This is a spin on the thread in the '90s forum.  What part of the '00s will be the most remembered as their defining years?

I will say the late '00s.  2007-09 specifically.  The Great Recession, Obama, and Lady Gaga will define the '00s for future generations.

9/11, Iraq War, Bush/Obama, The Recession, Internet growth

Kind of spread out throughout the decade, but 9/11 was easily the biggest news story and should stand out the most when looking back.

LOL Obama will be president overall from 2009-2017. That's only 1 year in the '00s, almost all his presidency is in the 2010s.

This is a spin on the thread in the '90s forum.  What part of the '00s will be the most remembered as their defining years?

I will say the late '00s.  2007-09 specifically.  The Great Recession, Obama, and Lady Gaga will define the '00s for future generations.


Obama will define the '00s even though Bush was president for the majority of the decade I mean wtf!!!! That sounds incredibly stupid right there, ONE FREAKING YEAR IN The 2000s VERSUS 7 YEARS OF PRESIDENCY IN THE 2010s. The stuff you say is getting more and more ridiculous all the time.

Obama did more damage in one year than bush did in 8. What part will I remember the most? sheeshty economy, high fuel prices and sheeshty music.

Ant

The biggest thing that stuck out about the '00s was the end of the economic boom of the '90s, 9/11 and the wars, and the gas prices. In 1999 all the talk was how America was more prosperous than ever, and that we were in amazing shape heading into the new millennium, by 2002 only 3 years later we were at war, the "surplus" was gone, and the economy was in the toilet. I remember when my dad put gas in our car in the '90s when gas was only ~1.00-1.10 a gallon, 10 bucks would like fill up our tank, today I put 10 bucks in my car and I get what seems like a drop ROFL. We did recover some shortly in the mid '00s, but gas kept rising, and then the great recession happened and the recovery has been slow and pessimism is still very high. Gas remains 3.50-4.00 a gallon and the war in afghanistan still drags on.

LOL Obama will be president overall from 2009-2017. That's only 1 year in the '00s, almost all his presidency is in the 2010s.


It may seem difficult to believe right now, but his election was a very big deal back in 2008. Enough so that it was a decade defining event.

Yeah, when I think of what I'll remember the most from the 00's I definitely don't immediately think much from 2007-2009, although there are some important events. I tend to mostly think of the early to mid 00's. Here's topics that immediately come to mind:

9/11
The Bush Administration
Iraq War and the whole War on Terror
2000, 2004
2008 Presidential Elections and Obama becoming the first biracial POTUS
2004 Bush vs. Kerry Presidential Election
Capture of Saddam Hussein
Hurricane Katrina
2004 Tsunami
Recession
Birth of social media
The iPod and online downloading further changing the music industry
Growth of the internet and technology

I think a lot of people will be talking about those flip phones ('00s equivalent of those '90s brick phones). People today even talk about them, but not necessarily with fondness ("Remember those ugly flip phones?"). I remember when I got a flip phone for the first time and I was so excited because they were all the rage (and it could take pictures, too!).  :P

Yeah, when I think of what I'll remember the most from the 00's I definitely don't immediately think much from 2007-2009, although there are some important events. I tend to mostly think of the early to mid 00's. Here's topics that immediately come to mind:

9/11
The Bush Administration
Iraq War and the whole War on Terror
2000, 2004
2008 Presidential Elections and Obama becoming the first biracial POTUS
2004 Bush vs. Kerry Presidential Election
Capture of Saddam Hussein
Hurricane Katrina
2004 Tsunami
Recession
Birth of social media
The iPod and online downloading further changing the music industry
Growth of the internet and technology


What you mentioned certainly sums it up. ^

If there was a president that defined the 00s it's nobody else than George W. Bush.

The original post has poor logic. Sorry bchris02, but I just have to agree with the comments by the majority of people here.

* The Great Recession was harder for people in the early '10s than the late '00s
* Obama spent 1 year in the '00s and his presidency may have been a big deal but you could say that about many elections. If you argue that it was a milestone to have a black president, I'd say that Martin Luther King's speech is more historically significant. The government still had black people in politics before 2008
* Lady Gaga represents a transition from one decade to the next. Lady Gaga doesn't represent the '00s.

