Pop Culture in Review for the Year 2004

2004 carried along with the pop culture of the early 2000s. It was a redefining year for the fashion and music industry. Let’s have a look at the major events that took place this year!

Films

Spider Man

Shrek 2 was Released

Who doesn’t remember the all-time famous Shrek and its ultimate love story? The second installment of the Shrek franchise and the sequel to one of the best-animated movies of America was released this year. Made in the direction of Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon, this film has its special place in the industry.

It was released during the Cannes Festival season and then for the general public in May. Similar to the first season, this film also includes scenes replicating some major animated movies with the intent to mock them. Otherwise, the main plot of the story revolves around the wedding of the main characters Fiona and Shrek.

Soon after its release, Shrek 2 became one of the top films of the year. And, it wasn’t only famous in its time, it is still loved and appreciated by the true fans of the franchise.

Spider-Man 2 was Released

Another famous sequel of the year, Spider-Man 2, was released. Continuing the story of the first part, this one describes the struggles that Spider-Man faces to balance his powers and normal life. He is subconsciously depressed and losing motivation to live a normal life.

On the other hand, Dr. Otto Octavius has gone crazy. After killing his wife due to a failed experiment, he is still working to make some development in the field. Before he gets successful in building something potentially dangerous for the world, Spider-Man has to stop him.

The story is inspired by the famous comic book “Spider-Man No More,” and it is said that some scenes were inspired by “If this is My Destiny” as well. It was made in the direction of Sam Raimi, and clearly, it was one of the best movies of all time.

The Incredibles

Being inspired by the superhero theme, this film shows the other side of such personalities. The superhero adventure era was quite a big deal back then. In such an industry, this movie stood out due to its unique plot.

Directed and written by Brad Bird, this film takes us to a journey where superheroes are held accountable for the collateral damage that they cause to the city. After a long case of comparing the pros and cons received by them, the city decides to force the heroes to resign from their duties. They are told to live a normal life without interfering in anyone’s business.

Ocean’s Twelve

This movie is based on comedy and a heist. It was the tenth highest-grossing film of the year. It was a sequel to ever-famous Ocean’s eleven and featured Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, many others as the main characters.

The film features how the gang plans to rob some special documents after they’ve been located by the investigators. Knowing that they could be caught at any moment, how they dodge the event and get successful in their plan is remarkably captured in the movie.

From direction to the cast, this film was all in all one of the greatest achievements of American cinema.

Fashion

Ugg Boot

Ugg Boots got Famous

The early 2000s were defining years for the fashion industry. We observed some drastic changes in the field. But the trend of Ugg, in particular, was one of the most popular ones. What some people call ugly now used to be a big deal back then.

It was a time of loose jeans and baggy blazers. And with that dressing, Ugg used to be a necessity. People of all ages were seen wearing them. No matter what the outfit was, it remained incomplete without these shoes.

Mini Skirts were In

Mini Skirts

While many preferred baggy clothes and hippy outfits, some wore miniskirts and fitted tops. 2004 was all about changes, and no one was forced to pick a style. Mostly, denim skirts were popular, and a lot of brands came up with their versions of it.

Either fitted skirts were seen in the mainstream or completely baggy dressing. It was a time of extreme fashion with no moderation of style whatsoever.

Hippie Culture inspired Jewelry

As discussed above, the hippie culture was famous this year. And, the effects of this trend could be seen in the mainstream too. Many people, especially females and pop stars, wore long pearl necklaces. These used to circle the neck multiple times, thus giving a hippie vibe.

Other than that, accessories like bulky rings and weird earrings were common too. Again, because of the inspiration of hippie culture, most of them were made with stones and other crystals. All in all, these accessories used to be quite bold and highlighting.

Television

House MD was Debuted

The all-time famous medical drama show House MD debuted in 2004. It was one of the few medical shows that revolved around actual cases rather than hospital love and other stories. The plot of the program was pretty straightforward. Each episode started with some unusual case that no one can solve, except for the house.

