History UsefulNotes / TheOughts

* The Noughties were the age of the {{comic book|s}} movie. After a few successes and misfires in the two preceding decades, the smash success of ''Film/{{Blade}}'', ''Film/XMen1'' and ''Film/SpiderMan1'' between 1998 and 2002 created a boom of {{summer blockbuster}}s that were based on comic book and {{superhero}} properties, such as [[Film/TheDarkKnightSaga Batman]], the [[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four]], Film/{{Daredevil}} and the [[Film/{{Hulk}} Incredible Hulk]]. Eventually, Creator/MarvelComics, after getting burned one too many times by lackluster adaptations, decided that [[LetsSeeYOUDoBetter they could do better]] and created their own film studio, setting up the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. To this day, at least three comic book movies can be counted on in any given summer.\\\
** However, it should be noted that Marvel is doing much better in this regard than its counterpart DC is. Marvel has had great success with ''Spider-Man'' and the ''Avengers'' films. DC, on the other hand, has only really struck gold with the ''Batman'' films. ''Superman Returns'' slightly underperformed and got mixed reviews, culminating in the reboot ''Man of Steel.'' DC just seems to be having trouble getting into the Comic Movie groove. Perhaps the ultimate example of DC's failures at movie adaptations is ''Film/{{Constantine}}''. Most didn't even know it was a comic book movie until they saw the DC logo on the screen in the opening titles. Those who knew about ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' going into the theaters were '''beyond''' disappointed long before the end credits rolled. However, there were a series of films based on DC Comics publications that were successful even if the public didn't know about the source material: ''Film/AHistoryOfViolence'', ''Film/VForVendetta'' and ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', the last of which won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward.\\\

However, it should be noted that Marvel is doing much better in this regard than its counterpart DC is. Marvel has had great success with ''Spider-Man'' and the ''Avengers'' films. DC, on the other hand, has only really struck gold with the ''Batman'' films. ''Superman Returns'' slightly underperformed and got mixed reviews, culminating in the reboot ''Man of Steel.'' DC just seems to be having trouble getting into the Comic Movie groove. Perhaps the ultimate example of DC's failures at movie adaptations is ''Film/{{Constantine}}''. Most didn't even know it was a comic book movie until they saw the DC logo on the screen in the opening titles. Those who knew about ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' going into the theaters were '''beyond''' disappointed long before the end credits rolled. However, there were a series of films based on DC Comics publications that were successful even if the public didn't know about the source material: ''Film/AHistoryOfViolence'', ''Film/VForVendetta'' and ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', the last of which won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward.\\\
In terms of critical clout, ''The Dark Knight'' represented a tipping point for comic book films. Whereas in the early part of the year, they were viewed as dumb, bright, mindless fun, 2008's ''The Dark Knight'' saw an unprecedented amount of critical acclaim, even ending up on several "best movies of 2008" lists. It was also the first comic book movie to compete for an acting Oscar, which it won[[note]]Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger as the Joker[[/note]].

* The ''Star Trek'' franchise finally ran out of steam with the failure of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' and the movie ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''. Four years after ''Enterprise'', [[Film/StarTrek2009 a reboot film series]] directed by Creator/JJAbrams fared far better. By contrast, ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' was successfully remade from an [[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 1970s]] ''Franchise/StarWars'' imitation into a savvy science fiction political fable while ''Franchise/{{Stargate|Verse}}'' cemented itself as an SF franchise that defied all expectations for its robust lifespan.

*** The 2009 New Orleans Saints (First title, 52 years)

* Video sharing site Website/YouTube was launched in 2005. Previously, streaming video content on the internet was sporadic and limited to sites like [=AtomFilms=] and iFilm, and each one required a different plugin (like Windows Media, Quicktime, [=RealPlayer=], and so on). However, Website/YouTube utilized the widely-used Flash plugin (and later added the option of using Google's open [[note]]Licensed using the same license as [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} the BSD operating system]] and the Ogg formats[[/note]] [=WebM=] format with the also-open HTML5 standard), was ''very'' user-friendly, and didn't require subscription fees, making it an overnight sensation and spawning a slew of similar video sharing sites.

