Goodbye Noughties | Pop Culture: The Hot 100
Taken from Who magazine (Australia), January 4, 2010 issue.
Time Magazine dubbed this "The Decade from Hell." Die they not see Zoolander? A tribute to the movies, shows and trends that entertained us this decade.
1. A Boy Named Harry Potter
He's the Boy Who Lived, the only one who can (spoiler alert!) defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and restore order to the wizarding world. But that's not the reason Harry Potter lives in our memories more vividly than any other character we've encountered this decade. It's because J.K. Rowling created him (and Daniel Radcliffe plays him) not as a mighty doer of epic deeds but as a regular kid - a teenager trying to get by in a crazy, scary world. Who can't relate to that? Long after the last page is turned and the last end credit watched, Harry still feels like someone we know. And that's the most magical thing about him.
2. The Sopranos
David Chase took a baseball bat to the knees of the term "family drama" and created this landmark mafioso show whose nuanced characters were riddled with conflict and, of course, bullets.
3. YouTube
Providing a safe home for piano-playing cats, celeb slip-ups and over-zealous lip-syncers since 2005.
4. The Lord of the Rings
Bringing a cherished book to the big screen? No sweat. Peter Jackson's trilogy exerted its irresistible pull on advanced Elvish speakers and neophytes alike.
5. iPod
Yes, children, there really was a time when we roam the earth without thousands of our favourite jams tucked comfortably into our hip pockets. Weird.
6. Underbelly
The dramatisation of the Melbourne gangland war rated through the roof, spawned two prequels and made celebrities of its stars - and the bad guys they played.
7. Australian Idol
It's given us Guy, Shannon, Ricki-Lee, Jessica Mauboy and Dicko. Idol rules the reality roost because it's not just the winners who triumph.
8. Brokeback Mountain
Everyone called it "The Gay Cowboy Movie" - until they saw it. In the end, director Ang Lee's 2005 love story was the decade's most unlikely crossover hit, thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. It wasn't gay or straight, just human.
9. Team Edward vs Team Jacob
Torn between a buff BFF and a broody bad boy with incredible hair? Bella, we feel your pain. Twilight's werewolf-vs-vampire love triangle had everybody choosing sides.
10. Celebrity Chefs
The warm and gooey (Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson) and the fiery (yes, you, Gordon Ramsay) made cooking cool.
11. Gladiator
Yes, we were entertained.
12. Captain Jack Sparrow
Part Keith Richards riff, part sozzled lounge lizard, Johnny Depp's swizzle-schtick pirate was definitely one of the decade's most dazzling characters.
13. Beyonce's "Single Ladies"
Sorry, Taylor. Kanye was right. With choreography that had everyone flashing their bling-free ring fingers, Beyonce's fierce female anthem really is "one of the best videos of all time".
14. Facebook
How on earth did we stalk our exes, remember our co-workers' birthdays, bug our friends or play a rousing game of Scrabulous before Facebook?
15. The Dark Knight
Every great hero needs a great villain. In 2008, Christian Bale's Batman found his Heath Ledger's demented dervish, the Joker.
16. Lost
Plane Crash. Smoke monster. Polar bear. Crazy French lady. The Others. The hatch. The Dharma Initiative. Time-travel flashes. Name another drama that can so wondrously turn a ? into a !
17. Eric Bana's Chopper
Who knew the Ray Martin guy from Full Frontal could scare us to death?
18. "Sexy Back," Justin Timberlake
We didn't even know that sexy was missing until 2006. We're happy Justin brought it back safe and sound.
19. Kath & Kim
Kath Day wed her hunk o' spunk Kel Knight - 4.45PM for a 4.46PM start - with punch served from a bin, a tarp over the clothesline and a statue of baby cheses (not Jesus). Noice. Unusual. Different.
20. Bloggers
Perez Hilton and his un-PC pals have changed the face of celebrity news (and not just by doodling all over them).
21. Moulin Rouge!
Baz Luhrmann's trippy pop-culture pastiche from 2001 was an aesthetically arresting ode to poetry, passion and Elton John.
22. Coldplay
Since bursting onto the scene with a splash of "Yellow," the alternative rockers have pretty much soundtracked the years since the decade's opening.
