Were the Early 2000s A Dramatic Shift in Entertainment/Society?

This month marks 20 years since the World Wildlife Fund won the lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation, therefore dropping the "F" from their acronym. In turn, the company shook things up by rechristening themselves as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE as we've come to know since). This milestone anniversary got me thinking just how significant of a shift it was when it comes to all things pop culture related.

If you think about it, what was going on during that time frame? Obviously, the 9/11 attacks impacted our society in the U.S. American citizens from all around the country, no matter what race or ethnicity you were, banned together as they grieved over their loved ones whose lives were lost due from the destruction of the Twin Towers to any folks injured from the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Let's also not neglect the flight attendants and passengers that were in those planes at the time of the incident. Airport security became extremely tight, ensuring every passenger's luggage is secured and free from anything that may seem suspicious (and harmful). I'm not sure if this speaks for all airports; The days when visitors can ride along the boarding train (can't remember what it's called) to another sector in an airport, as well as to see your folks board on an airplane became a no no. Concerns over the safety of their well ones were at an all time high; What happens when you step outside your home not knowing it may be your last? The thought of that mindset seemed terrifying yet unpredictable. 

As far as how that affected entertainment, several television shows and movies had to be postponed or canceled in the wake of the tragedy. Some material had to exclude any references to terrorism or scenes that closely resemble to buildings being destroyed. Even in music, several songs were banned from the radio in the wake of the attacks. Granted I'm not an expert when it comes to making discussions on politics, as it's quite a touchy subject. Popular songs such as Pat Benetar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Free Fallin" by Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" were the notable ones on that list. Though many of those mentioned were among those tracks banned, they would eventually be put back into rotation in the coming years. However you feel about this, the impact 9/11 had in the states not only impacted the media , but even society had to adapt with the change in scenery.

In videogames, the sixth generation era in home consoling was hitting full swing. After Sega retired from the home console market as a result of the Dreamcast's failure, Microsoft stepped up and produced a little gaming system called the X-Box. 2002 rolls around competing with Sony (Playstation 2) and Nintendo (Gamecube) as they did battle for the next few years, providing some of the most top quality games exclusive to their respective consoles. The Nintendo 64 had been discontinued at this point with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 the last game released in North America. It's also to note the 6th generation era was an earlier glimpse at online gaming, a move that would change the landscape of video gaming forever; The days of playing co-op with your friends in the basement would no longer be the only way of sharing the experience. When the 2010s arrived, we have to factor the inclusion of Downloadable content (DLC) or microtransactions that require people to pay in order to gain access to additional features in a video game. Overall, the sixth generation era helped lay the foundation when it came to the technological advancements of gaming.

Though I'm not much of a sports fan, during the 2001-2002 season, ABC won bidding rights to the NBA coverage that had been airing on NBC for over a decade at that point. With this move, the network would also lose its license to the NBA Inside Stuff as it would also be packaged with the coverage. Its tenure on NBC brought some of its biggest ratings thanks in large to showcasing marquee matchups involving the Chicago Bulls at their zenith. As the new millennium rolled around, not only did NBC dropped the NFL (though it returned in 2006 on Sunday nights), but they lost rights to continue airing NBA coverage any further. Some longtime TV fanatics consider this as a dork period NBC went through, coupled with the ending of Friends and Frasier in 2004 that marked the decline and extinction of multi camera sitcoms on the station. Then again opinions can be subjective so take it what you will.

Teen pop also went through a dramatic shift as well. The 2000s kicked off with the boy band/pop group craze with notable acts such as the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, 98 Degrees, Westlife, and even mid tier artists like O-Town, BBMak, SClub 7, A-Teens, & the parody boy band 2ge+her. As 2001 winded down and 2002 kicked in, many of those aforementioned groups either disbanded, underwent a hiatus, or just so happened to evolve their sound in music. In fact, there was a brief period when certain band members from their respective entity pursued solo careers as side projects. Nick Carter released Now or Never in 2002 as did the likes of Nick Lachey with SoulO the following year and JC Chasez in 2004 with Schizophrenic. Of all the solos, only Justin Timberlake managed to break through thanks in part to the marketing promotion of his debut album Justified; He would continue to ride on that momentum with Futuresex Love Sounds in 2006, the 20/20 Experience in 2013, and Man of the Woods in 2018. As the boy band craze fizzled out by 2003, pop punk & pop rock acts like Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne, Maroon 5, & Simple Plan took over that mantle while established artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera continued to ride waves throughout the decade. 

As a lifelong wrestling fan, the Monday Night Wars reached its endgame when, after nearly six years in a head-to-head contest between Nitro and Raw, Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation purchased World Championship Wrestling for $2.5 million. This gave way to an influx of talent from their respective organizations as the WWF became the only mainstream wrestling company in North America. Coupled along with the purchase of ECW, such a massive roster of that caliber played a factor in the creation of what we now know as the brand extension. In this scenario, the roster would be divided into two shows (Raw & Smackdown) with each wrestler competing on that specific show alone. While the initial brand split lasted from 2002 to 2011, the company would reinstate the brand extension in 2016 and has remained in effect since. Speaking of 2002, talk about a dramatic difference the first half and the remaining half of the year it was. The top superstars headed into Wrestlemania X8 comprised of Attitude Era favorites such as The Rock & Stone Cold Steve Austin along with the returning icon Hulk Hogan dominating WWF programming. By that time, the three superstars were off TV for the duration of 2002 (though they'd make sporadic appearances in the years to come). Fast forward to Summerslam, Brock Lesnar won the (Undisputed) WWE Championship within a few months after his debut, cementing him as the top superstar of the company; This new talent initiative paved the way for several athletes such as Batista, Randy Orton, & John Cena to lead the charge into the next phase in wrestling (or in WWE terms "Sports Entertainment").  Following the premature breakup of the nWo, HBK comes out of retirement and begins wrestling on a regular basis. Did I need to get started about the company's name change from World Wrestling Federation to World Wrestling Entertainment? 

All in all, the more I think about it, that 2001/2002 time period was a very interesting transition phase. For better or worse, it demonstrated the cultural shift that transpired during the first few years of the 2000s. It may not seem like an elaborate essay but rather just the aura coming from a young tween at the time who lived through it. For folks that lived through that timeframe, how was your experience adapting to the post 9/11 landscape in the United States?