2000slevisproject-blog

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Phones from the 2000′s that everyone needed to get their hands on

| by Amaris Cabrera

Today’s most desirable smart phones are no match to the cellphones we all wanted in the 2000′s.  

Let’s start with some of the classics:

Nokia 3310

When this phone released in 2000, it was known as a long-lasting and indestructible cellphone. It was a bestseller thanks to its compact and sturdy build and it also had a couple features like a calculator, stopwatch, and reminder function.

T-Mobile Sidekick

T-mobile introduced the sidekick in 2002 and it suddenly became the phone that all the cool kids had to have. It had a QWERTY keyboard and included features like AIM, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, email, web apps, and web browser all in one phone. Although the phone was heavy, its screen and big keyboard gave it a unique look.

Motorola RAZR

The RAZR was a flip phone released in 2004 that was thin and had a futuristic feel to it. The RAZR became a popular cellphone because of the flip phone form factor it had, its color screen, the camera, and its selection of ringtones.

BlackBerry Pearl

The BlackBerry Pearl was introduced in 2006 and was a popular phone thanks to its full on QWERTY keyboard, a trackball for pre-touchscreen navigation, the ability to check your email on the go (which was a big deal at the time), and featured a camera that had a diversion for the cellphone-toting crowd.

iPhone

The original iPhone was released in 2007 and showed the world that touchscreens were the way for smartphones. The iPhone was also created through a collaboration with AT&T. The iPhone was one of the first smartphones to come out fully touchscreen.

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The Decade of Harry Potter

| by Amaris Cabrera

Harry Potter created huge milestones in the 2000′s, reason being why the books are still so popular today.

July 8, 2000 - 3.8 million books sold, the record breaking initial print- run of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”

July 11, 2000 - 3 million copies sold in the first weekend from the release of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”

June 21, 2003 - 5 million copies sold in the first 24 hours following the release of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” breaking all publishing records.

July 16 & 17, 2005 - 10.8 million initial print-run of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and 6.9 million copies sold in the first 24 hours.

July 21 & 22, 2007 - 12 million, the record-breaking initial print-run of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. 8.3 million – copies sold in the first 24 hours.

August 2, 2007 - 11.5 million copies sold in the first 10 days following the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”

October 15-19, 2007 - 2,000  books signed by J.K. Rowling at each of four free events on the Open Book Tour.

September 23, 2008 - 7 ½ hours spent by hundreds of fans reading aloud J.K. Rowling’s first book  “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in its entirety at Scholastic’s “Cover to Cover” event in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the book’s publication.

September 20, 2009 - 228 weeks “Harry Potter” spent on The New York Times bestseller list.

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How the 2000s Animation Changed

by Michelle Guedez Zapata

Many remember the Weekenders, 6Teen, Kim Possible, Braceface, Fairly OddParents, Jimmy Neutron, Total Drama Island, and Teen Titans. The trends found in these shows were echoed as well by live action television. Some of the elements are still employed today, but there has been a fall in Slice of Life cartoons and a rise is Wacky children’s cartoons. 

Budget Cuts

One of the biggest changes in the 2000s was the ability to create cheaper animation. Unfortunately, this also killed animation quality. Some shows such as Johnny Test and American Dragon Jake Long had strange animations shifts from one season to the other. This was often due to budget cuts. Although the stories continued with the same quality, the animation suffered. It felt flat and low quality in most cases and was less forgiving of some mistakes. During this time, there was something called a Toon Boom, which meant studios were trying to pump out even more cartoons. Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network now had full line ups of shows, so they were searching for anything and everything that could help them create a cheaper show. The style took up less time and bandwidth. It sacrificed movement and detail, but the kids didn’t seem to mind.

Total Drama Island was a notable employment of this: 

Wacky Television Shows

Other types of shows born in the 2000s were the Wacky shows such as Fairly OddParents and Jimmy Neutron. In these shows, kids dealt with their issues with some sense of magic. Timmy from Fairly OddParents received a pair of fairy godparents that grant his every wish that abides by their giant rulebook. Jimmy Neutron is a boy genius who creates all sorts of inventions. There were also blown up versions of bullies and parents, all coming together to form a strange world. This animation style was inspired by the likes of Sponge Bob. These cartoons were often said to be dumb because of the lack of continuity, meaning the characters never learned the lessons from each episode in the long run. 

Here is an example from Fairly OddParents: 

Slice of Life

Some of the most popular animated shows back in the day were known as Slice of Life. As Told By Ginger, 6Teen, and The Weekenders were more rooted in reality. Kids dealt with first dates, dances, and in some cases family drama. 6Teen featured a group of teens and the jobs they had at a mall. As Told By Ginger followed a girl writing in her diary through middle school as she dealt with bullies, school stress, friendships, and family. These simple stories had a similar effect to live-action shows such as Gilmore Girls.

