, the actress has arguably become the most successful of any of the cast, with her movies grossing more than $1.6 billion at the box office.
Earning $1million an episode by the last season of friends [about $1.6 million in today’d money], the star is certainly proved her star power, worth an estimated $300 million and picking up a rumoured eight-figures per endorsement deal.
Alongside acting, Jennifer is also a succesful producer, founding Plan B Entertainment with ex-husband Brad Pitt (although she left after the pair split).
In 2008, she formed Echo Films and has produced the likes of Dumplin’, The Switch and Murder Mystery 2.
Currently, she’s starring in The Morning Show – where she is also a producer – alongside fellow underestimated star and former onscreen sister Reese Witherspoon.
The pair are both producers on the show – and Jennifer has picked up a Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role.
DOLLY PARTON: Philanthropist
With her bleach blonde hair and surgically enhanced curves, Dolly Parton certainly doesn’t shy away from the ‘bimbo’ stereotype. But the Jolene songstress is much for the country tunes and a blonde wig, with the star making – and giving away – a fortune from various business ventures
With her bleach blonde hair and surgically enhanced curves, Dolly Parton certainly doesn’t shy away from the ‘bimbo’ stereotype.
The country star, 77, is famed for telling an audience member ‘it cost a lot of money to look this cheap’.
But the Jolene songstress is much for the country tunes and a blonde wig, with the star making – and giving away – a fortune from various business ventures.
While her most famous song complains that ‘working 9 to 5’ is no way to make a living, Dolly recently revealed she actually rises at 3am.
She is still keeping quite busy, as it was recently announced she will guest star in the final season of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie.
It was also revealed in March that she will star in an adaptation of Run, Rose, Run for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company.
But perhaps more impressive than her showbusiness career – and money-making Dollywood resort – Dolly is a huge philanthropist.
Dolly donated $1million to the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, while she’s also donated millions to help children learn to read.
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write Dolly started he ‘Imagination Library’ in 1995. The scheme posts a book to each child enrolled in school from the year of their birth until kindergarten to encourage reading.
She also has the Dollywood foundation, has opened her own hospital and funded dozens of scholarships.
Outside of her own foundation, she also gives to dozens of charities including LGBTQ+ organisations and childhood diabetes programmes.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk