The noughties - the first decade of the millennium (cue Robbie Williams's 'Millenniuuumm' single), the second decade I have lived through (fully), and the decade I received all my formal education in, (ha!)
You might want to start this decade by renting a car in Dublin and driving around Ireland. You might instead simply want to reflect on what characterised the glorious noughties. I have narrowed my list down to six key aspects of the last ten years:
1) THE INTERNET - I remember the days when you had to go and watch half an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S while you waited for a page to download on the internet. I must have been 14 so this inefficient way of surfing the web was rife in around 2002. Before then, the net was still a work in progress. By the mid noughties however, the great British public became spoilt. Most people now have Broadband and if you’ve got wireless as well, then you’re laughing.
Most influential online website: it’s got to be either Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia or Google. I’m gonna go for Facebook as it usurped MySpace’s place as the everyday person’s social networking site and even managed to mess up Simon Cowell’s plans for the Christmas number one this year. Google is a close second, but we had Altavista and Yahoo before then.
2) REALITY TV - Watching people sit there and do something remotely entertaining every 10 hours became popular with Big Brother. George Orwell was prophetic when he said that "Big Brother is watching you". And there’s reality TV for everyone, everyone who enjoys reality TV anyway. If you prefer the sardonic tones of Simon Cowell, you can watch The X Factor one half of the year and Britain’s Got Talent the other. If the old-fashioned, loveable cringe-factor is more up your street, watch 81-year-old Brucey strut his stuff on Strictly Come Dancing. And if you prefer viewing non-celebrities, you can tune into The Family, The Apprentice, Wife Swap, Supersize vs Superskinny… the list goes on.
Most influential reality TV programme: It’s got to be Big Brother as this was the foundation of the reality TV era. It's entirely appropriate that BB complete with Davina and her excited tones, (I am a fan though) is coming to an end in 2010. Singing competitions such as The X Factor have also gone global so this comes in respectable (hmmm debatable) second place.
3) CELEBRITY CULTURE - The above two technologies have contributed to the way celebrity culture dominates our society. And the idolisation is on a global scale. Take David Beckham as an example. People in China love the England footballer. People closer to home in the UK also love Becks, even dubbing him Golden Balls at one stage. Meanwhile, he’s living in the USA making friends with A-list Americans like Tom Cruise. He personifies celebrity culture taking over the planet.
Most influential celebrity: David Beckham or Mr Barack Obama (first African-American to be named American president in case you hadn’t heard.)
4) ISLAMOPHOBIA – 9/11, The War On Terror and 7/7 are expressions that have developed in the noughties. People think of Islam as an extremist religion although there are plenty of peaceful Muslims around. Let’s hope fascists like Nick Griffin don’t exploit any Islamophobia in the west at the moment.
Most influential Muslim: Osama Bin Laden. Barack Obama said it would be one of his priorities to find this Saudi who changed the lives of people across the globe post-9/11. No one knows where he is, but his presence remains strong.
5) THE SUPERNATURAL: Arts and literature of this decade have featured wizards, vampires and werewolves and people have been going crazy for them!! J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series thrilled adults and children alike, while the Twilight books and films have left millions of teenage girls lusting after vampires and/or werewolves. Who knows what next year's literary craze will be?
Most influential supernatural work: The Harry Potter books. These showed that people needed a bit of magic in their lives and made author J.K Rowling, who lived in council accommodation at one point, one of Britain's richest ladies.
6) OFFBEAT FASHION – the clothing of a decade becomes the theme for future fancy dress parties. The noughties’ fashion trends take most of their inspiration from the eighties with the comeback of skinny jeans, leggings and legwarmers. Topshop/Topman being the high-street store of choice in the UK indicates the fashion of the noughties to be less manic than the eighties, but still a little funky. Other than the grunger fad some of us went through, fashion trends have improved since the nineties. No question.
The clothing item of the noughties: Skinny jeans, no matter what sex you are. Crotch alerttttt if you are a man though. Be warned.
Wednesday 30 December 2009
Thursday 17 December 2009
New Year's Resolutions
So I can’t wait ’til Christmas even though there will be no family ski holiday.
And then we welcome in the new year and all the resolutions that come with it.
Unfortunately, I don’t smoke so I can’t just attempt to quit this habit come January 2010.