** Thompson's [[LandDownUnder Australian]] equivalent, South Australia Attorney-General [[SmugSnake Michael Atkinson]], managed to successfully hold up the adoption of an [[UsefulNotes/MediaClassifications R18+ rating]] for video games despite the fact that a majority of Australians supported one, causing many games that failed to meet the requirements of the [=MA15=]+ rating being [[BannedInChina Banned in Australia]]. Needless to say, he is probably one of the most hated figures in the country.

* Even as the reality of video games being an all-ages medium set in across the gaming and geek communities, many MoralGuardians remained stuck in the belief that they were only for kids, and that mature content would corrupt their minds. Florida lawyer and media firebrand Jack Thompson, apparently having gotten bored attacking rap music, took up the anti-gaming crusade where Joe Lieberman had left off and then some, blaming video games for just about [[MurderSimulators every social ill affecting young people]]. Various states tried to pass anti-gaming legislation, and people as distinguished as Creator/RogerEbert claimed that video games, by their very nature as interactive media, were incapable of achieving artistic merit.[[note]]To his credit, though, he later backed off from this statement, stating that, as a ''film'' critic, he wasn't in a position to discuss a completely different medium.[[/note]] Even Thompson's very public humiliation and [[LaserGuidedKarma disbarment]] in 2009 didn't stop anti-game advocates from pressing for the censorship of games. It wouldn't be until 2011, when the Supreme Court ruled games to be protected speech under the First Amendment, that the legal teeth were taken out of the anti-gaming movement.

* The concept of video games being child's play started to slowly change for a number of reasons. The big one was that many children who grew up playing video games were aging into teenagers and young adults, causing game developers to tailor their products accordingly. The RatedMForMoney trope started proliferating as a result; most of the biggest-selling games of the decade, like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' and ''Franchise/CallOfDuty'', were rated M. This, combined with the success of sports games like ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'', caused a lot of young adults (particularly [[MostGamersAreMale young men]]) who hadn't been gamers before to get into gaming. Later in the decade, the rise of the Creator/{{Nintendo}} UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} and {{casual video game}}s expanded the market in completely new directions, bringing in legions of parents, women, old people, and others who weren't the traditional demographic for interactive entertainment.

** Also, in the UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague, the 2007 New England Patriots joined the 1934 and 1942 Chicago Bears and the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to have a perfect regular season, and the first to do so under the extended schedule. Unlike the '72 Dolphins, it wasn't a complete perfect season, the Patriots lost to the deep-underdog New York Giants in the UsefulNotes/SuperBowl.
** Inversely, [[EpicFail the 2008 Detroit Lions became the first non-expansion team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to finish a regular season without]] ''[[EpicFail any]]'' [[EpicFail wins or ties, becoming the first team to go 0-16]] (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were an expansion team that finished their premiere season 0-14, as the 16-game schedule wasn't implemented till 1978, and the 1982 Baltimore Colts finished 0-8-1 due to the season getting shortened by a strike).

** Inversely, [[EpicFail the 2008 Detroit Lions became the first non-expansion team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to finish a regular season without]] ''[[EpicFail any]]'' [[EpicFail wins, becoming the first team to go 0-16]] (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were an expansion team that finished their premiere season 0-14, as the 16-game schedule wasn't implemented till 1978, and the 1982 Baltimore Colts finished 0-8-1 due to the season getting shortened by a strike).

** Inversely, [[EpicFail the 2008 Detroit Lions became the first non-expansion team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to finish a regular season without]] ''[[EpicFail any]]'' [[EpicFail wins or ties, going 0-16]] (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were an expansion team that finished their premiere season 0-14, as the 16-game schedule wasn't implemented till 1978, and the 1982 Baltimore Colts finished 0-8-1 due to the season getting shortened by a strike).

** Also, in American Football, the 2007 New England Patriots joined the 1934 and 1942 Chicago Bears and the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to have a perfect regular season, and the first to do so under the extended schedule. Unlike the '72 Dolphins, it wasn't a complete perfect season, the Patriots lost to the deep-underdog New York Giants in the UsefulNotes/SuperBowl.

** Also, in American Football, the New England Patriots joined the 1934 and 1942 Chicago Bears and the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to have a perfect regular season, and the first to do so under the extended schedule. Unlike the '72 Dolphins, it wasn't a complete perfect season, the Patriots lost to the deep-underdog New York Giants in the UsefulNotes/SuperBowl.