It would make more sense like this:

* 9/11 has had such a strong impact on society that is still felt today, and is such a large part of what living through the decade meant that to say it won't be a highlight moment of the '00s is plain ridiculous
* Bush wasn't only president for 9/11 but he was also president during the 2003 Iraq invasion. Bush won the 2000 election and was still officially president at the very beginning of 2009. He was therefore relevant for the whole decade, not just the late '00s.
* What Eminem did for hip hop is just as significant if not moreso than Lady Gaga. Not only that, but Eminem was the best-selling artist overall, which isn't surprising because he was there for the whole thing.

I'd also like to add:

* 2000/2001 wasn't just the dawn of a new decade, it was the dawn of a new century, even new millenium. Do you not think future generations will wonder what it was like when it all started?

I would therefore say the early-mid 2000s.

You only think the late '00s will be easier to remember because it's more recent and therefore fresher in the mind.

Yeah, when I think of what I'll remember the most from the 00's I definitely don't immediately think much from 2007-2009, although there are some important events. I tend to mostly think of the early to mid 00's. Here's topics that immediately come to mind:

9/11
The Bush Administration
Iraq War and the whole War on Terror
2000, 2004
2008 Presidential Elections and Obama becoming the first biracial POTUS
2004 Bush vs. Kerry Presidential Election
Capture of Saddam Hussein
Hurricane Katrina
2004 Tsunami
Recession
Birth of social media
The iPod and online downloading further changing the music industry
Growth of the internet and technology


Don't forget the explosion of reality TV

And to answer the OP's question, I think the first half will be most remembered.

If there was a president that defined the 00s it's nobody else than George W. Bush.


I agree, George W.Bush will be remembered during the 00's era.

Don't forget the explosion of reality TV

That started in 2000 with Survivor & Big Brother.

That started in 2000 with Survivor & Big Brother.


Correct, and it was in the first half of the decade that Survivor was the top-rated show in America. Most of the big shows like American Idol, The Amazing Race and Fear Factor began in the first half of the decade.

LOL Obama will be president overall from 2009-2017. That's only 1 year in the '00s, almost all his presidency is in the 2010s.


Obama's election was in 2008.  I think it was one of the biggest events of the decade.

Obama will define the '00s even though Bush was president for the majority of the decade I mean wtf!!!! That sounds incredibly stupid right there, ONE FREAKING YEAR IN The 2000s VERSUS 7 YEARS OF PRESIDENCY IN THE 2010s. The stuff you say is getting more and more ridiculous all the time.


See my comment above.  Obama's election was one of the biggest events of the '00s decade.  Probably only 9/11 was bigger.  Also, why is it such a bad thing if a decade gets defined by its later years, which I think will be the case for the '00s?

When people think of 'The Sixties' most of what comes to mind are things from the second half of the decide, specifically 1968 and 1969.  Even the early 1970s gets lumped in with 'The Sixties.'  The majority of the real 1960s was simply an extension of the 1950s.  I think the '00s will be the same.  I'll even go as far as to say the '10s will be mostly defined by events from 2015-2019.  Right now, we are in the waning era of '00s culture in my opinion.

See my comment above.  Obama's election was one of the biggest events of the '00s decade.  Probably only 9/11 was bigger.  Also, why is it such a bad thing if a decade gets defined by its later years, which I think will be the case for the '00s?

When people think of 'The Sixties' most of what comes to mind are things from the second half of the decide, specifically 1968 and 1969.  Even the early 1970s gets lumped in with 'The Sixties.'  The majority of the real 1960s was simply an extension of the 1950s.  I think the '00s will be the same.  I'll even go as far as to say the '10s will be mostly defined by events from 2015-2019.  Right now, we are in the waning era of '00s culture in my opinion.


Only 9/11 was bigger? What about the 2003 Iraq invasion or the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami?

It's not bad for a decade to be "defined" by its later years, but if you read all the comments here your thoughts about the '00s are in the minority. It doesn't matter what the second half of the 10s will be like because it hasn't happened yet. All we can do is look at 2000-2013 and the late 00s is culturally more in tune with the culture of the entire '10s so far and previous comments reflect this.

You may be right about the 60s, but not the 00s. Again, read the comments.

The 1950s  January 1, 1950 to December 31, 1959
The 1960s: January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969
The 1970s: January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1979
The 1980s: January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989
The 1990s: January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999
The 2000s: January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009

Why is it that everywhere else on planet earth, and everyone I have ever spoken with...this is so easy to understand.