Instead, I am resolved to carry out two of the following:
1) Pass my driving test
2) Land a slick journalism job
3) Learn a language (preferably Spanish or Urdu)
4) Travel
At the very least, I will raise the money to go travelling and become a qualified driver.
No more buses, no more pain.
And then we welcome in the new year and all the resolutions that come with it.
Unfortunately, I don’t smoke so I can’t just attempt to quit this habit come January 2010.
Instead, I am resolved to carry out two of the following:
1) Pass my driving test
2) Land a slick journalism job
3) Learn a language (preferably Spanish or Urdu)
4) Travel
At the very least, I will raise the money to go travelling and become a qualified driver.
No more buses, no more pain.
Driving: the chink in my armour
I HATE THE BUS. Except for the 65 and the 34 of course, the amazing buses that delivered me safely to and from school and university respectively.
In other news, driving is going okay.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m not a natural.
However, I am slowly but surely getting there.
I have mastered roundabouts and the three point turn.
On the flip side, I’m always putting my gear into first when I want to go into third.
Swings and roundabouts eh?! Roundabouts galore. First, second, third exit – I’m on it.
But my ambition to hire a car in Dublin is far off in the future.
In other news, driving is going okay.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m not a natural.
However, I am slowly but surely getting there.
I have mastered roundabouts and the three point turn.
On the flip side, I’m always putting my gear into first when I want to go into third.
Swings and roundabouts eh?! Roundabouts galore. First, second, third exit – I’m on it.
But my ambition to hire a car in Dublin is far off in the future.
Jacket Love
All good things come in jackets. Jacket potatoes for a start - yum.
This year’s Christmas present of choice: a leather jacket please.
I know Santa is following this blog. This post may or may not therefore be a massive hint for him/her.
I’ve found a decent range of leather jackets so Santa can just click on the link to check them out.
I must say I am getting into the Christmas mood. You can call me the Anti-Scrooge if you like.
Bring on the mince pies, festive music and bloated television-viewing.
However, no matter how Christmassy I feel, jacket potatoes will always be better than roast potatoes.
This year’s Christmas present of choice: a leather jacket please.
I know Santa is following this blog. This post may or may not therefore be a massive hint for him/her.
I’ve found a decent range of leather jackets so Santa can just click on the link to check them out.
I must say I am getting into the Christmas mood. You can call me the Anti-Scrooge if you like.
Bring on the mince pies, festive music and bloated television-viewing.
However, no matter how Christmassy I feel, jacket potatoes will always be better than roast potatoes.
Sunday 13 December 2009
The X Factor Final 2009
So, what is The X Factor about other than Simon Cowell pocketing a lot of cash? Impressive singing ability or performance swagger? Tonight’s final might give us a clue.
It’s Joe versus Olly: the voice vs. the moves, the boy vs. the man, the north vs. the south… the list goes on.
So far this evening, we’ve had this year’s X Factor hopefuls sing a Take That number, George Michael perform his dodgy new Christmas song and Sir Paul McCartney give an… interesting… performance. (He remains a legend though.)
And now we’re about to find out who this series' winner is.
Cue Dermot: "The winner of The X Factor 2009 is... JOE."
Anisa’s verdict: it should have been Danyl.
It’s Joe versus Olly: the voice vs. the moves, the boy vs. the man, the north vs. the south… the list goes on.
So far this evening, we’ve had this year’s X Factor hopefuls sing a Take That number, George Michael perform his dodgy new Christmas song and Sir Paul McCartney give an… interesting… performance. (He remains a legend though.)
And now we’re about to find out who this series' winner is.
Cue Dermot: "The winner of The X Factor 2009 is... JOE."
Anisa’s verdict: it should have been Danyl.
Thursday 10 December 2009
Pre-Budget report 2009: What the papers say
A PIECE I WROTE FOR INTHENEWS.CO.UK
Alistair Darling yesterday delivered his final pre-Budget report before the next general election. Today, inthenews.co.uk rounds up the papers' views.
Beginning on a positive note, the Mirror nodded its approval. The paper declared that the government's spending plans "make sense when the private sector is weak", whereas the Tories' ideas would have caused another Great Depression.
While praising Labour for "being open about a tax increase", the Mirror also conceded the rise in national insurance would not "be greeted by dancing in the streets".
The Times was less impressed with the report. Full of ridicule for Darling's spending plans, the paper called them "the latest instalment of a long-running British comedy – Carry on Spending" while emphasising that the need to reduce the deficit is "severe".