Here is a scene from As Told By Ginger:

Influence of Anime

Anime styles were very popular in Western animation at this time. One of the most popular examples is Teen Titans. Based on the DC Comics group of heroes, the animated series was a typical superhero story, but with  exaggerated expressions and silliness in some moments. These elements are often found in anime series, which tend to melt the fantastical, silly, and seriousness of their stories in one pot. Avatar: The Last Airbender is another example of this. Aesthetically, these two are the ones to follow the style the closest but other shows such as Hi-Hi Puffy Ami Yumi follow this as well.

Here’s an example from Teen Titans: 

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Shows That Kept You Glued to Your Screen in the 2000s

by Michelle Guedez Zapata

There are plenty of shows that took teenagers line, hook, and sinker. If you’re looking for shows to see, or want to relive some of that nostalgia, look no further. Here’s our favorite teen shows from the 2000s. 

1. Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls aired on the WB every Tuesday. The mother-daughter duo, Lorelai and Rory, played respectively by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, charmed millions of viewers around the world. From following Lorelai’s crazy adventures and fights with her mother, to Rory’s high school and college years, Gilmore Girls explored mother-daughter relationships with sharp wit, humor, and fast-talking. This slice of life drama had us laughing and crying and always had us wishing we were living in Stars Hallow. The Gilmore Girls were reunited in 2016 on Netflix for four episodes, reigniting many debates of what boyfriend was best with Rory. Is it Logan, Jesse, or Dean? Doesn’t matter, they all stole some hearts anyway. 

2. Gossip Girl 

Could we ever forget the show that introduced us to Blake Lively’s beachy locks? Or Blair Waldorf’s style and sizzling comebacks? Gossip Girl aired on CW and had millions of teenage girls hooked. On the show, an anonymous blog titled Gossip Girl followed our protagonists through the streets of the Upper East Side in New York City. We follow the crew through their high school and college years, as they navigate their lives in a world of glitz, glamour, and knives in the back. The mystery of who Gossip Girl is almost doesn’t even matter in the end.

3. Degrassi 

Degrassi is a Canadian national treasure. It found its last season last year, after bringing a rotating cast of characters in the same school for the course of fourteen seasons. Degrassi stood the test of time. Its writers never shied away  from topics such as depression, self-harm, suicide, religion, sexuality, teen pregnancy, and many more. If it’s a societal issue, Degrassi has covered it. Did you know it was also part of Drake’s old acting life? That’s right! This one is worth checking out, but if you don’t want it, you’ll find yourself six generations in.

4. Zoey 101

Who didn’t want to go to PCA? Zoey 101 is one of the first ever shows of its type of Nickelodeon. Geared towards a teenage audience, Zoey 101 was one of the first shows on the network to not feature a laughing track, which allowed it to be flexible with its genre. While we had laughs with the PCA students, we also got to see moments in which the characters showed more vulnerability. Overall, Zoey 101 is a fun show. Will we ever know what Zoey said to Chase on that tape, though? Who knows.

5. Veronica Mars

This teen drama is a noir mystery starring Kristen Bell. In the recent years, it has been making a comeback with a new movie and show on Hulu thanks to its very vocal fanbase. This one is worth watching so you’re not out of the loop! Kristen Bell shines as sarcastic now-outcast Veronica Mars who fights crime (like a girl!) in her town of Neptune, California.

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Your Favorite 2000s YA Books You Probably Forgot About

by Alexandra Perez

Mates, Dates series

These books follow a group of three girls in the UK navigating high school, friendship, boys, and responsibilities. Later on, a fourth friend is added and the girls must work to balance the ties amongst them. Through ups and downs, the four of them show us what it’s like to be a young, teenage girl in the UK and the impact friendship has on our lives.

Messenger

The third of a trilogy, this book continues Matty’s journey, a young boy with powers who becomes the Village’s messenger as he is the only one who can make it through the forest countless times, unscathed. Matty’s final journey is to retrieve a young woman from a nearby town and as the forest turns on them, Matty must fight through.

Uglies

This sci-fi novels highlights our culture’s obsession with beauty, cosmetic surgery, and conformity. At 16, every young person in society has extreme plastic surgery to conform to the beauty standards and are then relocated to another city with other “Pretties.” One young woman, Tally, is forced to choose between turning in her new friend who has decided to rebel and join a small community of other rebels or never become a “Pretty.” 

