Best and Worst of The Decade In Which We Had To Say The Whole Number

It's the end of another year, and the end of a decade.  We can look back at the '80s and fondly remember neon layered socks and acid-washed jeans, side ponytails, and the Back to the Future franchise.  We can look back at the '90s and reminisce about the birth of grunge, VH1's pop-up video, the rise of Adam Sandler movies (cringe), and matching socks to go with your Gap polo.  So, what will we look back at this decade and remember?  For one thing, what the heck do we call this decade?  Primo decade?  The Decade In Which We Had To Say The Whole Number?  The "Ohs?"  Suggestions?  Here's my take on the past decade, both good and bad.  Before I begin, though, you should know that, although there were a lot of political events, etc. that took place in this decade, I'm leaning towards the entertainment side of things, at least for the most part.  I will start with the bummer section first, so I can end on a positive note.

The Downside of the Decade:
1.  9/11.  To me, this was the worst event of the decade.  The horror it brought to our nation, and the grief we all felt as we watched the towers crumble will stay with me forever.  For our generation, it will be the day we all remember in our old age.  It caused fear through the nation, created paranoia, and resulted in the loss of many freedoms we took for granted, like greeting our loved ones as they got off the plane, privacy with our luggage, and the chance to knit while on a long flight.  It caused unprovoked prejudice, leaving many looking askance at anyone who looked Middle Eastern.  It changed our country forever.

2.  Hurricane Katrina.  We lived in Mississippi when Katrina hit, but we were visiting family in Utah.  Our eyes were glued to the weather channel for 2 days while we watched the swirling graphic move through Mississippi on the weather maps, wondering if our house was still standing.  We attempted one call after another, and were unsuccessful at contacting any friends there, and were left in the dark concerning the fate of our friends and our town.  We experienced the gas shortages, the ice shortages, the grocery shortages, and economic downturn of an area that was already economically depressed.  Tim went to Louisiana with a church group and witnessed wreckage and sorrow firsthand.  It was devastating, and destroyed many families' lives for years to come.

3.  On a lighter note, sequels.  Many, many sequels.  It felt like none of the writers in our decade could come up with a new idea.  Some sequels I thought should never have happened:  "Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3."  Disney can't just walk away from a success.  They have to beat it like a dead horse and make another gazillion dollars.  Ugh.  Speaking of Disney sequels, how about "Little Mermaid: 2 and 3", "Cinderella 2", "Aladdin 2", "Mulan 2", and "Beauty and the Beast 2".  Maybe they could just release the originals for a longer time instead.  I'd rather spend the money on those.  I've seen a few of the sequels, and I'm pretty sure there are trained monkeys that animate and write the music for them.  They are awful.  Some sequels I was grateful for, however, were the Bourne franchise and the X-men franchise.  Spiderman 2 was awesome.  Spiderman 3 was not.  I think it's one thing to take a book series and make them into movies.  The books are already set up to continue in a successful way.  A movie based on a Disneyland ride, though, shouldn't be made into 3 movies, even with the brilliant Johnny Depp as a star. 

4.  High heels at the grocery store.  I liked Docs.  You may have heard that from me before.  They are comfy and practical, and pointy-toed high heels are NOT.  And this trend has continued for a while now.  Can we please move on?  I like to be in style, but I won't be until the high heels in the store go away. 

5.  The rise of tapered jeans.  Oh, wait, now they're called "skinny jeans".  Which is an appropriate name, since you have to be skinny to look even close to decent in them.  They were a bad idea in the '80s, and they're a bad idea now.  Same goes for leggings.  Can we recycle baggy jeans now, please? 

6.  Reality TV.  Yes, I watch it, but I was a lot smarter when all I watched were dramas and sitcoms.  Why are we fascinated with watching people argue and bicker over money on TV?  Real World on MTV has been around for a long time, I know, but I blame Survivor for all the fuss.  I watched the first season, and it was addictive.  People stuck with nothing, eating rats and making fools of themselves.  It was like watching a fish tank.  And it seems like there are worse and worse ideas that are coming to fruition every day.  There was one where the contestants had to choose between honesty and money.  I did not watch this one.  Producers have thrown all morals aside in the attempt to make an extra million.  Disgusting.  One of my goals this year is to wean myself off of most reality shows.  No more Bachelor.  No more Dating in the Dark. 