23. An ogre named Shrek
Prince Charming? So last millennium. This decade, fairytale fans - and Princess Fiona - fell for a fat and flatulent ogre. Now that's progress.
24. Clothes from SATC
Raise your cosmos! A toast to the wonderful wardrobe from Sex and the City, which taught us that no flower is too big, no skirt too short and no shoe too expensive.
25. Agent Jack Bauer
When Kiefer Sutherland's 24 super-agent barks, "Dammit, Chloe - we're running out of time!" America's perimeter is about to be saved in some new, heart-stopping way.
26. Twitter
Limiting yourself to 140 characters - the maximum for messages on this diabolically addictive social-networking tool - is easy once you get the
27. Enough Rope
Andrew Denton's A-grade guest list became the next day's news.
28. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Fey's spot-on Saturday Night Live impersonation of the wannabe VP (and her ability to strike a balance between comedy and cruelty) made for truly transcendent TV.
29. American Beauty
Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and director Sam Mendes did an offbeat, dazzling and piteous number on the underside of the American middle class.
30. The West Wing
The mile-a-minute dialogue and endless hall walking was at times confusing but always exhilarating.
31. The Vines
"Rock Is Back: Meet the Vines," screamed Rolling Stone in 2002. And so it was. But rock had issues.
32. Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch
Lesson learned: tell, don't show.
33. Celesbianism
Lindsay and Sam, Portia and Ellen, Cynthia and Christine and even Britney, Christina and Madonna kissed girls - and they liked it.
34. Darren's song for Delta
Diagnosed with cancer, Delta Goodrem bagged a record seven ARIA Awards in 2003 and, too sick to sing, was moved to tears by Darren Hayes's rendition of "Lost Without You."
35. Sara-Marie's bum dance
The original Big Brother star's slap-happy jig heralded the dawn of Australian reality TV.
36. Kid A, Radiohead
In an abrupt left turn, one of the world's biggest rock bands began the decade with a disc of complex electronic explorations. Our minds: still blown, nine years later.
37. The Road, Cormac McCarthy
With its spare prose, McCarthy's post-apocalyptic odyssey from 2006 managed to be both harrowing and heartbreaking.
38. Kenny
OK, the TV spin-off stank, but Shane Jacobson's big-screen toilet humour had us pissing ourselves.
39. Single-named supercouples
The official term is "portmanteau:" when two celebs collide, only one name will do. Think Bennifer, Brangelina and TomKat.
40. Britney Spears performing "Oops!" at the 2000 VMAs
This is the Britney Spears we choose to remember - the pre-breakdown pop tart, then just 19 years old, writhing and shaking her moneymaker in nude-coloured rhinestone spandex to a mash-up of "Satisfaction" and "Oops!...I Did It Again." Real passion. And pure kitsch bliss.
41. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Raunchy Hollywood comedies - and Steve Carell's chest hair - would never be the same after Judd Apatow's 2005 hit. Who knew you could aim for the heart and below the belt at the same time?
42. Jennifer Hawkins
Pageants were passe until Our Gal from Newcastle was crowned Miss Universe.
43. J.Lo's dress
Gowns come prettier, classier and even skimpier. But Jennifer Lopez's down-to-there Versace earned its place in fashion history in 2000, thanks to an inimitable red-carpet alchemy of style and star. And double-sided tape.
44. "Umbrella," Rihanna
In 2007, Rihanna had us all singin' in the rain.
45. Steven Bradbury
The Brisbane speedskater was the last man standing and an against-all-odds gold medallist at the 2002 Winter Olympics. His stunned/stoked reaction earns his way onto the list, even with the other contenders still in play.
46. Six Feet Under
Wrapping up an acclaimed show is pretty much a no-win proposition (eg, The Sopranos). But Alan Ball's 2005 finale distilled all that we'd learned about life and death after five seasons with the Fishers.
47. Working Dog
The comedy team were super-prolific, rolling out The Dish, Russell Coight's All Aussie Adventures, Thank God You're Here and The Hollowmen.
48. Cast Away
With nothing but a volleyball to relate to, a stripped-bare Tom Hanks broke hearts piece by piece in 2001.