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza’s life of wealth is taken from her when her father suddenly dies and her uncle, hellbent on making Esperanza’s mother marry him, burns down their home and land. Esperanza and her family decide to flee to the United States in the 1920s. As more of her family members befall difficulties, straining the lives of the entire family, Esperanza looks within and shows us her journey of self-reflection and gratitude.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Virginia, a soon-to-be high school senior, receives a series of envelopes from her late aunt with instructions on her travel to Europe. Virginia can only open each letter when the time and place is right, revealing little by little. This book chronicles her journey through Europe, the people she meets along the way, and her growth as she tackles problem after problem in her solo adventure.

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THE BIRTH OF EMO CULTURE IN THE 2000s

by Michelle Guedez Zapata

Although we all saw Emo Culture flourish in our middle school years in the early 2000s, you’d be surprised to hear that the movement has been alive since the 1960s. The Beach Boys are credited with the first ever Emo album in 1966, titled Pet Sounds. It was engrained in 80′s culture in Washington, D.C. as an experimental post-hardcore sound. The name caught on due to the emotional reactions from the audience, who would sometimes cry during performances, a contrast against moshing, in which most of the participants appeared to hit each other. 

However, the Emo music heard back then is nothing like the Emo music we know from our middle school days. In 1991, the genre spread throughout the country, and it underwent a reinvention. Inspired by The Smiths, Emo music was theatrics, emotion, and punk music altogether. It became a subgenre of pop punk.

After spreading from San Francisco to New York, the grunge boom allowed for the embrace of Emo in Seattle. By 1994, bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Weezer were formed and shaped the genre for good. During this time, Emo became and underground success, attracting attention from labels such as Capitol Records and magazines such as Rolling Stone. By 1997-2002, Emo music was starting to be used in popular films such as Drew Barrymore’s Never Been Kissed. 

Emo reached mainstream success in 2002. Now the music could be heard in movies and television, and a new fashion trend began to hit middle and high schools all over the country. The spread of this genre and its stylized music videos, set the tone for a new form of fashion. The band members were seen sporting skinny jeans, dark make up, long bangs, and sometimes even black or colorful hair. Some of the bands often channeled were My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy.

Some influences of the style include Punk, Victorian, Rock, and a toned down version of Goth. The more colorful version of Emo was oftentimes referred to as Scene. However, they still followed similar trends, listened to similar bands, and were confused with each other for years.   

Emo also had a huge presence on the web as the Internet started to take over the world. Pon and Zi created by Jeff Azuzephre, were the mascots of the movement. His comics often shared two characters showing love and affection for one another using captions that read as if a child had said the words. It was innocent and sweet but contrasted by the colors used. Television cartoons such as Nickelodeon’s Invader Zim, a show about an alien who comes to Earth as part of a mission to take over, used a similar style of art. The show had silly characters placed in a misanthropic world. It was a satirical take that also included what was known as “random humor”. Images of Pon and Zi as well as Invader Zim were popular online amongst the community even if what they represented was very different.

Emo and Scene culture had their language online. Phrases such as “Rawr means I love you in Dinosaur” and usage of emoticons such as “xD” were very popular. Not only did it create a community, it gave a voice to it. Everyone who wrote that way knew they shared similar interests, and in turn felt less alone. 

Emo culture shared a rejection of the social norm with punk. Most of its members felt the world was harsh and cruel. It gave them a sense of belonging. 

Missed out on Emo or feeling a little nostalgic? Here are some links to some our favorite songs! 

I’m Just a Kid - Simple Plan 

Welcome to my Life - Simple Plan

Fences - Paramore

Check Yes Juliet - We The Kings

Sugar, We’re Going Down - Fall Out Boy

I Write Sins, Not Tragedies - Panic! At the Disco

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Popular snacks in the 2000s

by Amaris Cabrera

Snacks in the 2000s really represented that era and many of it became discontinued. Only those that grew up around that era will remember all the favorite snacks and dishes that were a daily thing.

Dunkaroos were a snack that you “dunk” into frosting. The cookies were shaped into kangaroos and basketballs that are “dunked” into the frosting that i inside the little container. Reason being, why they were called Dunkaroos.

Doritos 3D was the “first time ever” change in the shape and appearance of the famous tortilla chip. The famous flavors were Nacho Cheesier, Jalapeño, Texas Paprika, and Zesty Ranch. The Dorito was 3D Shaped, with nothing inside, but still had the same awesome taste.

Black Cherry Vanilla Coca-Cola and Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coca-Cola only lasted about a year before it got discontinued. Not many people bought this new drink and sales dropped drastically. I guess no one likes this type of flavor in a soda.