The 1950s  January 1, 1950 to December 31, 1959
The 1960s: January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969
The 1970s: January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1979
The 1980s: January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989
The 1990s: January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999
The 2000s: January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009

Why is it that everywhere else on planet earth, and everyone I have ever spoken with...this is so easy to understand.


I don't know if you understand the topic. This isn't "what years were the '00s" this is "which part will be the most remembered"

Correct, and it was in the first half of the decade that Survivor was the top-rated show in America. Most of the big shows like American Idol, The Amazing Race and Fear Factor began in the first half of the decade.


I did watch Survivor, American Idol, Amazing Race and Fear Factor but after a while I lost interest in all of them. That was just me.

I did watch Survivor, American Idol, Amazing Race and Fear Factor but after a while I lost interest in all of them. That was just me.

I never got into Survivor or Amazing Race.  I only watched some of American Idol in the beginning years.  I liked Fear Factor but after several years have passed I watched repeats and they weren't as good as I remembered. 

I'm fascinated by the game of Survivor. The seasons are really hit or miss. When it's good, it's good. But when it's a blah season, they lose viewers. It's impressive that the ratings have remained strong though 13 years later. It's been renewed for the 2013-14 television season and these will be their 27th and 28th cycles!

I did watch Survivor, American Idol, Amazing Race and Fear Factor but after a while I lost interest in all of them. That was just me.


This is why the reality show explosion is more related to the first half of the decade. Survivor was the top-rated show around 2001 and until 2006 it was always in the top ten most-watched shows. It still does well in the ratings, but they're hardly comparable to the ratings it once had. But in the early 2000s it was fresh, new and exciting for many and I think that's why reality shows will be associated more with the first half.

Even The Biggest Loser and Hell's Kitchen (if you count the British version) began in the first half.

I never got into Survivor or Amazing Race.  I only watched some of American Idol in the beginning years.  I liked Fear Factor but after several years have passed I watched repeats and they weren't as good as I remembered.


These shows go over the top and push the envelope a bit just like in Survivor where that guy Richard Hatch got naked in one of the shows, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rspFsbq62yA

I never got into Survivor or Amazing Race.  I only watched some of American Idol in the beginning years.  I liked Fear Factor but after several years have passed I watched repeats and they weren't as good as I remembered.


Exact same here. Never watched Survivor or The Amazing Race, but I watched some of the early years of American Idol and Fear Factor. I even watched some of Dancing with the Stars when it first came out.


By the way, it'll be interesting to see how little or how much these answers might change once the 00's as a whole is 20-30 years old.

Exact same here. Never watched Survivor or The Amazing Race, but I watched some of the early years of American Idol and Fear Factor. I even watched some of Dancing with the Stars when it first came out.


By the way, it'll be interesting to see how little or how much these answers might change once the 00's as a whole is 20-30 years old.


Probably the early half. Remember, the late 00s is still quite recent so it is fresher in people's minds than the first half which is 9-13 years ago.

Politcally the decade will be remembered as 9-11 and it's aftermath leading to the War on Terror.
Tech wise the rise of the Cell Phone/ipod/internet. Social Media like MySpace/Facebook could be lumped into here too
Muscially you had the teen pop craze for 2000-2002, Hip hop becoming dominant in 2003-2007, Electropop form 2008-present
The rise of Reality tv competitions like American Idol, Survivor, The Apprentice, etc. and Reality TV series like The Osbournes, The Simple Life, The Kardashians, etc.

Politically, the 00s will be remembered for Bush, 9/11, and the Iraq War. Most of these things happened in the early-to-mid part of the decade.
However, I don't think pop culture in the 00s was really defined until about 2004/2005, because most of the stuff before that seemed to get lumped with the 90s. At the same time, '08 and '09 saw the rise of electropop and smartphones, which would then become a staple part of the '10s culture.

Politcally the decade will be remembered as 9-11 and it's aftermath leading to the War on Terror.
Tech wise the rise of the Cell Phone/ipod/internet. Social Media like MySpace/Facebook could be lumped into here too
Muscially you had the teen pop craze for 2000-2002, Hip hop becoming dominant in 2003-2007, Electropop form 2008-present
The rise of Reality tv competitions like American Idol, Survivor, The Apprentice, etc. and Reality TV series like The Osbournes, The Simple Life, The Kardashians, etc.