49. Eminem & Elton John's 2001 Grammy performance
It was the hug heard 'round the world. Eminem, under fire for homophobic lyrics, shared the stage with a gay icon for a performance of "Stan" that would have been memorable in any context.
50. Lost in Translation
Six years later, we still have no clue what Bill Murray whispered into Scarlett Johansson's ear. And we don't want to. Why spoil a perfect film?
51. 30 Rock, "Rosemary's Baby"
Between Carrie Fisher's delightfully bonkers guest role and Jack Donaghy's hijacking of Tracy Jordan's therapy session, this 2007 episode was so wrong. And so good.
52. "Rehab," Amy Winehouse
Remember when she was best known for her music? She had the sassiness, the bump-and-grind and the voice to launch a thousand imitators wanting to step into her teetering heels and snatch the crown from her beehive.
53. APEC stunt
The funniest part is imagining the conversation in the car as The Chaser team, dressed as terrorists, were waved into the "secure" red zone.
54. The Office (UK version)
Ricky Gervais's genius 2001-03 mockumentary series about sad-sack paper company employees in Slough, England, is the undisputed champion of awesomely awkward cubicle hell. And TV heaven.
55. Penguins
Whether they were walking (March of the Penguins), dancing (Happy Feet) or hanging ten (Surf's Up), these oddly adorable birds took flight at the box office all decade long.
56. A reporter named Borat
Sacha Baron Cohen's fake Kazakhstani journalist gave us some of the most incisive cultural commentary ever filmed. That, and a wrestling match between butt-naked men. Hey, something for everyone.
57. Wii
Replacing key combos with natural movement, this revolutionary game system turned everyday activities - sports, walking, yoga - into the decade's best reason to stay home.
58. CSI
The procedural powerhouse spawned forensic crime francises in Las Vegas, Miami and New York.
59. Friends, "The One with the Rumour"
In a 2001 Thanksgiving episode Brad Pitt played Will, a former member of high school's "I-hate-Rachel-Green-Club." We give thanks.
60. Matt Damon as action star
When he first signed on as the butt-kicking amnesiac Jason Bourne in 2002, no-one would've predicted that Damon would become the decade's best mixer of brawn and brains. Shows what we know.
61. Wolf Creek
That trip to the outback? Cancelled.
62. Jet
"One, two, three / Take my hand and come with me..." See? Your foot is tapping.
63. Fahrenheit 9/11
Michael Moore's anti-Bush polemic gave millions of frustrated liberals exactly what they needed to hear in 2004 - and infuriated just about everyone else. Along the way, it became the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
64. Mad Men
If it's Don Draper and his crack team of Sterling Cooper ad execs selling the 1960s, we're buying.
65. Patrick Dempsey's hair
What made Grey's Anatomy a mega-medi-hit? It could have something to do with creator Shonda Rhimes's scalpel-sharp writing...or McDreamy's impossibly luxurious mane. Just saying.
66. The Wire
The deft writing - which used the cop-genre format to give shape to creator David Simon's scathing social critiques - was matched by one of the deepest benches of acting talent in TV history.
67. Royal WAGs
Royal watching got some serious eye candy when princes William and Harry took up with Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy. Both of whom would look smashing on commemorative tea towels.
68. Little Movies That Could
With shoestring budgets, a slew of small-horizon favourites (Juno, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, Once and Napoleon Dynamite) punched above their weight at the box office and the Oscars.
69. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Only the bizarre and byzantine brain of Charlie Kaufman could turn this 2004 story about erasing all memories of love into one of the decade's most romantic movies.
70. Prison inmates' "Thriller" video
Now that's a "breakout" hit: the clip of inmates at a Philippines high-security prison performing an intricately choreographed dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" has nabbed more than 42 million views since 2007.
71. Kylie's hot pants
"They're Australia's very own Turin Shroud," Nick Cave has said of Ms Minogue's skimpy "Spinning Around" knicks. "Whole civilisations have been built in honour of lesser things than these hot pants. The pyramids, for example." Well said.
72. True Blood
Like Twilight for grown-ups, this vampire saga has bite.
73. Mamma Mia!
For more than 10 years, dancing queens have been having the time of their lives at the Abba-inspired stage phenomenon.
74. Daft Punk
Two French dudes in shiny robot helmets sliced, diced and reconstructed dance music, and in the process created the soundtrack for the discotheque at the end of the universe.
