These women whose antics we smirk at good-naturedly in the pap-traps put themselves out there at least partly on their beauty they are in showbiz, and showing what they’ve got is part of their business as much as it is for male show-ponies from the Chippendales to George Clooney.

Burchill is arguing against a one-sided moralism in how celebrity culture treats women’s bodies. The “pap-traps” (paparazzi setups) and “antics” suggest a staged, transactional media ecosystem in which performers knowingly trade access and spectacle for attention. Her point is not simply to excuse exploitation, but to insist on symmetry: if female celebrities are judged for leveraging beauty, then male stars—whether erotic dancers like the Chippendales or mainstream leading men like George Clooney—are doing comparable work, selling charisma and physical appeal as part of their professional package. The quote critiques selective outrage and highlights how “showing what they’ve got” is built into show business for all genders.