I agree with that.

Politically, the 00s will be remembered for Bush, 9/11, and the Iraq War. Most of these things happened in the early-to-mid part of the decade.
However, I don't think pop culture in the 00s was really defined until about 2004/2005, because most of the stuff before that seemed to get lumped with the 90s. At the same time, '08 and '09 saw the rise of electropop and smartphones, which would then become a staple part of the '10s culture.


What stuff exactly? ???

What stuff exactly? ???
Mostly the music and fashion. The early 2000s tends to get lumped with the late 90s a lot in that respect.

Mostly the music and fashion. The early 2000s tends to get lumped with the late 90s a lot in that respect.


How does stuff like this get "lumped with the late 90s"?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d020hcWA_Wg

How does stuff like this get "lumped with the late 90s"?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d020hcWA_Wg


Coldplay could have easily been '90s.  May not have been as popular, but there were many bands around 1998ish that sounded like them.

Coldplay could have easily been '90s.  May not have been as popular, but there were many bands around 1998ish that sounded like them.
Exactly, if the teen pop crazy of the late 90s hadn't happened they may have gotten popular sooner.
And even so, they DID form in the 90s. :P

Exactly, if the teen pop crazy of the late 90s hadn't happened they may have gotten popular sooner.
And even so, they DID form in the 90s. :P


The decade a band forms in doesn't mean that much. For example, Nirvana formed in the 80s but are still considered a 90s group.

9/11
Chandra Levy's murder
G.W. Bush declaring a War on Terror
The foreclosure boom
Apple hitting a home run with awesome technology like the iPod, iPhone, Mac Mini and MacBook Air
Chrysler being taken over by Fiat
Michael Jackson dying
Larry Craig scandal

9/11
Chandra Levy's murder
G.W. Bush declaring a War on Terror
The foreclosure boom
Apple hitting a home run with awesome technology like the iPod, iPhone, Mac Mini and MacBook Air
Chrysler being taken over by Fiat
Michael Jackson dying
Larry Craig scandal


Michael Jackson's death was big, but that's only natural when someone like that dies. For example, Whitney Houston. The investigations into his death, while controversial, have continued into this decade, the 10s, which is a different era.

Nobody has mentioned about '00s movies yet, and they were basically defined in two camps:

Big-budget, visual grabbing minimalist or repetitive plots that get mediocre reviews by critics but have great box office success, a trend that continues today. Many sequels and remakes are included.

More under the radar, art-house type films that are Oscar worthy, yet few remember what movies won Best Picture.

Action, horror, and some sci-fi seem to be the dominant genres of the decade, with comedy and romance weak.

In terms of film technology, film gradually gets replaced with digital copies at the movie theater, DVD eliminates VHS for home video early on, followed by a brief format war of HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray (similar to the VHS/Beta war in the '70s/'80s), before Blu-Ray wins out and rises towards decades end, when 3D movies start to become popular again thanks to Avatar.

For TV technology, let's not forget the transition from standard definition with CRT monitors to HDTV with flatscreens along with digital cable's rise replacing basic cable, with satellite continuing its growth from the '90s.

That said, I found the '00s to be more cohesive than previous decades and can't find a definitve set of years to define it. You had Y2K mania dying in 2000 along with the election and its recall controversy (lots of culture/tech still had that late '90s feel, though it tasted a little different), Chandra Levy in 2001 followed by the great terror attacks and the beginning of the war with Afghanistan; 2002 was mostly a reflection on 2001, though the pop culture felt considerably darker that year. 2003 had the Columbia disaster and the Iraq War phase starting, 2004 had another election, hurricanes, and the Tsunami, 2005 had Katrina; 2006 seemed to be less newsworthy but there was lots of anti-Iraq sentiment building along with higher gas prices; this was also the year that Social Media finally appeared to be mainstream and here to stay; 2007 generally continued 2006's trends until the housing bubble burst late in that year, leading to 2008's recession, election/Obama, rise of Facebook/Twitter, smartphones, and electropop, with 2009 continuing the recession but starting to blend in with the early '10s. If I had to pick a portion, it would be the early portion (up through spring 2003) that would be most remembered since lots of events set the tone for the core years (mid 2003-mid 2007), followed by the later portion (late 2007-2009) with the technological changes, recession, and Obamamania.