75. David Letterman's first show after 9/11
He's snarky. He's snide. But when a solemn Letterman returned to the air on Sept. 17, 2001 (his was the first late-night comedy show to air after the attacks), his off-the-cuff monologue showed the shell-shocked audience it was OK to laugh...and to cry.
76. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
Forget all the Oprah hoo-ha: Franzen's 2001 doorstop of a domestic drama teaches that, yes, you can go home again. But you might not want to.
77. Cougars
Toy boys, cradle-robbers and MILFs have had their day. The coining of the phrase "cougars" (inspiring Courteney Cox TV show Cougar Town and Jennifer Aniston's next project, Puma) created a loud and proud movement. Thanks, Demi.
78. The Ocean's Eleven heist scene
Featuring three impregnable Vegas casinos and 11 ring-a-ding criminals, Steven Soderbergh's 2001 roll of the dice provided the most winning robbery sequence of the decade.
79. A baby named Stewie
TV has seen lots of adorable babies. But in the realm of devious, scheming, matricidal tots, Family Guy's Stewie is our fave by far. And we're not saying that just so he won't kill us.
80. A legal eagle named Elle Woods
She's blonde, bubbly and carries a tiny chihuahua. But despite the inevitable Paris Hilton comparisons, Reese Witherspoon's Legally Blonde dynamo managed to be taken seriously. Case closed!
81. Almost Famous
Every Cameron Crowe film is, in one way or another, about romance, rock and roll and his romance with rock and roll. This 2000 power ballad of a movie is also Crowe's greatest, most personal film, thanks to the golden gods of Stillwater and their biggest fan, Kate Hudson's incomparable Penny Lane.
82. Celeb reality shows
No longer content just to be snapped at Starbucks, a roll call of sorta-stars (the Osbournes, the Lohans, the Kardashians, Nick and Jessica,...) opened up their homes to TV cameras.
83. Alias pilot
Fiery red hair. Weird red ball. Black ops. White knuckles. Our 2001 introduction to Jennifer Garner's Sydney Bristow - the grad-student/fake-banker/double-agent superspy at the rapidly beating heart of this intricate action serial - was mesmerisingly colourful.
84. The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown's 2003 mystery-thriller is the bestselling adult novel of all time, to the tune of 81 million readers. Who cares what the critics think?
85. The Departed
If they're lucky, directors make one classic film in their career. Martin Scorsese has one per decade (Taxi Driver in the 1970s, Raging Bull in the '80s, GoodFellas in the '90s). His 2006 Irish Mafia masterpiece kept the streak alive.
86. Mean Girls
"Fetch" may never happen, but 2004's eminently quotable movie is still one of the sharpest high-school satires ever. Which is pretty grool, if you ask us.
87. Paris Hilton
With nothing but a surname and a sex tape she's famously famous for being famous. But boy, is she famous.
88. Bond swimsuits
So much for spies being inconspicuous. Halle Berry's orange bikini in Die Another Day (2002) and Daniel Craig's supersnug trunks in Casino Royale (2006) suggest neither 007 star can keep a secret.
89. Maggie Doyle
Now that's an exit: Blue Heelers golden girl Lisa McCune died in a hail of bullets in 2000.
90. Pan's Labyrinth
Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning fanciful and chilling story, set against the backdrop of the fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain, was utterly unique and completely unforgettable.
91. Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls
Sure, Beyonce's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." When she sang, "You're gonna love me," it wasn't just a lyric - it was a fact.
92. Lady Gaga's outfits
Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, her outre ensembles brought performance art into the mainstream. (We're still not sold on the hair bow, though.)
93. "The Landlord" video
The only thing funnier than a foul-mouthed 2-year-old? A foul-mouthed 2-year-old named Pearl berating Will Ferrell on funnyordie.com.
94. Chris Lilley
For creating We Can be Heroes and Summer Heights High (especially Ja'mie and Mr G), we nominate the chameleon comic for Australian of the Decade. Sorry, Phil Olivetti.
95. Fashion-forward first ladies
French first lady Carla Bruni and US mum-in-chief Michelle Obama bring it to the fashion stakes like no-one since Jackie O.