Contrasting Tony Blair's approach to that of the present government, Darling was said to have missed "the big picture" by policies such as free school meals and reducing bingo duty.
The Times concluded that the government had "decided to give up governing".
The Guardian was not so scathing but thinks Darling could have been "bolder" by reforming the tax system to a greater extent, and getting extra revenue out of capital gains and green taxes.
Despite beliefs that the report had gone for "small manoeuvres" such as the boiler scrappage scheme, the paper commended the government for introducing free school meals and increasing child and disability benefits.
Similarly, the Independent said that the report dealt with menial issues, or using their vegetable metaphor, "small potatoes", in the scheme of things.
The Independent deemed Darling's plans on how he would reduce the structural deficit to be unclear, and therefore this was the "glaring hole" in his pre-Budget report, words which dominated the headline.
The paper added its belief that Darling's report was "shaped more by politics than economics".
The Financial Times also thought "little information" was given about public spending plans and reducing the deficit.
Although the paper described the report as "dissatisfaction delayed", it said the tax on bonuses was "justified" and "welcome". It warned the government not to embark on a "wider assault on the City", but to ensure banks do not "escape" the tax.
The Financial Times is eager to know how the Tories plan to raise revenue if they reverse the increase in national insurance.
The Sun fumed its disappointment in the pre-Budget report, agreeing with George Osborne that it was a "pre-election report", tiptoeing, or "skating" around the £800 billion Britain owes.
According to the paper, "Sun readers" will have to "pay for fat cats and wasteful government" due to the increases in national insurance contributions and VAT called for by Darling.
Extremely unhappy with the government's plans for dealing with youth unemployment, the Sun did however admit its support for £2.5 billion more to be sent to troops in Afghanistan.
As far as the Sun is concerned, we are all "staring into the abyss" and Darling wasted his chance to show he wanted to pay off Britain's debts and reduce the deficit.
Alistair Darling yesterday delivered his final pre-Budget report before the next general election. Today, inthenews.co.uk rounds up the papers' views.
Beginning on a positive note, the Mirror nodded its approval. The paper declared that the government's spending plans "make sense when the private sector is weak", whereas the Tories' ideas would have caused another Great Depression.
While praising Labour for "being open about a tax increase", the Mirror also conceded the rise in national insurance would not "be greeted by dancing in the streets".
The Times was less impressed with the report. Full of ridicule for Darling's spending plans, the paper called them "the latest instalment of a long-running British comedy – Carry on Spending" while emphasising that the need to reduce the deficit is "severe".
Contrasting Tony Blair's approach to that of the present government, Darling was said to have missed "the big picture" by policies such as free school meals and reducing bingo duty.
The Times concluded that the government had "decided to give up governing".
The Guardian was not so scathing but thinks Darling could have been "bolder" by reforming the tax system to a greater extent, and getting extra revenue out of capital gains and green taxes.
Despite beliefs that the report had gone for "small manoeuvres" such as the boiler scrappage scheme, the paper commended the government for introducing free school meals and increasing child and disability benefits.
Similarly, the Independent said that the report dealt with menial issues, or using their vegetable metaphor, "small potatoes", in the scheme of things.
The Independent deemed Darling's plans on how he would reduce the structural deficit to be unclear, and therefore this was the "glaring hole" in his pre-Budget report, words which dominated the headline.
The paper added its belief that Darling's report was "shaped more by politics than economics".
The Financial Times also thought "little information" was given about public spending plans and reducing the deficit.
Although the paper described the report as "dissatisfaction delayed", it said the tax on bonuses was "justified" and "welcome". It warned the government not to embark on a "wider assault on the City", but to ensure banks do not "escape" the tax.
The Financial Times is eager to know how the Tories plan to raise revenue if they reverse the increase in national insurance.
The Sun fumed its disappointment in the pre-Budget report, agreeing with George Osborne that it was a "pre-election report", tiptoeing, or "skating" around the £800 billion Britain owes.
According to the paper, "Sun readers" will have to "pay for fat cats and wasteful government" due to the increases in national insurance contributions and VAT called for by Darling.
Extremely unhappy with the government's plans for dealing with youth unemployment, the Sun did however admit its support for £2.5 billion more to be sent to troops in Afghanistan.
As far as the Sun is concerned, we are all "staring into the abyss" and Darling wasted his chance to show he wanted to pay off Britain's debts and reduce the deficit.
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