Nobody has mentioned about '00s movies yet, and they were basically defined in two camps:

Big-budget, visual grabbing minimalist or repetitive plots that get mediocre reviews by critics but have great box office success, a trend that continues today. Many sequels and remakes are included.

More under the radar, art-house type films that are Oscar worthy, yet few remember what movies won Best Picture.

Action, horror, and some sci-fi seem to be the dominant genres of the decade, with comedy and romance weak.

In terms of film technology, film gradually gets replaced with digital copies at the movie theater, DVD eliminates VHS for home video early on, followed by a brief format war of HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray (similar to the VHS/Beta war in the '70s/'80s), before Blu-Ray wins out and rises towards decades end, when 3D movies start to become popular again thanks to Avatar.

For TV technology, let's not forget the transition from standard definition with CRT monitors to HDTV with flatscreens along with digital cable's rise replacing basic cable, with satellite continuing its growth from the '90s.

That said, I found the '00s to be more cohesive than previous decades and can't find a definitve set of years to define it. You had Y2K mania dying in 2000 along with the election and its recall controversy (lots of culture/tech still had that late '90s feel, though it tasted a little different), Chandra Levy in 2001 followed by the great terror attacks and the beginning of the war with Afghanistan; 2002 was mostly a reflection on 2001, though the pop culture felt considerably darker that year. 2003 had the Columbia disaster and the Iraq War phase starting, 2004 had another election, hurricanes, and the Tsunami, 2005 had Katrina; 2006 seemed to be less newsworthy but there was lots of anti-Iraq sentiment building along with higher gas prices; this was also the year that Social Media finally appeared to be mainstream and here to stay; 2007 generally continued 2006's trends until the housing bubble burst late in that year, leading to 2008's recession, election/Obama, rise of Facebook/Twitter, smartphones, and electropop, with 2009 continuing the recession but starting to blend in with the early '10s. If I had to pick a portion, it would be the early portion (up through spring 2003) that would be most remembered since lots of events set the tone for the core years (mid 2003-mid 2007), followed by the later portion (late 2007-2009) with the technological changes, recession, and Obamamania.


A US president is always going to be big to some degree and the economy has been in the dumps for longer in the 10s than the 00s.

2001 will be remembered for the 9/11 event.
2008 and 2009 will be remembered for the stock market tanking. Late 2007 may be remembered for the recession beginning in December of that year, but also for the auto-tuned rap going on like with T-Pain and stuff.
I can see 2003/2004 sticking out for the whole 'bling bling' image thingy.
2005/2006 will be remembered for the the whole social media boom.

2000 will be remembered for being the first year of the millenium.

Don't you guys/girls see? Lots to remember from each year if you ask me. Maybe except for 2002!  ;D

2001 will be remembered for the 9/11 event.
2008 and 2009 will be remembered for the stock market tanking. Late 2007 may be remembered for the recession beginning in December of that year, but also for the auto-tuned rap going on like with T-Pain and stuff.
I can see 2003/2004 sticking out for the whole 'bling bling' image thingy.
2005/2006 will be remembered for the the whole social media boom.

2000 will be remembered for being the first year of the millenium.

Don't you guys/girls see? Lots to remember from each year if you ask me. Maybe except for 2002!  ;D


1. "Bling bling" and T-pain were very relevant to 2005/06
2. 2002 has a lot more going for it than the late 00s. The economy crap has already lasted longer and been worse in the 10s. 2002 was the year American Idol began, and with shows in the likes of Survivor, Fear Factor, The Amazing Race hot in the TV-lineup,  the reality competiton explosion was in full-swing.

The economy has been slowly getting better since 2011, but it's still kind of bad.

2001 will be remembered for the 9/11 event.
2008 and 2009 will be remembered for the stock market tanking. Late 2007 may be remembered for the recession beginning in December of that year, but also for the auto-tuned rap going on like with T-Pain and stuff.
I can see 2003/2004 sticking out for the whole 'bling bling' image thingy.
2005/2006 will be remembered for the the whole social media boom.

2000 will be remembered for being the first year of the millenium.

Don't you guys/girls see? Lots to remember from each year if you ask me. Maybe except for 2002!  ;D
2002 was a pretty fun year for me. I was 8 then, and my favourite memory being watching Home Movies with my older cousin.
2003 was an eventful year, but depressing too. The Iraq War started and paranoia was heightened. I was living in Houston at the time, and some people got scared that Texas would get bombed for their oil.