96. Tell-all books
Andre Agassi, Marcia from The Brady Bunch, Mark Latham and a library of others grabbed attention by spilling their guts.
97. Slap Corey
A website allowed players to knock the yellow sunnies right off the Melbourne party brat's face.
98. Current-affairs corkers
OK, the lizard on Naomi Robson's shoulder as she reported Steve Irwin's death was pretty unforgettable, but for us the highlight of the decade was Tom Cruise telling 60 Minutes' Peter Overton to "put his manners back in." Repeatedly.
99. The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas
A man slaps an acquaintance's child at a suburban barbecue, setting into motion a damaging chain of events in the lives of the party guests. Melbourne author Tsiolkas's scalding 2008 exploration of friendship and family in contemporary Australia kept book clubs across the country buzzing.
100. The kiss in Spider-Man
Why is the rainy smooch between Spider-Man and Mary Jane from 2002 not corny? Even if she suspects he's Peter Parker, she doesn't try to find out. Sexy as hell.
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Time Magazine dubbed this "The Decade from Hell." Die they not see Zoolander? A tribute to the movies, shows and trends that entertained us this decade.
1. A Boy Named Harry Potter
He's the Boy Who Lived, the only one who can (spoiler alert!) defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and restore order to the wizarding world. But that's not the reason Harry Potter lives in our memories more vividly than any other character we've encountered this decade. It's because J.K. Rowling created him (and Daniel Radcliffe plays him) not as a mighty doer of epic deeds but as a regular kid - a teenager trying to get by in a crazy, scary world. Who can't relate to that? Long after the last page is turned and the last end credit watched, Harry still feels like someone we know. And that's the most magical thing about him.
2. The Sopranos
David Chase took a baseball bat to the knees of the term "family drama" and created this landmark mafioso show whose nuanced characters were riddled with conflict and, of course, bullets.
3. YouTube
Providing a safe home for piano-playing cats, celeb slip-ups and over-zealous lip-syncers since 2005.
4. The Lord of the Rings
Bringing a cherished book to the big screen? No sweat. Peter Jackson's trilogy exerted its irresistible pull on advanced Elvish speakers and neophytes alike.
5. iPod
Yes, children, there really was a time when we roam the earth without thousands of our favourite jams tucked comfortably into our hip pockets. Weird.
6. Underbelly
The dramatisation of the Melbourne gangland war rated through the roof, spawned two prequels and made celebrities of its stars - and the bad guys they played.
7. Australian Idol
It's given us Guy, Shannon, Ricki-Lee, Jessica Mauboy and Dicko. Idol rules the reality roost because it's not just the winners who triumph.
8. Brokeback Mountain
Everyone called it "The Gay Cowboy Movie" - until they saw it. In the end, director Ang Lee's 2005 love story was the decade's most unlikely crossover hit, thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. It wasn't gay or straight, just human.
9. Team Edward vs Team Jacob
Torn between a buff BFF and a broody bad boy with incredible hair? Bella, we feel your pain. Twilight's werewolf-vs-vampire love triangle had everybody choosing sides.
10. Celebrity Chefs
The warm and gooey (Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson) and the fiery (yes, you, Gordon Ramsay) made cooking cool.
11. Gladiator
Yes, we were entertained.
12. Captain Jack Sparrow
Part Keith Richards riff, part sozzled lounge lizard, Johnny Depp's swizzle-schtick pirate was definitely one of the decade's most dazzling characters.
13. Beyonce's "Single Ladies"
Sorry, Taylor. Kanye was right. With choreography that had everyone flashing their bling-free ring fingers, Beyonce's fierce female anthem really is "one of the best videos of all time".
14. Facebook
How on earth did we stalk our exes, remember our co-workers' birthdays, bug our friends or play a rousing game of Scrabulous before Facebook?
15. The Dark Knight
Every great hero needs a great villain. In 2008, Christian Bale's Batman found his Heath Ledger's demented dervish, the Joker.
16. Lost
Plane Crash. Smoke monster. Polar bear. Crazy French lady. The Others. The hatch. The Dharma Initiative. Time-travel flashes. Name another drama that can so wondrously turn a ? into a !
17. Eric Bana's Chopper
Who knew the Ray Martin guy from Full Frontal could scare us to death?