** Speaking of digital distribution, Music/JonathanCoulton became the first artist to make a living solely from digital distribution, through a combination of [=iTunes=]-style "preview and pay for individual songs" model, [[OneOfUs nerd appeal]], and tons of free advertising and publicity by said nerds.

* This was the age when geek culture invaded the mainstream, and society's love of technology reached levels not seen since the gee-whiz, "''science!''"-loving '50s. Between the proliferation of comic book movies, the rise of {{anime}} and {{manga}} in the West, the critical acclaim received by "genre" series like ''Series/{{Lost}}'' and ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'', the growing mainstream acceptability of video games, and most importantly, the increasing reliance of modern society on computers and the internet, all of a sudden it was acceptable, if not even encouraged, for one to be a geek. Celebrities as diverse as sex symbol Creator/RosarioDawson, action hero Creator/VinDiesel, and rom-com starlet Creator/KristenBell won fans with [[OneOfUs their self-admitted nerdiness]], video game and comics T-shirts were worn with pride, and of course, there's Wiki/ThisVeryWiki. Even [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama the President of the United States]] joined in on the action, with his geekiness, computer-savvy and ability to mobilize supporters on the internet playing a key role in his winning the 2008 election.

In some ways, [[TurnOfTheMillennium The Oughts]] was much like TheNineties -- however, there were a few key differences that will be highlighted here. If you were looking for Tropes about the decade, you want TurnOfTheMillenium.

In some ways, [[TurnOfTheMillennium The Oughts]] was much like TheNineties -- however, there were a few key differences that will be highlighted here.

* The ''Star Trek'' franchise finally ran out of steam with the failure of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' and the movie ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''. Four years after ''Enterprise'', [[Film/StarTrek a reboot film series]] directed by Creator/JJAbrams fared far better. By contrast, ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' was successfully remade from an [[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 1970s]] ''Franchise/StarWars'' imitation into a savvy science fiction political fable while ''Franchise/{{Stargate|Verse}}'' cemented itself as an SF franchise that defied all expectations for its robust lifespan.

** A new format, FLAC, for music started to emerge for audiophiles who wanted to store their music digitally, but thought they were destroying its quality using sub-par compression methods like MP3. FLAC is a lossless compression method, so it plays back exactly as the original. It started gaining popularity late in the decade when the amount of storage necessary to archive dozens of [=CDs=] was becoming cheaper.

* The Garage Rock Revival arguably began with the release of Music/{{Blur}}'s self-titled album in 1997. The late nineties thus became an incubation period for successive bands, culminating in 2001 with the enormously successful debut of Music/TheStrokes. Rock and roll had literally become TheNewRockAndRoll. Other bands like Music/TheHives, Music/TheVines, Music/TheVonBondies, Music/BlackRebelMotorcycleClub, Music/TheLibertines, Music/KingsOfLeon, and Music/TheWhiteStripes drew far more attention in the ensuing years, culminating in the runaway success of Music/ArcticMonkeys.

* Adult-oriented animation also saw a surge in popularity. Shows like ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', and ''WesternAnimation/Futurama'' saw their peak popularity (despite ''Futurama'''s cancellation, as [[{{Uncanceled}} it would make a return in 2010]]), though that popularity would soon wane, just as interest in the medium did as a whole.

* The 2D based animation studio ''Fox Animation Studios'', closed its doors following the [[BoxOfficeBomb commercial]] [[CreatorKiller failure]] of WesternAnimation/TitanAE. It is to date the last feature film directed by Creator/DonBluth.

* This decade was a bit of a DorkAge for Creator/{{Disney}}'s [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon feature animation studio]], who released unsuccessful film after unsuccessful film during this time, with only a small bright spot in ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'' (2002). In its place, a rivalry emerged; Creator/{{Pixar}} proved to be a powerhouse, matched only by Creator/DreamWorksAnimation. Ask someone about the most memorable animated films of this decade, and they'll tell you movies like ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' (2004), the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' CashCowFranchise (2001-2010), ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' (2008) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' (2009), the latter even being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, only the [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast second animated film]] to ever do so. However, Disney got better by the end of the decade, going back to its [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Disney Renaissance]] roots with ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' (2009). This would ultimately be the last decade where Disney Animation chiefly focused on 2-D animated films as most of its output since has been CGI based.

