Studying Time: 5 minutes

Of us, it’s arduous to imagine (and it makes us really feel roughly as historic as our final couple of presidents), however we’ve been bringing you the most recent scorching takes, wild rumors, and embarrassing DUI mugshots for the previous 20 years.

Sure, it was 20 years in the past right now that THG went reside with an article in regards to the newest drama within the lifetime of Lindsay Lohan.

And identical to LiLo, we’re additionally doing surprisingly nicely within the huge ’26, thanks very a lot!

Our milestone anniversary has impressed us to have a look again on the yr all of it started — a time when Dubya was within the White Home, Tony Soprano nonetheless dominated New Jersey with an iron fist, and your common American might watch the nightly information with out struggling a minor coronary occasion.

These had been less complicated days, when celebrities nonetheless referred to as the paparazzi on themselves, Kanye West was hip hop’s most beloved artist, and your greatest concern was whether or not your MySpace High 8 would spark a friendship-ending feud.

Practically 20 years later, 2006 seems like a weird cultural fever dream. However we nonetheless miss it!

So be part of us as we glance again on the celebrities, scandals, and obsessions that outlined the yr:

(Oh, and if you wish to have fun our birthday by giving your self the reward of gossip, be at liberty to obtain the brand new THG app!)

A Younger Socialite Named Kim Kardashian Was Starting to Make a Title For Herself

Lately, Kim Kardashian is a billionaire multi-hyphenate.

However in 2006, she was finest often called Paris Hilton’s ever-present underling.

By March of 2007, in fact, Kim would grow to be a family identify on the power of her intercourse tape with Ray J.

Her mother could have hassled her about it, however now that Kris and the remainder of the Kardashian-Jenner clan are well-known in their very own proper, they’ve most likely stopped giving Kim a tough time (insert your personal Ray J joke right here).

Taylor Swift Dropped Her First Album

As Taylor Swift makes wedding ceremony plans and prepares to grow to be Mrs. Will By no means Be as Good as Gronk (combat about it within the feedback!), let’s take a second to mirror on how far she’s come.

Again in ’06, Taylor dropped the album Taylor Swift, foreshadowing the style by which the singer Taylor Swift would later be dropped by Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, Harry Kinds, Calvin Harris, Matty Healy … Look, we’d give ya the complete record of her exes, however we wanna get this factor out earlier than the inevitable warmth dying of the universe.

Anyway, the album contained hits like “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Our Music,” cementing Taylor’s place because the expertise to look at on the planet of nation music.

After years within the pop universe, Taylor has considerably returned to the world of nation lately, each by contributing a twangy single to the Toy Story 5 soundtrack and by getting engaged to a dude who has most likely bought no less than one set of Truck Nutz.

Britney Spears Was Nonetheless the Tabloids’ Favourite Blonde

However regardless of Taylor looming within the distance like a White Walker, no celeb dominated the ’06 headlines like Britney Spears … for higher or worse.

Whether or not she was partying with Paris, battling paparazzi, or making an attempt to recollect why she married Kevin Federline, Britney was the topic of relentless media consideration.

Trying again, it’s inconceivable to not acknowledge how unfairly she was handled by a lot of the press.

And whereas we could have roasted Tay a bit again there (all in good enjoyable!), we at THG have at all times prided ourselves on not punching down when a well-known determine is in disaster.

In different phrases, to cite a clever sage of that period, we did our greatest to go away Britney alone!!! (for probably the most half).

Earlier than Instagram, TikTok, and even Fb’s mainstream takeover, there was MySpace.

Millennial trailblazers spent hours customizing profile pages with fugly graphics, autoplay music, and sufficient HTML code to crash the household pc.

Your social standing might actually be measured by the place you ranked in somebody’s High Eight.

Friendships had been made. Friendships had been destroyed. Our idea of socialization was endlessly ruined.

However hey, whereas Zuck and Elon proceed to battle for world domination, Tom from MySpace is watching society burn from a non-public island someplace. We stan a Gen X slacker king.

Snakes on a Airplane Modified the Approach Films Are Marketed

Lengthy earlier than motion pictures went viral on TikTok, Snakes on a Airplane turned an web sensation.

The premise was precisely what the title promised: snakes. And so they had been on a aircraft.

The film turned out to be fairly forgettable. However the advertising and marketing marketing campaign proved the facility of memes.

Filmmakers even altered the ultimate minimize of the movie in response to on-line demand, including a scene by which Samuel L. Jackson’s character quips, “I’m bored with these motherf–king snakes on this motherf–king aircraft!”

You needed to be there to know what a win that was for the web.

Movie star Gossip Was a Nationwide Sport

Of us, these had been the times of peak tabloid tradition.

Lindsay. Paris. Britney. Brangelina (RIP).

Whole magazines had been dedicated to monitoring celebrities as they walked into eating places, stumbled out of golf equipment, and easily existed in public.

The paparazzi business had by no means been greater — which, we’re ready to confess, was not a superb factor.

Sure, so-called “tabloid tradition” has modified fairly a bit within the many years since, which is why we’re so proud to nonetheless be right here — and so grateful to our loyal readers.

Of us, 20 years is about three or 4 millennia in web years, and we couldn’t have accomplished it with out your help.

So thanks for spending time with us over the previous 20 years. Right here’s to many extra years of spilling the tea.