10 years ago The Blackout of New York City happened.

The 5 and 6th year isn't always the most entertaining part of a decade, but it's probably the most original. If that makes sny sense.

The 5 and 6th year isn't always the most entertaining part of a decade, but it's probably the most original. If that makes sny sense.
I personally would remember the 'core' 2000s as late 2004 to early 2008.

I personally would remember the 'core' 2000s as late 2004 to early 2008.


That's because you're still under 20. Youngsters your young age would've been too young to have even a remotely accurate estimate of the impact that 9/11 had and too busy watching Barney to appreciate just how big the reality competition explosion was at the start of the era.

That's because you're still under 20. Youngsters your young age would've been too young to have even a remotely accurate estimate of the impact that 9/11 had and too busy watching Barney to appreciate just how big the reality competition explosion was at the start of the era.
I'm talking pop culture wise here.
2001-2004 was kind of like a transition era of it's own. I think people were trying to adjust from their blind optimism and expectations built up of a new millennium, and I don't think that fully cemented until 2004/2005.
For the most part, most people forgot about 9/11 after two months or so. If anything I'd say the start of the Iraq War in 2003 had more of an impact than anything.
All in all, the 2000s was a very heterogenous decade, it's really hard to put a 'core' on it.
And just because I'm younger than you doesn't give you the right to belittle my opinion. I remember 9/11 almost like it was yesterday.

For the most part, most people forgot about 9/11 after two months or so.


:o

Even in Germany this was not the case and at least a very big deal in the first half of the 2000s...

I'm talking pop culture wise here.
2001-2004 was kind of like a transition era of it's own. I think people were trying to adjust from their blind optimism and expectations built up of a new millennium, and I don't think that fully cemented until 2004/2005.
For the most part, most people forgot about 9/11 after two months or so. If anything I'd say the start of the Iraq War in 2003 had more of an impact than anything.
All in all, the 2000s was a very heterogenous decade, it's really hard to put a 'core' on it.
And just because I'm younger than you doesn't give you the right to belittle my opinion. I remember 9/11 almost like it was yesterday.


I don't mean to seem so stiff but who forgot about 9/11 two months later? Your classroom at school? This is my point, at your age you would've been too concerned about kids shows and the latest toys to see the event from a political point of view.

As for popular culture, look how ubiquitous reality competitions had become after being novelty at best in decades past. During the first half of the decade, shows in the nature of The Biggest Loser, The Apprentice, The Amazing Race and so forth kept popping up and now dominate the television.

9/11 I think is the biggest single event certainly. To fully understand the impact of 9/11, you have to remember where we were before 9/11 and all the Y2K excitement. I remember when the economy was booming big time in the late '90s. You didn't have this widespread pessimism you have today, the Cold War was over, the economy was booming, gas prices were low, relative peace, the government had a surplus, we were considered to be heading into the new millennium in great shape. Yes, the boom was already busting before 9/11, but I guess you could say 9/11 was the last straw that marked the end of an era of relative peace and prosperity. 9/11 is definitely not forgotten, I'd say we're still living very much in the shadows of 9/11. It set the tone for the early 21st century so far no doubt.

9/11 I think is the biggest single event certainly. To fully understand the impact of 9/11, you have to remember where we were before 9/11 and all the Y2K excitement. I remember when the economy was booming big time in the late '90s. You didn't have this widespread pessimism you have today, the Cold War was over, the economy was booming, gas prices were low, relative peace, the government had a surplus, we were considered to be heading into the new millennium in great shape. Yes, the boom was already busting before 9/11, but I guess you could say 9/11 was the last straw that marked the end of an era of relative peace and prosperity. 9/11 is definitely not forgotten, I'd say we're still living very much in the shadows of 9/11. It set the tone for the early 21st century so far no doubt.


I have to agree with this. I remember the year 2000 excitement well and it was definitely a happy and prosperous time. Someone born in 1994 was only 7 when 9/11 happened and that's assuming you're birthday is before September. If you're birthday is after September, you were only 6 on 9/11 and were young enough to watch Barney in 2000. Remembering Barney is not the same thing as remembering the economy.

