Dear Family and Friends,
The end of December is approaching marking the end of yet another year. Time is flying by so fast that it has put me in a nostalgic mood. I would have penned down my happenings of the year, but I feel this year I have kept you quiet well-informed. Instead, I decided to focus on, in my opinion, the ten significant events/trends of the last decade.
It has been almost 10 years since the turn of the century (and millennium) or as I fondly remember the Y2K. Exactly ten years ago, the biggest threat to all mankind was the supposed implosion of all technological devices- a problem with likes that only John Connor could save us from. Luckily, year 2000 rang in with no technological apocalypse and the world has come a long way since then.
Disclaimer: Please note that these are my opinions and more important affairs have probably taken place that are not mentioned.
In no particular order:
Fashion
The 1970s had bell-bottoms, tie-die and platforms. The '80s had acid-washed jeans, leg warmers and shoulder pads. The '90s had the grunge look, the Rachel haircut and flared jeans. The ‘00s had:
1. The Mary-Kate Olsen Bag-Lady Look
The Mary-Kate Olsen’s “boho-chic” look, a.k.a pseudo-homeless look inspired women’s fashion for some time. You know the look: leggings or skinny jeans under a man-sized cardigan or a dress, large-framed sunglasses, flashy jewelry and a $3,000 Gucci handbag that can fit a week’s laundry.
2. Sweatpants with words across the bottom
They're those sweatpants that say 'Sexy' or ‘Juicy’ on the back. The sweats became a must-have item for the ladies (to be clear, I don’t own a pair).
3. Ugly Footwear
My first opinion of Uggs was “Uggs-the onomonopotania of shoes”. However, after flipping through numerous magazines with Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears sporting them with dresses and shorts, I caved in and bought a pair. Sure they look like an animal that is inside out (a sphinx cat if you will) but they sure keep your feet warm in these cold winter days.
Trucker hats, crocs, Live Strong bracelets, grills, Spanx, and many more fashion trends made the ‘00s another memorable fashion decade.
Celebrity/ Entertainment
4. Celebrity Life Choices
Celebrity lives became more transparent to the public due to an explosion of television shows, fan websites, and blogs dedicated to them. Celebrity pregnancies were of much interest, but what really got our attention were the unique baby names. Names such Suri, Shiloh, Rhyder, Apple, Audio, Camera, Ka-el (yes, as in Superman’s birth name) served not only as a conversation piece, but inspired the beloved celebrity baby name game during many baby showers. Adoption among celebrities was another topic of discussion. Stars such as Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, and Madonna adopted from different countries that brought much attention to these impoverished countries and encouraged adoption in general. Religion choices of celebrities also got public’s attention. Remember Madonna’s Kabbalah bracelets and Tom Cruise’s enthusiastic support of Scientology?
5. Reality T.V
Ahhh…reality television, an American institution. Long gone are the simple, “PG” rated days of “Candid Camera” and “The Newlywed Game”. These days, people are willing to display their entire lives (although mostly scripted) in front of millions of people, no matter how embarrassing, and I, like so many others, just eat it up.
6. Social Networking Websites (brownie points to those who can figure out whose literary voice I am trying to emulate)
The world has come a lot closer since the creation of social networking websites. Nowadays we know in an instant what our friends are doing, share pictures, say hello and learn about events around the globe. But some argue that these websites encourage self-exhibition and diminish the opportunities of real human contact. Is this true? Do we prefer socializing virtually to meeting in person or are these websites just another vehicle to keep in touch? After all, the motivation for online self-presentation is the very desire for social contact and curiosity about other people. And the supposed self-exhibition is merely a medium for exchange. But do people prefer solely keeping in contact with others behind safety buttons of ‘delete’ or ‘remove’? I couldn’t help but wonder, are we evolving past relationship building and just social networking?
Politics
7. September 11th, 2001
This event unarguably changed world’s politics. I, like so many others, exactly remember where I was when I first learned about it and the proceeding days. It was merely 4 years earlier that I was standing on the top of one of the towers looking over the city. There is a lot of debate about the root cause of this new type of terrorism and whether the approaches are effective or not.
8. The Bush Era
Regardless of your political views, Bush’s administration was one of the most talked about presidencies in recent history. Hurricane Katrina, No Child Left Behind, September 11, the Iraq war, War on Terror, tax breaks, (the Chenney hunting accident), and “bushisms” were all part of many political pundits and public’s conversations. He has many admirers and many critics. Only time will tell the long-term effects of his decisions and policies.
9. Natural Disasters
These last few years have brought an overwhelming display of nature’s power. Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the tsunami in 2004, and the recent floods in Pakistan are all reminders of how fragile life is and how vulnerable we all are to unexpected (and sometimes expected) natural disasters.
10. Elections 2008
Election 2008 set records that are likely to resonate across the country for years to come. This campaign was marked by breakthroughs in race, gender, age, and communication via technology. The country fighting two foreign wars and facing an economic crisis saw a voter turnout not witnessed in generations. All of this culminated to the first African American President being voted into the Oval Office.
