Rewriting History: The so-called "Bimbo Summit" of the 2000s

On November 29, 2006, the New York Post dubbed a night out between Lindsay Lohan, actress, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton, heiress, as the Bimbo Summit in bold, all caps font across the iconic shot of the posse crammed in the front seat of Hilton’s Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

This relic of pop culture celebrated its 15th anniversary last year(Nov. 2021) and is being reclaimed and reexamined in a positive light with the rise of the girlboss and Bimbo movements.

The original article:

https://nypost.com/2006/11/29/3-bimbos-of-the-apocalypse-no-clue-no-cares-no-underwear-meet-the-party-posse-of-the-year/

And — the rewritten and reclaimed history as seen in the news:

https://www.mic.com/life/bring-back-the-bimbo

https://nypost.com/2021/11/12/britney-paris-lindsay-again-bimbo-summit-15-years-later/amp/

https://www.nylon.com/life/bimbo-summit-15-anniversary-paris-hilton-britney-spears-lindsay-lohan

The anniversary of this event of three women who were simply acting like the early 20-year olds they were at the time shows how society shames women for being so-called vain, shameless, or dim-witted and acting without a care in the world.

But — now with new information (such as the 'Free Britney' movement or each of their relative success in career and in their personal lives),  they have "earned" a rewrite that is empathetic and compassionate. 

I guess the moral of the story is keep being YOU and don't care what people think because they only see what they want to see. For instance, Britney Spears was the number one performer and pop star in the 2000s, but the original article from the New York Post only focused on Spears' recent divorce and single motherhood, and deciding to focused on Hilton's sex tape release instead of her successful reality TV career and instead of Lohan's acting career, the article focused on her sobriety or lack thereof.  

I will leave you with this excerpt from PARIS, BRITNEY, & LINDSAY: THE TRIUMPH OF THE “BIMBO SUMMIT” at Nylon:

"In 2006, society had yet to grasp the concept of empathy, allowing for a broken system that thrived off incessant exploitation to stay fueled. Today — 15 years later — Hilton, Lohan, and Spears have redefined the “bimbo” into a symbol of triumph. The once-infamous paparazzi photo, which aimed to maim reputations, has cemented itself as an iconic moment." that fueled trailblazing narratives of both hope and redemption. (JOY SAHA, Nylon, Nov. 2021)

Overall, reclaim your power and never minimize yourself and never ever let others dictate who you are — they will see your vision eventually.

Is Bimbofication a Flawed Aesthetic?

There are many things that are being said about the resurgence of Y2k and the word 'bimbo' due to social media like TikTok but while others claimed bimbofication is a body-positive, inclusive, feminist, pro-sex work, pro-LGBTQ, pro-BLM, and anti-straight white male and even anti-capitlist movement that offers individuals tma safe space to be hyper-feminine, detractors raise concerns about the ramifications the bimbo lifestyle. 

But – these concerns aren't exactly new with writer Ariel Levy's 2005 book entitled, Female Chauvinist Pigs which details how women who internalized the patriarchal values of Playboy and Girls Gone Wild to such an extreme degree willingly participated in their own objectification.  

With feminism coming in waves that sees each tide marketed as empowering, bimbofication is just a new wave of feminism in a pond with many finding the cornerstones of the movement aspirational due to its inclusiveness and glamour. BUT many still balk at the term that has been used to insult one's intelligence and appearance. With one tweet quoted in a Rolling Stone article stating, "...I’m okay with women who have obviously been called it many times reclaiming it — but if you don’t look like a hyper sexual person and you use that word I feel like you hate women.”

Other critiques of the hypersexual feminine aesthetic include addressing the ethics of its intended goal. While popular bimbos in the community have addressed the issue of being "plastic positive."

For many bimbos, to be a sex object is the goal. What it means to be a sex object, though, varies. 

With Katie Rose (a.k.a Bimbo Barbie on Instagram) saying, "A bimbo is whoever you want to be." So, no you don't have to be men-obsessed, cock-obsessed or dumb to fit the bimbo lifestyle. 

Another bimbo that is in agreement with Rose's statement is Alicia Amira, but Amira does worry about the reason why one chooses to alter the body to fit the ideal of being a bimbo by stating, "I’m scared that many change their looks out of hate and not about interest. It’s all about self-love in my opinion." 

Overall, bimbofication will have detractors that are either valid due to concerns surrounding the objectification of women or those that simply want to belittle individuals that decide to take pride in their hyper-feminine appearance. While bimbofication is not inherently flawed, the movement may attract certain individuals that are less than savory due to the aesthetic's inherent sexual undertones, through grooming or "bimbo hypnosis" — BUT a few seedy characters shouldn't take away people's self-expression, especially when the self-expression has empowered, inspired and/or influenced individuals to be open-minded, inclusive, and confident. 

Let me know what you think — 
Is Bimbofication a Flawed Aesthetic?  

Enjoy this edition of Bimbo Archives!

SOURCES: //

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/bimbo-reclaim-tiktok-gen-z-1092253/amp/

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-bimbo-fetish-is-alive-and-well

I recommend checking out these articles because they offer great analysis into bimbofication and its appeal as well as introduced the reader to bimbos that are on Instagram and Reddit. For instance, Alicia Amira who is not only a bimbo but also owns her own brand, Be a Bimbo, which offers a newsletter with blog posts. 

Anna Nicole Smith