I have to agree with this. I remember the year 2000 excitement well and it was definitely a happy and prosperous time. Someone born in 1994 was only 7 when 9/11 happened and that's assuming you're birthday is before September. If you're birthday is after September, you were only 6 on 9/11 and were young enough to watch Barney in 2000. Remembering Barney is not the same thing as remembering the economy.
I understand that the effects were long term in the sociopolitical sphere, I won't deny that. But pop culture continued to be mostly the same despite the sudden event. For the most part people still went on with their lives, but then again that's how it should be. The only major change I noticed culturally was people were suddenly trying to become way to hard to be patriotic.
And no offence, but I really don't like how people mourn so much over 9/11, when we've killed more than ten times the number of 9/11 casualties in the Iraq War alone.
9/11 was a day I remember well due to the fact that an old friend was flying in to see us, but her flight got cancelled.
Once 2003 came, and the Iraq War started, that's when I really felt the changes personally. Living near the Gulf Coast of Texas at the time, many people became paranoid that we could get bombed for our oil.

I understand that the effects were long term in the sociopolitical sphere, I won't deny that. But pop culture continued to be mostly the same despite the sudden event. For the most part people still went on with their lives, but then again that's how it should be. The only major change I noticed culturally was people were suddenly trying to become way to hard to be patriotic.
And no offence, but I really don't like how people mourn so much over 9/11, when we've killed more than ten times the number of 9/11 casualties in the Iraq War alone.
9/11 was a day I remember well due to the fact that an old friend was flying in to see us, but her flight got cancelled.
Once 2003 came, and the Iraq War started, that's when I really felt the changes personally. Living near the Gulf Coast of Texas at the time, many people became paranoid that we could get bombed for our oil.


People were already at least somewhat concerned by 2001. If you weren't concerned that's because you were too busy with your happy meal toys from McDonalds to understand. As I said to you, just because kids your age can remember Barney doesn't mean you remember what the adolescent/young adult pop culture was like.

9/11 I think is the biggest single event certainly. To fully understand the impact of 9/11, you have to remember where we were before 9/11 and all the Y2K excitement. I remember when the economy was booming big time in the late '90s. You didn't have this widespread pessimism you have today, the Cold War was over, the economy was booming, gas prices were low, relative peace, the government had a surplus, we were considered to be heading into the new millennium in great shape. Yes, the boom was already busting before 9/11, but I guess you could say 9/11 was the last straw that marked the end of an era of relative peace and prosperity. 9/11 is definitely not forgotten, I'd say we're still living very much in the shadows of 9/11. It set the tone for the early 21st century so far no doubt.


and if the 9/11 bombings had never happened we could've gotten away with a decent year.

and if the 9/11 bombings had never happened we could've gotten away with a decent year.


There's always the year 2000 to look back on fondly.

People were already at least somewhat concerned by 2001. If you weren't concerned that's because you were too busy with your happy meal toys from McDonalds to understand. As I said to you, just because kids your age can remember Barney doesn't mean you remember what the adolescent/young adult pop culture was like.
I can recall what was popular among teenagers during the turn of the millennium. I had several older cousins who were born in the 80s that were like my older siblings due to how much I saw them. I remember listening to Limp Bizkit and Rage with them, and noticed how they dressed too. I pretty much grew up with that. I remember watching music videos on Disney Channel and listening to Radio Disney, which played contemporary hits mixed in with teeny bopper music. I also lived in a town where pop culture was about 2-5 years behind those who lived in places like New York or LA.


and if the 9/11 bombings had never happened we could've gotten away with a decent year.
2001 was a pretty fun year before 9/11, at least from what I remember.

I can recall what was popular among teenagers during the turn of the millennium. I had several older cousins who were born in the 80s that were like my older siblings due to how much I saw them. I remember listening to Limp Bizkit and Rage with them, and noticed how they dressed too. I pretty much grew up with that. I remember watching music videos on Disney Channel and listening to Radio Disney, which played contemporary hits mixed in with teeny bopper music. I also lived in a town where pop culture was about 2-5 years behind those who lived in places like New York or LA.
2001 was a pretty fun year before 9/11, at least from what I remember.


If you lived in a town that was 2-5 years behind then you're town is not really culturally in key with the mainstream. Disney and Rage are also not good examples of 00s things. Try something like Survivor that had about 52 million viewers for its season 1 finale.