* Starting in 2005, the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' series became, in many ways, the DistaffCounterpart to ''Harry Potter''. It turned into a pop culture sensation, especially once the movies started coming out late in the decade. Like ''Potter'' before it, it sparked interest in various literary genres, this time YoungAdult novels and books based around [[OurMonstersAreDifferent paranormal creatures]] (vampires, werewolves, etc.). In addition, it took the romanticization of vampires that began with Creator/AnneRice and ''Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}'' and brought it to new heights, leaving an impact on vampire lore almost as great as ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. For this reason ([[GirlShowGhetto and]] [[StalkingIsLove many]] [[UnfortunateImplications others]]), the series has proven to be ''very'' polarizing, with both an enormous fandom and an equally large {{hatedom}}.

* Skinny jeans, or jeans that are skinny on the ankles, became popular around 2008 and continue to be popular now. They are mostly popular with young women, though there are guys that wear them, usually young men. They attracted a {{hatedom}} when they first became popular, mainly due to their association with the [[EmoTeen "emo" stereotype]], though that died down due to the fashionable and streamlined silhouette they created, especially when paired with loosely flowing tops.

* The 2D based animation studio ''Fox Animation Studios'', closed its doors following the [[BoxOfficeBommb commercial]] [[CreatorKiller failure]] of WesternAnimation/TitanAE. It is to date the last feature film directed by Creator/DonBluth.

* The AllCGICartoon came to dominate feature-length animated film-making in this period, spearheaded by both Creator/{{Pixar}} moving from strength to strength which each new release and Creator/DreamworksAnimation launching a blockbuster franchise with ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' in 2001. The irreverent, ParentalBonus-heavy approach of the latter company was imitated thoroughly by others. Meanwhile, the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon would enter a prolonged DorkAge with several expensive cel-animated flops and then CGI efforts that received mixed responses. (For more, see UsefulNotes/TheMillenniumAgeOfAnimation.)

** And of course, inspired by the younger bands, many old campaigners got their acts together and hit their second wind -– Music/{{Slayer}} got Dave Lombardo back, Music/IronMaiden got Music/BruceDickinson back, [[IAmTheBand Dave Mustaine]] reformed Music/{{Megadeth}}, and even Metallica found a bass player who wasn't a fan ButtMonkey. Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society came out of [[Music/OzzyOsbourne Ozzy's]] shadow, even though Ozzy himself was still releasing albums and touring regularly. And best of all, the MoralGuardians left them all right the hell alone. Overall, the decade felt good, man.

* Music/{{Radiohead}} followed up their 1997 masterwork ''OK Computer'' with 2000's weird, largely electronic, often guitarless ''Kid A''. Although initially a divisive album that caused a BrokenBase, it became embraced by the band's fanbase almost entirely by decade's end. The band's next two albums, ''Amnesiac'' and ''Hail to the Thief'' continued their acclaim streak. Then 2008, the band broke from EMI and released ''In Rainbows'' on their website. The day it was announced. [[WhamLine For whatever price you pleased]], including free. Whereas a sizable chunk of the downloads were indeed listed as $0.00, many fans chose to pay and others paid for a [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition premium option]] that included exclusive music. Even after all this, when the record was actually physically released by indie label XL Records a few months later, it still debuted at #1 in both the US and UK.

* This decade was a bit of a DorkAge for Creator/{{Disney}}'s animation studios, who released unsuccessful film after unsuccessful film during this time. In its place, a rivalry emerged; Creator/{{Pixar}} proved to be a powerhouse, matched only by Creator/DreamWorksAnimation. Ask someone about the most memorable animated films of this decade, and they'll tell you movies like ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' (2004), the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' CashCowFranchise (2001-2010), ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' (2008) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' (2009), the latter even being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, only the [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast second animated film]] to ever do so. However, Disney got better by the end of the decade, going back to its [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Disney renaissance]] roots with ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' (2009). This would ultimately be the last decade where Disney Animation chiefly focused on 2-D animated films as most of its output since has been CGI based.