From peak Britney Spears to the Motorola Razr, the early 2000s are well in the past. Over the years, we’ve experienced immense change through technological advancements and social media. Still, nostalgia makes us long for an earlier, perhaps simpler time. Although those days are over, Buzz has compiled a list of what trends they would bring back from the 2000s.
Zoya — Online Gaming and an Ode to “Arthur”
“Arthur” defined my childhood and taught important life lessons — and infallible comebacks — that have followed me into young adulthood. The show has been running since 1996 and is still going strong, but one thing has left mainstream popularity: PBS Kids Online Games. Back when I had one computer in the house, I would beg my mom to let me play “Arthur” games for hours. There are different games, but I had a few favorites. I loved styling Muffy’s Wardrobe and creating an alien with Buster. For more thrill-seeking players, I would suggest “Don’t Wake Kate,” a game I have yet to master. There is also a poetry submission section. For better or for worse, I had two of my poems published. If I could, I would bring back the interactive world of “Arthur”. The show successfully addressed important issues with humor and the online games provide the same authentic, close-knit sense of 2000s.
Krystal — Boy Bands that Could Dance
Music is a constantly evolving art, but I still believe that no boyband can compare to *NSYNC. My older sister and I were so obsessed with *NSYNC that our bedroom walls were plastered with posters of the teen heartthrobs in matching outfits. We were such insane little preteens that we even thought Justin Timberlake’s curly bleached hair was a good idea. But one thing that doesn’t need any explaining was our obsession with their iconic choreography. So much time and effort was put into those performances. Boybands nowadays, like One Direction, have completely different requirements which consist of having a nice voice, tattoos, and pretty hair. Can someone please bring back the intense, mind-blowing dance breaks? I never wanted to say Bye, Bye, Bye to *NSYNC. Thankfully, the group reunited for one more performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2013.
Angela — Animated & Real, Lizzie McGuire
Disney Channel has come a long way since the 2000s, when there were shows like “That’s So Raven,” “The Proud Family” and “Lizzie McGuire.” I especially loved “Lizzie McGuire.” I would imagine what it would be like to have her life. In each episode, we got to see what Lizzie really thought through an animated version of herself that lived in her head. Animated Lizzie said what was on her mind, while real life Lizzie often held back. The show also focused n Lizzie’s friendship with Miranda and Gordo, true friendship goals before it was cool. Even though Hilary Duff has moved on, she will always be Lizzie McGuire to everyone who watched the show. Having human characters with animated counterparts is a trend that made the characters seem more relatable, since we got to know what they were really thinking.
Jacqueline — Hanging Out at Video Stores
Long before there was Netflix and Chill or Hulu and Hang, there was Blockbuster. The memory of video stores is slowly fading as online video streaming takes over. With so many options to stream movies and TV shows, the need for actual video stores is becoming obsolete. Today’s kids will never know what it was like to walk into Blockbuster and cruise through the aisles, while scanning every single shelf for the perfect flick. Sure, Netflix can give you a wide selection of movies, but they can’t give you one thing that Blockbuster could: snacks. When you were in line to check out a video, you would be surrounded by sugary snacks and microwavable popcorn bowls. While Netflix can take months or even years to get the latest movie uploaded, Blockbuster used to have the latest movie the second it came out on DVD. Netflix is a thing to do with your friends, Blockbuster was a place to meet friends. Nine times out of 10, you would bump into someone you knew, or end up striking up a conversation with a stranger who recommended a movie. While Blockbuster is long gone, there are some of us who will never forget it.
Natalie — Texting in My Vote to American Idol
“Yo, yo, yo dawg,” became the anthem of a generation. Spoken multiple times an episode by original judge Randy Jackson, this phrase perfectly expresses our fascination and excitement with “American Idol” in the 2000s. We could not take our eyes off the screen as Simon Cowell spewed his harsh (but accurate) rhetoric, Paula Abdul sweetly offered words of encouragement, and Randy Jackson remained level-headed. Without this show, we would not have iconic moments like the following: Ryan Seacrest attempting to high-five a blind man, General Larry Platt’s original song “Pants on the Ground” or Jennifer Hudson’s breathtaking rendition of Elton John’s “The Circle of Life.” If your mom had a texting plan on her cell phone, it became essential to snap open her Motorolla Razr on a Tuesday night and text in your vote for teenage heartthrob David Archuleta or America’s sweetheart Carrie Underwood.
