So 2000-and Late
Early 2000s Reality TV taught me how to be grateful
I’m feeling extremely nostalgic lately.
I’m not sure if it’s because my life is flashing before my eyes as New York City filled with smoke last week, or if it’s because my birthday is this week and I tip the scale closer to 40 than to 30, OR if it’s just because the fact that I’m no longer obsessing about Succession has left a hole in my heart that no other television show has been able to fill.
The early 2000s—or, “the aughts” as annoying people (myself included) are often wont to call them, gave us so much it’s hard not to be thankful for them. Let’s be honest, today’s media, especially TV shows are, for lack of a better word, LACKING. Is Love REALLY Blind? According to “bartise” — no, it looks like his sister. Should there REALLY be an island full of FBoys (and Fboys in training) I don’t think, and don’t even get me STARTED on Scandoval! The early 2000s really put on a lace camisole, hip-huggers, packed our bags, and showed us what it was like to live The Simple Life.
“I was rooting for you! We were ALL rooting for you!” is a line most of us still use in 2023, it’s a line I used myself today when ‘Milkshake’ singer Kelis confirmed her situationship with Hollywood Misconducter Extraordinaire Bill Murray. Do you realize that moment happened SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO? One thing (there are many things) about it? The WIG was WIGGING! The lace was NOWHERE to be found!!! It was definitely giving Pot Ledom.
Looking back, it’s so low budget compared to the sets, trips, and wardrobe that would go on to develop in later seasons as UPN (remember that that was a network?!) decided Tyra Banks was actually bankable—nay, a queen—in the realm of reality TV.
That moment is, as Mariah Carey would say, forever emblazoned in my mind, like so many moments on America’s Next Top Model. Today’s TV would never be able to get away with the psychological torture Tyra put those girls through. The race swapping? The makeovers? Immediate haircuts as soon as you get there only to be sent home?! She was A MENACE! And I loved every moment of it.
And now that I mention it—2000s shows were ALL ABOUT makeovers. I love a good makeover as much as anyone, but The Swan was next level WTF. If you’re too young to remember, The Swan was a show on FOX that took everyday women (usually housewives/mothers) who didn’t feel very good about themselves, and FOX said LET ME MAKE YOU FEEL WORSE! By giving you a makeover! A lot of this show was just “yuck, she wears glasses and hoodies” but so much of it was “yuck, she needs lipo, and veneers, and extensions, and lasik” it was a TERRIBLE show, but very good reality TV.
These days, most of the reality TV shows we have are focused on finding love without being shallow, which every season every person proves is not a real thing. Everyone except Lauren and Cameron. I personally did not watch S1 of Love is Blind, but I am living vicariously through everyone who did, and by the looks of things, I’m very, VERY happy for her.
When will good TV come back from war? Who can never be sure.
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My friend and I often start our messages with "Be Quiet Tiffany!" I am ashamed that I share my astrological sign with Tyrant Banks 😞 My favourite early aughts reality show was Rich Girls on MTV with Ally Hilfiger and her mate - can't remember her name 🤭🤭🤭 I loved that show so much. I moved to NYC in 2011 for an internship (I wanted to live my Whitney Port fantasy but Black 🤭) I met Ally at a party and I told her how much I loved her show and she was so kind - as I knew she would be!
The same goes for early 2000s movies, like we had so many original ideas and timeless storylines. This is especially true for romcoms and comedies.