Skittles Bubble Gum was one of the most amazing creations for skittles. It was something different, something that was better than regular gum. You could enjoy the flavor for longer! However, skittles bubble gum later got discontinued in the early 2000′s.

Heinz came up with EZ Squirt Ketchup that also came in crazy colors, like purple, pink, blue, and green! “Blastin’ Green” was on of the first colors that got released in honor of the new Shrek movie that had just came out at the time. However, because of all the crazy colors and the chemicals that were used in order to make them, parents became more aware and later on the EZ Squirt was discontinued.

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Are You Reposting Fake News?

by Alexandra Perez

In the age of dozens of search engines and hundreds of social media networking sites, the phenomenon known as “fake news” has emerged. Now, misinformation has always been around since humans could communicate but, fake news specifically refers to the spreading of intentionally false news disguised as real in order to sway an audience to believe a particular piece of news, typically for political reasons.

The election of 2016 confirmed just how powerful this phenomenon is so, the question is, are you reposting fake news?

Here, we’ll break down just how to avoid falling subject to being one more person spreading misinformation for ulterior purposes. First, you want to actually open the article you are reposting. The majority of the time social media network users, repost, retweet, or reblog the link to an article without even opening the link. To avoid this, you want to check the link to make sure it looks legitimate, usually ending in .com, .co, .org, .edu, and so on. Once the link has been confirmed as belonging to a reputable site, google whatever you found on the website to see if there are any other articles reporting the same information. If after a period of time has passed and that site is still the only one publishing the news, don’t trust the site. Now, there is a to this since one site can publish news that other publishers piggyback off of. This is why it’s important to wait sometimes before taking what is published as fact. Typically, reputable news sites will try to corroborate the information with new sources or sources of their own to ensure it is indeed factual. Overall, it’s best not to take the first bit of information you see or read as fact in this reality of information overload.

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The Genius of The Matrix

by Alexandra Perez

In The Matrix (1999), Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is catapulted into a machine world. Neo emerges from some sort of pod in a vast, unknown space with thousands of other pods like Neo’s, all computer-generated. By choosing to show the audience the sheer size of the area and the multitude of pods, it reinforces the concept that Neo is the “the chosen one,” promoting his individuality and significance.

The most infamous scene in the movie is the bullet dodging scene. Neo dodges a bullet shot by one of the machines and his magnificent dodging occurs in slow-motion, with a 360-degree view of Neo’s back-bend. This scene was captured with a combination of modern equipment and stop-motion photography. The phrase and method of capturing Neo’s backwards bend from multiple angles at multiple times was created and coined as “bullet time.” When the stop-motion photos are composited, the scene comes to life, giving us the infamous Matrix move. By using stop-motion, hyper-slow-motion, and slow-motion the audience is given a sense of control by Neo in this computer world that seems to have a mind of its own. The film underlines the significance of the human characters by allowing them to move at a normal speed in a world that has come to a near-halt. Neo’s destiny as “the chosen one” is reiterated during these innovative scenes, giving the audience something they have never seen before.

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5 of The Most Iconic 2000s Teen Movies

by Alexandra Perez

1. Save The Last Dance

Julia Stiles plays Sara, a white teen ballet dancer who lost her mother recently and moves to Chicago with her father. In Chicago, she meets Derek, a Black teen falling subject to the effects of poor, urban Chicago. Together, they dance and take on racial tensions.

2. Mean Girls

Lip gloss. Pink. Fetch. Drama. Mean Girls is the quintessential high school drama movie with Lindsay Lohan as Cady, the new girl in school. She befriends the Queen Bee, Regine played by Rachel McAdams, and in this classic case of frenemies, the drama gets turned up.

3. 13 Going On 30

Christa B Allen plays Jenna, a 13 year old girl who wishes she could be an adult with a boyfriend already. With a little wish and some glitter, she wakes up the next morning as the 30 year old version of herself played by Jennifer Garner. The movie takes us through as 13 year old Jenna trapped inside the body of 30 year old Jenna navigates love, life, and career.

4. Bring It On

A classic competition between rival cheerleading squads puts all of the members to the test. Torrance, played by Kirsten Dunst, is newly appointed captain of her squad and soon finds out the legacy of her team is a sham, copying the cheers of the Compton Clovers led by Isis (Gabrielle Union). Torrance must rebuild her team and face off the Clovers to win a true victory.

5. The Hot Chick

Jessica Spencer (Rachel McAdams) is the popular mean girl at school. One night, a cursed pair of earrings and an encounter with a crook, Clive Maxtone (Rob Schneider), causes the two to switch bodies. Jessica, now in Clive’s body, is determined to switch back before prom but it turns out not to be quite as easy as she thought.