Pop Culture in Review for the Year 2009

2009 was probably the most significant year in pop culture. It was the time when most people had the hope for a new era, and others were mourning over the tragic death of a massive music sensation. It is safe to say that a lot happened in 2009, which is also considered fairly significant even today.

Taking a lookback in 2009’s pop culture might leave you feeling a little bygone. For example, it has been more than a decade since Taylor Swift was interrupted by Kanye West at the VMA’s; feeling old yet? Well, we are here to take you on a nostalgic ride by going over some of the most memorable pop culture moments of 2009.

Following are some of the highlights of what happened in the year 2009:

Film

Avatar

This is one of the most notable films in Hollywood history. It is very diverse and equally compelling. Avatar is an intelligently crafted movie, which is not lacking from any aspect, especially action. It is packed with action, alongside great plots, scenes, and dialogues. It is a long movie of about 3 hours. But we assure you it is worth it.

Without giving away too much, the plot revolves around the main lead Jake, who lost his brother in a robbery. He then decides to go on a mission to the distant world of Pandora. There, he is informed about the greedy villain, who wants to drive off the native humanoid of the planet, to mine for precious minerals. Jake starts to learn more about the Indigenous Race and their culture; he later falls in love with one of them. The operation to exterminate the aliens is led by Colonel. Jake stands against them and fights back for the fate of Pandora.

Safe to say, Avatar is more than just a movie; it is an experience.  You connect to this movie on just a whole another level.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This is the type of movie with a lot of sub-plots, so it is better to watch the previous parts before following up. It is simply a delightful movie, with an excellent unraveling storyline and awesome Quidditch. It is the perfect blend of mystery and love interests. The film plays fast, but they did a good job of keeping it authentic, as the characters are very authentic.

As Harry begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, hefinds a mysterious book titled “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince.” At first, it helps him excel in potions and spells, but later this book reveals Lord Voldemort’s dark past. This leads him to Prof. Dumbledore, and they together learn about Voldemort’s key secret and weakness to defeat him.

The film has a great atmosphere and deserves mention on this list.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

This part of the Ice Age is equally funny and entertaining. It has a great plot and doesn’t drift away from its original quality. It includes entertaining adventures and takes you on a thrill ride that people of any age can be amused by. The hunt for Sid will take the whole group on a very dangerous, dinosaur-filled adventure.

After the happenings of Ice Age: Meltdown, Manny and his friends find it difficult to come back to life, as it has completely changed. Scrat is still on the hunt for his beloved acorn and is falling in love with another squirrel. Manny and Ellie are married and expecting a baby, for whom Manny is trying hard to make sure everything is perfect. Diego is tired of hearing how laid back he has become, and Sid wishes to have a family of his own.

It is the type of film that you might enjoy more than you think.

Up

This film has amazing characters; from grumpy Carl to the funny talking dog and the attention-spanned kid Russel, you are in for a major treat. The heartfelt emotion, vivid imagery, and an attractive music score will surely keep you wanting more.

A man named Carl has been obsessed with going to a place called Paradise Falls, ever since he was a kid. Later, when he is 64 and tired of lonely life without his wife, he plans to leave his house and go live there finally. As he takes off with his house set on balloons alongside a boy scout named Russel. They both make a lot of new friends on this journey and even come across a villain with evil plans.

Music

  • Right Round by Flo-Rida ft. Ke$ha

Right Round is the lead single from album R.O.O.T.S, of American rapper Flo-Rida, featuring the edgy Ke$ha. Despite the bad reviews about it being very misogynistic, the song was commercially very successful. It was also nominated for the MTV Video Music Award and stayed number one for six consecutive weeks.

This single was featured in countless movies of the time and still retains the title of the best-selling single of the digital era, with over 12 million certified downloads.

  • Boom BoomPow by Black Eyed Peas

This song was the lead single of Black-Eyed Pea’s fifth album, The E.N.D. It topped the charts instantly after its release and was the first single of the group to hit number 1. It was in the Billboard’s Hot Songs of the Decade and All-time lists.

This popular song was also nominated at the Grammy Awards and won Best Short Form Music Video.

  • Single Ladies (Put A Ring on It) by Beyonce

Single Ladies is a famous hot club song, which is well-likedeven today. It is from Beyoncé’s third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce. It showcased Beyoncé’s aggressive alter ego and states men’s unwillingness to commit. The song won three Grammy Awards and Song of the Year. It was also termed the best song of the year.

It topped the Billboard chart for four weeks and was claimed to be the top-selling single of all-time. The music video won Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Technology

  • Netbooks

The evolution of computers into small, compact, and low-priced netbooks, were all the rage in 2009. They were the highest selling devices of the time and were equally liked by consumers and developers. It is a fairly low-powered device, running on old software, but gets the work done for most people because it is cheap and light.

Although the rave about netbooks couldn’t continue due to the lack of optical drives and slow operation, it was good while it lasted.