18. "Sexy Back," Justin Timberlake
We didn't even know that sexy was missing until 2006. We're happy Justin brought it back safe and sound.
19. Kath & Kim
Kath Day wed her hunk o' spunk Kel Knight - 4.45PM for a 4.46PM start - with punch served from a bin, a tarp over the clothesline and a statue of baby cheses (not Jesus). Noice. Unusual. Different.
20. Bloggers
Perez Hilton and his un-PC pals have changed the face of celebrity news (and not just by doodling all over them).
21. Moulin Rouge!
Baz Luhrmann's trippy pop-culture pastiche from 2001 was an aesthetically arresting ode to poetry, passion and Elton John.
22. Coldplay
Since bursting onto the scene with a splash of "Yellow," the alternative rockers have pretty much soundtracked the years since the decade's opening.
23. An ogre named Shrek
Prince Charming? So last millennium. This decade, fairytale fans - and Princess Fiona - fell for a fat and flatulent ogre. Now that's progress.
24. Clothes from SATC
Raise your cosmos! A toast to the wonderful wardrobe from Sex and the City, which taught us that no flower is too big, no skirt too short and no shoe too expensive.
25. Agent Jack Bauer
When Kiefer Sutherland's 24 super-agent barks, "Dammit, Chloe - we're running out of time!" America's perimeter is about to be saved in some new, heart-stopping way.
26. Twitter
Limiting yourself to 140 characters - the maximum for messages on this diabolically addictive social-networking tool - is easy once you get the
27. Enough Rope
Andrew Denton's A-grade guest list became the next day's news.
28. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Fey's spot-on Saturday Night Live impersonation of the wannabe VP (and her ability to strike a balance between comedy and cruelty) made for truly transcendent TV.
29. American Beauty
Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and director Sam Mendes did an offbeat, dazzling and piteous number on the underside of the American middle class.
30. The West Wing
The mile-a-minute dialogue and endless hall walking was at times confusing but always exhilarating.
31. The Vines
"Rock Is Back: Meet the Vines," screamed Rolling Stone in 2002. And so it was. But rock had issues.
32. Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch
Lesson learned: tell, don't show.
33. Celesbianism
Lindsay and Sam, Portia and Ellen, Cynthia and Christine and even Britney, Christina and Madonna kissed girls - and they liked it.
34. Darren's song for Delta
Diagnosed with cancer, Delta Goodrem bagged a record seven ARIA Awards in 2003 and, too sick to sing, was moved to tears by Darren Hayes's rendition of "Lost Without You."
35. Sara-Marie's bum dance
The original Big Brother star's slap-happy jig heralded the dawn of Australian reality TV.
36. Kid A, Radiohead
In an abrupt left turn, one of the world's biggest rock bands began the decade with a disc of complex electronic explorations. Our minds: still blown, nine years later.
37. The Road, Cormac McCarthy
With its spare prose, McCarthy's post-apocalyptic odyssey from 2006 managed to be both harrowing and heartbreaking.
38. Kenny
OK, the TV spin-off stank, but Shane Jacobson's big-screen toilet humour had us pissing ourselves.
39. Single-named supercouples
The official term is "portmanteau:" when two celebs collide, only one name will do. Think Bennifer, Brangelina and TomKat.
40. Britney Spears performing "Oops!" at the 2000 VMAs
This is the Britney Spears we choose to remember - the pre-breakdown pop tart, then just 19 years old, writhing and shaking her moneymaker in nude-coloured rhinestone spandex to a mash-up of "Satisfaction" and "Oops!...I Did It Again." Real passion. And pure kitsch bliss.
41. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Raunchy Hollywood comedies - and Steve Carell's chest hair - would never be the same after Judd Apatow's 2005 hit. Who knew you could aim for the heart and below the belt at the same time?
42. Jennifer Hawkins
Pageants were passe until Our Gal from Newcastle was crowned Miss Universe.
43. J.Lo's dress
Gowns come prettier, classier and even skimpier. But Jennifer Lopez's down-to-there Versace earned its place in fashion history in 2000, thanks to an inimitable red-carpet alchemy of style and star. And double-sided tape.
44. "Umbrella," Rihanna
In 2007, Rihanna had us all singin' in the rain.
