Is it finally OK to be frank about 2000s pop culture? ‘It was profoundly, cheerfully horrible to women’
The imprisonment of Russell Brand and allegations against David Walliams have prompted scrutiny of a culture that encouraged male transgression
TL;DR
- Russell Brand's imprisonment and allegations against David Walliams have led to scrutiny of 2000s 'lad culture,' where male transgression was normalized.
- Examples include jokes on comedy shows, intrusive media coverage of young female celebrities, and the normalization of sexualization and objectification.
- Academics and comedians describe the 2000s culture as 'profoundly, cheerfully horrible to women,' where objecting risked being labeled prudish.
- The rise of panel shows and the financial incentives for industry professionals to protect powerful stars contributed to overlooking misconduct.
- While progress has been made in challenging misogyny, elements of 'lad culture' persist in new forms, and institutional accountability remains a question.
- The article suggests that the willingness to confront misogyny has increased, but the ability to call out abusive behavior when livelihoods depend on silence is still challenging.