I think history is going to view the 2000s as a dark period. It started with 9/11 and from that point, the U.S. was in a perpetual state of war. We were told to be afraid-BE VERY AFRAID! The powers that be wanted to bring back a time when people feared that communists were hiding everywhere-only this time it was terrorists that were hiding everywhere. People's Constitutional rights were being violated. People were being tortured, which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Unfortunately, things are not much better now. We are still at war in Afghanistan-but that should end next year. There are still many people being held at Gitmo who haven't been charged-and in fact, many SHOULD have been released but haven't because of bullsh!t in Washington. We are still groped and have to take off our shoes at airports-which does not make us any safer.

The 2000s will be viewed as a time when the 20th century started to be repealed. 



Cat 

I think history is going to view the 2000s as a dark period. It started with 9/11 and from that point, the U.S. was in a perpetual state of war. We were told to be afraid-BE VERY AFRAID! The powers that be wanted to bring back a time when people feared that communists were hiding everywhere-only this time it was terrorists that were hiding everywhere. People's Constitutional rights were being violated. People were being tortured, which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Unfortunately, things are not much better now. We are still at war in Afghanistan-but that should end next year. There are still many people being held at Gitmo who haven't been charged-and in fact, many SHOULD have been released but haven't because of bullsh!t in Washington. We are still groped and have to take off our shoes at airports-which does not make us any safer.

The 2000s will be viewed as a time when the 20th century started to be repealed. 



Cat


I would never remember it like that. I'll mostly remember it for the great television shows I watched.

There's always the year 2000 to look back on fondly.


Wasn't 2000 the year that George Bush was about to get elected? ???

Wasn't 2000 the year that George Bush was about to get elected? ???


Bush was my favorite president.

9/11 I think is the biggest single event certainly. To fully understand the impact of 9/11, you have to remember where we were before 9/11 and all the Y2K excitement. I remember when the economy was booming big time in the late '90s. You didn't have this widespread pessimism you have today, the Cold War was over, the economy was booming, gas prices were low, relative peace, the government had a surplus, we were considered to be heading into the new millennium in great shape. Yes, the boom was already busting before 9/11, but I guess you could say 9/11 was the last straw that marked the end of an era of relative peace and prosperity. 9/11 is definitely not forgotten, I'd say we're still living very much in the shadows of 9/11. It set the tone for the early 21st century so far no doubt.


Pretty much agree with all of this. People definitely didn't forget about 9/11 after 2 months, at least where I'm from. I remember the intense paranoia and fear in the months afterwards. Does anyone remember the anthrax scare or the plane crash that happened in Queens in October 2001, nearly a month after 9/11? I remember people freaking out about it being a terrorist attack again. Hell, even I was scared. And the media definitely did not help.



I think history is going to view the 2000s as a dark period. It started with 9/11 and from that point, the U.S. was in a perpetual state of war. We were told to be afraid-BE VERY AFRAID! The powers that be wanted to bring back a time when people feared that communists were hiding everywhere-only this time it was terrorists that were hiding everywhere. People's Constitutional rights were being violated. People were being tortured, which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Unfortunately, things are not much better now. We are still at war in Afghanistan-but that should end next year. There are still many people being held at Gitmo who haven't been charged-and in fact, many SHOULD have been released but haven't because of bullsh!t in Washington. We are still groped and have to take off our shoes at airports-which does not make us any safer.

The 2000s will be viewed as a time when the 20th century started to be repealed. 



Cat


You reminded me of the Homeland Security Advisory color chart that was heavily used during the several months/years after 9/11:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Hsas-chart_with_header.svg/383px-Hsas-chart_with_header.svg.png



10 years ago The Blackout of New York City happened.


I definitely remember that. It'll be exactly 10 years on August 14th. Also if anyone is from Southern California, those crazy wildfires, largest in state history, happened 10 years ago. Fires were so intense, you couldn't even breathe outside. I remember I had school cancelled for about a week and my hometown was gray with smoke and ashes.

Wasn't 2000 the year that George Bush was about to get elected? ???



No, 2000 was when the Supreme Court handed the White House over to George Bush.



Cat

For world events: The first half (9/11, Invasion of Iraq, Boxing Day tsunami)
For popular culture: circa 2002-2006 (for those who lived under a rock until 2008, Eminem was much more relevant than Lady Gaga)

Overall, 2003 and 2004 are the big years