So, 2007 was a bloody great year for some. Rihanna's 'Umbrella' was number one all summer, for example, and who couldn't love that?
What wasn't so great was the media and world's reaction to young female stars going through mental health issues.
Lindsay Lohan was oft photographed leaving clubs bleary-eyed and, even more famously, Britney Spears began her much documented breakdown.
Unfortunately, the world was an even harsher place for women to suffer mental illness than it is now.
Someone who spoke out for her at the time was a teenager called Chris Crocker. Crocker uploaded an emotional, almost five minute long, video to YouTube and, like Spears' own breakdown, Crocker's tearful plea for people to give her more respect was mocked.
This catapulted Crocker into his 15 minutes of fame on the talk show circuit.
Though his fame ebbed, Crocker could never quite shake his past as internet star, particularly since he was ridiculed extensively.
In a hopefully more welcoming climate, Crocker spoke out on his social media on Sunday to reflect on the video and it's outcome, from his now 29 year-old perspective.
What Crocker's video and statement explain is that the video, mocked by most of us, was filmed by a very vulnerable 19 year-old.
He describes how, at the time, he was dealing with the difficulty of his veteran mother's addiction and subsequent homelessness. He says, 'The struggles in my home life and family life made me defensive over any woman going through a hard time.'
He also has spoken out about the difficulty of being LGBTQ in the media, and how unforgiving the internet was of his sexuality.
'The internet and YouTube was a very different, less LGBT friendly place at the time,' he says. 'Nothing I said was listened to. I was mocked for my femininity. I was called every gay slur in the book.'
Due to the reaction, as well as his age and personal issues, Crocker felt the only thing to do at the time was to act as 'a cartoon of what they assumed I was'.
Crocker closes his statement in a heartwarming way, explaining his pride in always standing up for others, even if it meant he was publicly ridiculed for it.
But the truth is and always was about standing up for someone and not standing idly by when you see someone being hurt by others. In the 10 years since this video - a lot of LGBT YouTubers are celebrated for who they are. I often wonder if I had started later, if I would've been treated differently. But what I will say is this: Even if I got a public beating for standing up for what's right: I'm happy I did. And I'll always love Britney Spears.
The post has been liked over 15k times and ReTweeted almost 4k times.
He also posted a video on his Instagram of all the things he had learned since the original post, this one garnering almost 7k likes.
We love Crocker's attitude and hopefully we will treat the next internet sensation with a little more respect than we treated 19 year-old Chris.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
