Right. If anything, the 1990s were the decade of apex celebrity superstardom? You had singers like George Michael on the covers of mainstream magazines and in TV ads, you had all the boy bands (New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC)... the Rolling Stones got paid millions for the promo song for Windows 95, Britney Spears was selling Pepsi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fugLhNbwoY), Celine Dion had her line of cosmetics, etc.

The author was a teen back then, and teens to be countercultural, but I don't think they're drawing the right conclusions from that.

You mean, the start of the trend of apex celebrity superstardom. Because also now, Ariana Grande has her cosmetics line, Adele is on so many covers, and money flows from and to all for promotions and everything.