Things I Will Look Back on Fondly (in no particular order):

1. You know I have to put this in here. It's spanned the decade in a very aggressive and prominent way. Whether you love these books or despise them, you know they exist, and you have probably discussed them with someone at some point. This has definitely been the decade for vampires. I am confident that I will look back with fondness at these books, partly because I enjoyed them as the fluff they are, and partly because I will think back on the girls' nights I spent going to the movies and book releases and giggle a little.

2. The Harry Potter books may have begun in the '90s, but for me, they began while I was in college, finishing my Masters degree. I started reading them in 2001, and joined the rest of the world, waiting by my mailbox as each new book was released and sent to my home from amazon.com. The world was united as we followed Harry's journey from childhood to manhood, anticipating his next encounter with Lord Voldemort. Children, teenagers and adults all shared a common interest in Harry's fate in the final volume. Would he die? Would good prevail? How was Rowling going to satisfy billions of readers? Yes, the movies were also released in this decade, and they were fun and exciting, but I will pull the books off my shelf regularly and reread them for years to come, while the DVDs will probably be pulled out again when my kids are old enough to watch them.

3. Musical fusion. I'm guessing that emo rock will be the defining genre of this decade, but I feel like this decade, more than others, has been broader in musical types and preferences. Bands like Bon Jovi, U2, and Weezer have continued their staying power and released albums that have been, in my opinion, better than their albums from previous decades. They continue to tour and have attracted fans from a new generation. At the same time, we have the Disney generation of singers, including Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Demi Lavado (yes, I know their names). They are cute and perky and sing about young love. Emo rock has wormed its way into the alternative scene, and has softened a little of the anger that existed at the end of the '90s. Bands like One Republic and The Fray have developed the alternative sound into a more plaintive and emotional genre. Not that everyone has gone emo on us. We have our angry rockers as well (does Pink ever have a good day?). Of course, there are still the other types I've ignored: R&B, country, rap, and dance party. They still exist, but I tend to ignore them in my normal life, so I won't be thinking about them in 10 years. I will probably hear a song like "How to Save a Life" by The Fray and be awash in nostalgia. However, hearing "Stuck in a Closet, Part 8" will still make me change stations.

4. Capri pants. When they started appearing in juniors sections of department stores, I groaned and said, "Never!" But I did. As one who needs clothing that comes to the knee, I was extremely grateful to have a stylish choice. Of course, on someone who is 5'1", many of them end up looking like floodwater pants, but thanks to the recycling of fashion trends, they have been so prevalent in this decade that I have been able to find many pairs that fit right, and I haven't had to feel frumpy and dowdy just to cool off my legs.

5. While we're on the subject of style, hooray for long t-shirts and the whole empire waist style of shirt. My mom pointed out a few months ago that all my shirts look like maternity clothes, so I always look pregnant. Well, who cares? At least I have been able to hide my fat folds and feel less self-conscious about my gut. And, even being a short-waisted person, there was a long time in the '90s and the early part of this decade, when I couldn't find a shirt that didn't leave a gaping gap between my jeans and my shirt when I sat down. And combining the long tank with the plunging neckline on my "maternity" shirts, I have felt both covered and confident.

6.  The books are amazing, but the movies were mind-blowing.  It was like going to a visual feast.  For the first time, the fantasy genre became accessible to geeks and cool people alike.  From the minute details the Weta workshop toiled over to the perfect cast, it was magic.  The movies are like my generation's Star Wars.  We'll pull them out for our kids when they're teenagers, and they may groan over the lame special effects that amazed us, but they will still like them.  It's a great story.  It's moving and exciting and action-packed.  Thank you, Peter Jackson, for not messing these up.

7.  TV.  Reality TV was the shame of the decade, but people like J.J. Abrams and Ricky Gervais saved us from falling into a pit of reality horror.  This decade can boast shows like "The Office," "Lost," "Alias," "30 Rock," and "Monk."  Who could have guessed that a show could make it to season 7 with a premise of people stuck on an island in the modern day, when it seems laughable.  It's genius!  And Steve Carrell has perfected the awkward humor of a well-intentioned boss that has no inner monologue.  An obsessive/compulsive detective with multiple phobias ended up being hilarious and clever.  So, despite the pitiful overabundance of trashy reality TV, there has also been a great run of excellent TV.  

8.  Personally, I will look back on this decade with copious amounts of fondness, because in the past ten years, I have finished a Masters degree, gotten married, moved to and from Mississippi, had 2 beautiful boys, and settled in a place full of friends and near family