  • Navigation Phone

GPS companies took a huge step in 2009 by enabling navigation services in Apple’s iPhones. This was the time when phones were able to handle auto navigation programs, such as maps and trackers. Apple, unfortunately, offered only a paid version of this feature, but Google developed a free navigation software for Android phones. It made traditional GPS services irrelevant.

  • 3D Cinema

Although 3D Cinemas were already invented, it was not until 2009 that they became immensely popular. More and more production services started producing animated films, which lead to theaters investing in 3D screens. This led to an increase in the number of cinemas and the number of 3D movies being produced each year. This was a revolution when all blockbusters were explicitly released in 3D.

  • Android and App Stores

Almost after a year of the launch of Apple’s App Store, Android and local software developers started the mass production of applications for phones and PC. It was initially very successful because Android developers came out with their gallery to feature apps. Apps are not limited to phones; they are for tech and other electronic devices as well, such as printers and lamps.

Sports

Football

  • Superbowl XLIII took place at Raymond James Stadium, where Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals and won the NFL-record for 6 Super Bowls. During the same game, Santonio Holmes won Super Bowl MVP by getting a winning touchdown with 35 seconds remaining.
  • Dallas Cowboys played their first match in the AT&T stadium against New York Giants and lost. A huge crowd supported this match.
  • United Football League (UFL) made its debut on October 8, 2009. The first UFL Championship was on November 27, and the game was played by Las Vegas Locomotives against Florida Tuskers.

Baseball

  • New York City opened their two new ballparks, namely The New Yankee Stadium, mainly for the New York Yankees and Citi Field for the New York Mets.
  • In the World Series Championship, the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.

Basketball

  • NCCA Men’s Tournament occurred at Fort Field in Detroit, where North Carolina defeated Michigan State.
  • Los Angeles Lakers defeated Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was the MVP of the match.
  • NCCA Women’s Tournament was held at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, where Connecticut defeated Louisville.

Golf

  • Lucas Glover won the men’s US Open Championship.
  • Eun-HeeJi won the US Women’s Open Championship.
  • Fred Funk won the US Senior Open Championship.

Tennis

  • Juan Martín delPotro won the US Open Tennis Championship (Men’s) by defeating Roger Federer.
  • Kim Clijsters won the US Open Tennis Championship (Women’s) by defeating Caroline Wozniacki.

Television

  • Modern Family

If you want a show that you could relate to, Modern Family is for you. The characters are completely believable without any exaggeration to draw out laughs. It is pure family entertainment with smart yet funny people. Each character has been given a lot of love and thought, which is why they all are near perfection.

The plot involves three families that are held together by their virtue of acceptance and love, rather than blood ties. Parents Phil and Claire have an open and honest relationship with their three kids.  Claire’s dad, Jay,has a Latina wife, Gloria, with two sons; one is gay, Mitchell. Mitchell and his partner Cameron have also adopted a little Asian girl, completing their big, multicultural and traditional family.

It showcases a family that is so happy being imperfect that you are always wowed by their morals, decisions, and values.

  • Glee

Glee is a lighthearted musical comedy and a show for all ages. It includes great performances and instantly relatable characters. It was stated as the guilty pleasure for many high school students up until its third season and got many people completely hooked. Moreover, it portrays challenges faced by high school students through events of self-awareness.

The plot revolves around a Spanish high school teacher, Will Schuester, who becomes the director of the shortcoming Glee Club of the School. He hopes to renew the club and breathe fresh air into the students, which is made of mismatched students. The journey of this club continues as the teacher and members try to work hard to restore their former glory. They have to face a lot of tough and cruel realities along the way.

News

Michael Jackson’s Death

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was rushed to a hospital in an emergency from his LA home, when he suddenly stopped breathing, on June 25, 2009. Medics reported to perform CPR en route, but their efforts ultimately failed. He was pronounced dead later in the afternoon. Many people gathered to mourn and bid farewell to the 50-year-old pop star. Countless tributes were mentioned about how his music changed people’s lives.

President Obama Vows New Era

The most hopeful news that got 2009 off to a blissful start was that Barak Obama was sworn as the 44th president of the United States of America. During his inauguration speech, he promised the citizens a new era of good change and responsibility. He also acknowledged the challenges he needed to face to help the country move forward. President Obama unbelievably contented many people. He served two times as president and left the office in 2017.

Toys

ZhuZhu Pets

ZhuZhu Pets are robotic hamster toys that were released in 2009 and manufactured by toy company Cepia LLC. These hamster toys have a furry exterior, but its interior is composed of several mechanical parts that allow the toys to move in different directions.

Each ZhuZhu Pets toy has two play modes, with the first one being “nurturing mode,” while the second one is “adventure mode.” In nurturing mode, the toys would purr and coo, and in adventure mode, the toys would move and explore their environment. To know more about ZhuZhu Pets and other popular stuffed toys, check out our article, “The Most Popular Retro Stuffed Toys.”

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