20 Best Things of the Decade

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12 Dec 2009 11:49 AM
pepperlandgirl

20 Best Things of the Decade

Entertainment Weekly recently published a list of the "20 Best Things of the Decade." I think that the list is pretty much crap.

Quote:

1.) A Boy Named Harry Potter

2.) The Sopranos

3.) YouTube

4.) The Lord of the Rings

5.) Lost

6.) The College Dropout, Kanye West

7.) iPod

8.) The Daily Show

9.) American Idol

10.) Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” video

11.) Brokeback Mountain

12.) A Scoundrel named Capt. Jack Sparrow

13.) Arrested Development

14.) Gladiator

15.) The Road, Cormac McCarthy

16.) Facebook

17.) The Dark Knight

18.) The clothes from SATC

19.) “The Landlord” video

20.) Buffy The Vampire Slayer, “The Body”

I disagree with 1, 2, 9, 10, and 14. I have no idea what 18 and 19 is referring to. I also disagree with 20. It's a great episode, but not the greatest episode of the series (which, IMHO, would probably be Hush, The Gift or Becoming Part 2. Or maybe even Once More With Feeling).
12 Dec 2009 11:56 AM
What Exit?

Even you don't like Sopranos, I would think you would at least respect the quality and writing and how unique it was for TV, even HBO to make this show.

I would keep only these 5 but drop HP much lower.
1.) A Boy Named Harry Potter
2.) The Sopranos
3.) YouTube
4.) The Lord of the Rings
8.) The Daily Show

I would add in Pixar films collectively as #1.
12 Dec 2009 12:03 PM
OtakuLoki

I'm actually twigging more on the idea of Amercian Idol being the best part of anything. It just seems to me to be a crasser way of slickly packaging media for the lowest common denominator. Similarly, while I use YouTube and appreciate it, I use and appreciate Wikipedia by orders of magnitude more.

For films I'd probably name WALL*E for the best of the decade, if I were limited to American releases; and Spirited Away otherwise. Certainly Pixar is one of the best things of this decade, for me. For TV I'd want to see Mythbusters on that list - showing utter geekery as fun is awesome! Dirty Jobs is my close second.

As for books - I can't say. I don't read enough books that make it to mainstream attention for that to be useful for me to talk about. I'd probably name Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion as the best book of the decade, or maybe Paladin of Souls.

One late minute edit: modern ebook readers make the list for one of the top 20 things of the decade for me. Not only do they offer unparalleled portability for one's library, but by going to ebook formats I've picked up some new authors I wouldn't have known otherwise. (Pepper Espinoza for one. /obligatory brown-nosing) I've also started reading some of the classics that I'd passed on earlier, because it's so easy to pick up out-of-copyright ebooks.
12 Dec 2009 12:08 PM
Inner Stickler

The Landlord video. I always thought it was meh, but I never really cared for Will Ferrell. Everyone else loved it, though. It used to be everywhere. People quoted it incessantly.

I've never seen Sex and the City so I can't comment on their clothes.
12 Dec 2009 12:21 PM
What Exit?

I think Google actually qualifies as this decade, it took off this decade. I would agree on Wiki.
12 Dec 2009 12:41 PM
Sarahfeena

Yeah, #18 is the clothes from Sex and the City, and I have to strongly disagree on that one. I know people think it's edgy and cool, but IMO Carrie dressed like a hooker, Samantha dressed like a cougar, (unfortunately one from the age of disco), Miranda dressed like the female cast of L.A. Law, and Charlotte dressed like Jackie Kennedy...a good look in 1960, one I personally like, but not exactly edgy.
12 Dec 2009 04:14 PM
Taumpy

Quote:

Originally posted by pepperlandgirl

I also disagree with 20. It's a great episode, but not the greatest episode of the series (which, IMHO, would probably be Hush, The Gift or Becoming Part 2. Or maybe even Once More With Feeling).

Okay, I love Buffy quite a lot, but there is no way that any episode compares in greatness with the iPod or YouTube. (note: Becoming is from 98, and Hush from 99) But if we have to have one, I'm going with "The Gift".

There is way, way too much TV related stuff on that list.

Anyway, I'd like to nominate last.fm and/or Pandora.
12 Dec 2009 04:38 PM
Oliveloaf

Counldn't agree more on The Daily Show.

I think the TV show Deadwood deserves a place on the list.
13 Dec 2009 12:13 AM
beebs

Damn, an entertainment list*... Although I wasn't fanatic about the Sopranos, I would definately include it in the list. How about World of Warcraft, released November 2004. It's definately become a huge part of gaming. I've enjoyed playing it too, but just for a couple months.

If WoW was a restaurant:

Quote:

How often do you play games altogether?
Occasionally
How often do you play Wow?
About a month every year
With your most recent visit to Wow, how many people played with you?
Two or three
How satisfied are you with your most recent gaming experience at Wow?
Reasonably satisfied
What influenced your decision to play WoW? Choose all that apply.
Recommendation from friends
How likely are you to return to Wow?
Likely

*It's not "hip", but I was going to nominate the HPV vaccine.
13 Dec 2009 12:26 AM
AllWalker

This can't be the best 20 things of the decade. It's more like "What are the first 20 things you think of when you think of the last decade?". Really, much of this list is utter crap, but it's well-known crap.
13 Dec 2009 09:45 PM
SeeOhTwo

Netflix went to the monthly subscription model in September of 1999 so I think we can add them.

There's a lot of crap on that list.
13 Dec 2009 09:52 PM
Oliveloaf

This only matters in Chicago, but...

SUPERDAWG WEST OPENS NEXT YEAR!
13 Dec 2009 10:00 PM
Sarahfeena

Quote:

Originally posted by Oliveloaf

This only matters in Chicago, but...

