The 2000s

by Batchelor, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780313349126
• ISBN10: 0313349126
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-30
• Publisher: Greenwood Pub Group

Summary

Welcome to Pop Culture 2.0. In the 2000s, "Generation eXposure," emerged from the marriage of new technology and the nation's obsession with celebrity. Social media technology, such as MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and countless blogs, gave "everyman" a voice and a public persona that they could share with "friends" across the street or around the world. Suddenly, it was not enough to imitate Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, technology gave everyone a platform to launch their own 15 minutes of fame. The fixation on self and celebrity acted as a diversion from more serious challenges the nation faced, including President George W. Bush's War on Terror. The wars overseas sharply divided the country, after a moment of national unity after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, which took away one of the world's most recognizable buildings. The era witnessed interest rates dropping to historic lows, but later "subprime" became one of the most searched terms on Google as the nation teetered on recession. Big was in like never before and suddenly people nationwide could buy or build their own McMansion-a slice of the American dream. While supersized homes and fast food meals became commonplace, the electronics and transportation advances proved that good things came in increasingly smaller packages. Apple's iPod reinvented how people interacted with music, hybrids changed thoughts on fuel efficiency as a gallon of gas topped $3. Cell phones usage ballooned in our "always on" society, while physically shrinking to the size of a deck of cards. Yes, me-centric Pop Culture 2.0, which the pundits predicted would some day arrive, burst onto the scene and ultimately transformed the way we interact with one another and the world around us.

Author Biography

Bob Batchelor teaches Public Relations in the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Timeline of the 2000s	p. xv
Life and Youth During the 2000s	p. 1
Everyday America	p. 3
World of Youth	p. 33
Popular Culture of the 2000s	p. 53
Advertising	p. 55
Architecture	p. 71
Fashion	p. 85
Food	p. 101
Leisure Activities	p. 119
Literature	p. 145
Music	p. 155
Performing Arts	p. 169
Travel	p. 185
Visual Arts	p. 199
Cost of Products in the 2000s	p. 209
Notes	p. 211
Further Reading	p. 231
Index	p. 233
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