The great-granddaughter of famed hotelier Conrad Hilton and co-heir to the Hilton fortune, socialite Paris Hilton stridently endeavored to make her own mark in the world – and for the most part, succeeded. Alongside her younger sister, Nicky, Paris Hilton became one of the first media-dubbed "celebutantes” – a term used to describe a growing trend of young, attractive party girl socialites-turned-models/actresses and quasi-celebs.
A bubbly, blonde pop music sensation who built a fan base with a girl-next-door sweetness, catchy tunes, flashy dance moves and a magnetic sexual appeal, Britney Spears went from a small-town Louisiana girl to the veritable heir to Madonna's media saturation crown, beginning with the release of her first single in 1998 and holding fast well into the next millennium – and much like Madonna, the attention quickly shifted away from her artistry and focused squarely on her personal dramas.