SUPERDAWG WEST OPENS NEXT YEAR!

Uh...wot?
13 Dec 2009 10:09 PM
Oliveloaf

Quote:

Originally posted by Sarahfeena

Uh...wot?

You don't know about Superdawg II?

Really?
13 Dec 2009 10:13 PM
Sarahfeena

Quote:

Originally posted by Oliveloaf

You don't know about Superdawg II?

Really?

No, I really really don't.

ETA: OK, now I do. Excited that it's in Wheeling...that will be a little more accessible to me than the original one. :)
13 Dec 2009 10:27 PM
Oliveloaf

Quote:

Originally posted by Sarahfeena

No, I really really don't.

Chicago's legendary Superdawg Drive-In, a favorite subject of Food Network and Travel Channel shows, has been around since 1948.

Unbelievably, the original owners, a couple, still work at the restaurant.

In the planning for some 20 years (really), a second Superdawg opens early next year.

It was scheduled to open this year, but the economy slowed
construction.

here's a pic of the new place under construction:

http://superdawg.com/

The new place will have space for 72 cars, where the original Dawg hosts just 26 at a time.

What this means is...Cruise Nights!

Oh man, classic cars under the buzzing pink and blue neon...

Anyone who comes to Chicago needs to make time to visit this institution of pop culture.

Anyway...SuperDawg II, for Chicago folks at least...a best of the decade.

Two Superdawgs...how can any possible afterlife be better than this?
13 Dec 2009 11:02 PM
vison

Evidently I am further out of things than I had dreamed. I am familiar with Lord of the Rings, Jack Sparrow, and Harry Potter. The rest? Don't own one, don't watch it, haven't read it. That about sums it up.
14 Dec 2009 09:38 AM
jali

I agree with Jim that Harry Potter should make the list, but at a much lower number.

I disagree with many of you who don't feel that American Idol deserves the listing.

AI winners.
Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone. All four of her albums have charted in the US and much of the world.
Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying His debut single is doing well.
Jordan Sparks - Battlefield Four top 20 singles in her debut album her 2nd album is charting.
Carrie Underwood - Cowboy Casanova She's won a great number of awards to date 59 out of 90 nominations. C.U. just hosted her first Christmas special and Dolly Parton was a guest.
David Cook - For the Billboard chart week ending May 25, 2008, a week following Cook's American Idol victory, Cook broke several Billboard chart records. Most notable was his record shattering feat of having eleven songs debut on the Hot 100 that week
Fantasia Burrino's first album was certified platinum. She's starred on Broadway in The Color Purple and starred in an autobiographical film.
Ruben Studdard has sold more than 2.4 million albums in the US.

Runners Up
Chris Daughtry (2nd place) - Life After You is another current top 100 song. Daughtry was the fastest selling debut rock album in history.[
Jennifer Hudson (3rd or 4th place) won an Acadamy Award for her role in Dreamgirls. She'll host her own Christmas special tonight and has had a string of hits on the R&B charts.
Bo Bice Signed to RCA Records, Bice's first single, released June 21, 2005, was his version of "Inside Your Heaven". The single debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and #1 on the Billboard Hot Single Sales chart. It was certified Gold in late July 2005. Bice was also invited to the Bonnaroo Music Festival by Trey Anastasio (formerly of Phish). He sang a song with Willie Nelson at a Birmingham concert and was invited by Nelson to perform at Farm Aid. Bice also appeared on Carlos Santana's 2005 album All That I Am with the song "Brown Skin Girl."
Clay Aiken - has done a lot of stuff:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Aiken
Kellie Pickler has too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie_Pickler

The show has made a huge impact on music in this decade. I like the show, but more than that I like the music made as a direct result of the show.
14 Dec 2009 09:59 AM
dread pirate jimbo

Any list of the 20 Best Things of the Decade, from an entertainment perspective, that doesn't include The Shatner's vindication as an actor with his two Emmy awards and his Golden Globe is clearly not a list to be taken seriously.
14 Dec 2009 09:16 PM
Glazer

Y'all do realize that there is one more year to this decade. It's only '09 people.
14 Dec 2009 09:33 PM
jali

Hey Glazer!! Smooch!

If the nineties lasted from 1990 to 1999 then the aughts are from 2000-2009.
14 Dec 2009 11:15 PM
Glazer

Quote:

Originally posted by jali

Hey Glazer!! Smooch!

If the nineties lasted from 1990 to 1999 then the aughts are from 2000-2009.

Hi love,

But there was no year 0. The nineties ended Dec 31 2000. Every decade ends in ten the calendar we use started with the year 1 AD.
14 Dec 2009 11:21 PM
beebs

Quote:

Originally posted by Glazer

Hi love,

But there was no year 0. The nineties ended Dec 31 2000. Every decade ends in ten the calendar we use started with the year 1 AD.

We've already decided this list makes no sense. Arguing the details of when the decade begins or ends is an unimportant point.

If you wish to battle absurdity with absurdity, then EW wins because it's absurtity is stronger than yours.
15 Dec 2009 12:40 AM
Taumpy

Quote:

But there was no year 0. The nineties ended Dec 31 2000. Every decade ends in ten the calendar we use started with the year 1 AD.

Okay, so someone born in 1980 was born in the 70's? That seems pretty silly to me to define it like that. After all, we don't refer to decades the same way as centuries and millennia. We're in the third millennium and the 21st century, but it's the 00's, not the 201st decade.
15 Dec 2009 05:44 PM
AllWalker

The millenia are named according to the first digit.

The centuries are named according to the first two digits.

The decade is named according to the third digit.

There, a consistant rule.

(Please not, I said named according to, not named after. Obviously, the 1900s were the 20th century. I point this out to pre-empt you pedantic bastards :))