If you talk about it now, this show seems pretty inaccurate. But at that time, it was a major hit. People of all ages, especially aspiring doctors, used to love this show. Other than the cases, it mostly covered the private life of the house and his friends.

Friends Ended

One of the most popular shows of American television, Friends, ended this year. With the completion of the tenth season, this show left the screen. From the cast to the audience, no one could accept that it was indeed the end of an era.

The show featured a group of six friends and their day to day life. Each episode had a particular plot with a basic story that kept moving. The main cast included David Schwimmer, Jennifer Anniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, Mathew Perry, and Courtney Cox. The basic theme was mainly comedy, but the program also featured romance and hints of other genres too.

To this day, there is a huge audience that watches this show regularly. One can say that although this show ended in 2004, it is still loved and admired all over the world. The craze of friends and their fun just keeps on growing generation after generation.

He’s a Lady was Debuted

The controversial show of the year, he’s a lady, debuted in 2004. This was a reality TV program that was aired on TBS. The theme of the show was based on several males that were called to compete with one another. They were sent invitations saying that they will compete in a male-exclusive competition. But in reality, they had to live for a certain amount of time like their wives or girlfriends. And, whoever won, would win a prize of 2.5million dollars.

Since the show was triggering for a lot of people, it backfired. Many people suggest that it was a knock off a transgender show, while others hated the concept of men mimicking women. Anyways, the show ended the same year with mixed reviews from the audience.

Music

Yeah! by Usher was Released

This R&B song was definitely the best song of this year. It was released from the fourth studio album of Usher, Confessions. The music combined R&B and Crunk themes that get the listeners moving. This song was amazingly catchy and almost instantly got popular. Not only it remained on top of America’s most famous song for a long time, but it was also awarded as the song of the year.

And, after the incalculable fame of this one, Usher was told to make an entire album that later received similar appreciation.

The Way You Move by Outkast

This single by Outkast was released through the Big Boi production. It starred Sleepy Brown as one of the guest vocals, who was a mentor to the main singer. This song was a light-hearted dedication to women. The theme was romantic and featured soft tunes and attention-grabbing music.

When it was released, it became the top song of the country. In 2009, it ranked 22nd in the list of top 100 songs of the decade. It had been featured in a lot of shows and movies since its release. Though it is quite old now, many original fans still like jamming to their favorite song.

My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys

Another famous track by the album confessions made it to the top songs of the year list. It had a hip-hop theme and was released during the yeah! Fever. Usher dropped amazing singles back to back that year. When this one was released, yeah!andburns were already on the top list. And, My Boo joined them pretty quickly.

When the ranking of a decade was made, it was ranked as the 32nd biggest song. It remained at the top for a long time. Even some fans remade their own versions of it as well. Due to its mid-tempo and R&B core, it grips the listeners till the ending.

News

NASAs Gravity Probe B

NASA’s Gravity Probe B

In April of 2004, NASA successfully sent gravity probe B to prove Einstein’s theory of relativity. It was sent up from California, equipped with heavy instruments to experiment. It consisted of four very sensitive gyroscopes that were used to determine whether the relativity theory of time and space actually works or not.

This experiment proved the theory and verified that, indeed, gravity is responsible for time changes. It explained that what Einstein believes about a body wrapping time and space is actually true.

The Presidential Election and Bush as the President

On November 2, 2004, the 55th presidential elections were held. The Republicans won them with the majority, and George Bush was elected as the president of the United States. It was a tight competition, and Bush won with only a margin of 35 electoral votes.

Although the majority was clear, Bush’s opponents were not satisfied with the results. The case was dragged to the court, and it was demanded to recount. But this appeal was rejected, and the court announced that due to a shortage of time, it was not possible to recount the numbers. Hence, George Bush was declared as the 55th president of the United States.

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