45. Steven Bradbury
The Brisbane speedskater was the last man standing and an against-all-odds gold medallist at the 2002 Winter Olympics. His stunned/stoked reaction earns his way onto the list, even with the other contenders still in play.
46. Six Feet Under
Wrapping up an acclaimed show is pretty much a no-win proposition (eg, The Sopranos). But Alan Ball's 2005 finale distilled all that we'd learned about life and death after five seasons with the Fishers.
47. Working Dog
The comedy team were super-prolific, rolling out The Dish, Russell Coight's All Aussie Adventures, Thank God You're Here and The Hollowmen.
48. Cast Away
With nothing but a volleyball to relate to, a stripped-bare Tom Hanks broke hearts piece by piece in 2001.
49. Eminem & Elton John's 2001 Grammy performance
It was the hug heard 'round the world. Eminem, under fire for homophobic lyrics, shared the stage with a gay icon for a performance of "Stan" that would have been memorable in any context.
50. Lost in Translation
Six years later, we still have no clue what Bill Murray whispered into Scarlett Johansson's ear. And we don't want to. Why spoil a perfect film?
51. 30 Rock, "Rosemary's Baby"
Between Carrie Fisher's delightfully bonkers guest role and Jack Donaghy's hijacking of Tracy Jordan's therapy session, this 2007 episode was so wrong. And so good.
52. "Rehab," Amy Winehouse
Remember when she was best known for her music? She had the sassiness, the bump-and-grind and the voice to launch a thousand imitators wanting to step into her teetering heels and snatch the crown from her beehive.
53. APEC stunt
The funniest part is imagining the conversation in the car as The Chaser team, dressed as terrorists, were waved into the "secure" red zone.
54. The Office (UK version)
Ricky Gervais's genius 2001-03 mockumentary series about sad-sack paper company employees in Slough, England, is the undisputed champion of awesomely awkward cubicle hell. And TV heaven.
55. Penguins
Whether they were walking (March of the Penguins), dancing (Happy Feet) or hanging ten (Surf's Up), these oddly adorable birds took flight at the box office all decade long.
56. A reporter named Borat
Sacha Baron Cohen's fake Kazakhstani journalist gave us some of the most incisive cultural commentary ever filmed. That, and a wrestling match between butt-naked men. Hey, something for everyone.
57. Wii
Replacing key combos with natural movement, this revolutionary game system turned everyday activities - sports, walking, yoga - into the decade's best reason to stay home.
58. CSI
The procedural powerhouse spawned forensic crime francises in Las Vegas, Miami and New York.
59. Friends, "The One with the Rumour"
In a 2001 Thanksgiving episode Brad Pitt played Will, a former member of high school's "I-hate-Rachel-Green-Club." We give thanks.
60. Matt Damon as action star
When he first signed on as the butt-kicking amnesiac Jason Bourne in 2002, no-one would've predicted that Damon would become the decade's best mixer of brawn and brains. Shows what we know.
61. Wolf Creek
That trip to the outback? Cancelled.
62. Jet
"One, two, three / Take my hand and come with me..." See? Your foot is tapping.
63. Fahrenheit 9/11
Michael Moore's anti-Bush polemic gave millions of frustrated liberals exactly what they needed to hear in 2004 - and infuriated just about everyone else. Along the way, it became the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
64. Mad Men
If it's Don Draper and his crack team of Sterling Cooper ad execs selling the 1960s, we're buying.
65. Patrick Dempsey's hair
What made Grey's Anatomy a mega-medi-hit? It could have something to do with creator Shonda Rhimes's scalpel-sharp writing...or McDreamy's impossibly luxurious mane. Just saying.
66. The Wire
The deft writing - which used the cop-genre format to give shape to creator David Simon's scathing social critiques - was matched by one of the deepest benches of acting talent in TV history.
67. Royal WAGs
Royal watching got some serious eye candy when princes William and Harry took up with Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy. Both of whom would look smashing on commemorative tea towels.
68. Little Movies That Could
With shoestring budgets, a slew of small-horizon favourites (Juno, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, Once and Napoleon Dynamite) punched above their weight at the box office and the Oscars.
69. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Only the bizarre and byzantine brain of Charlie Kaufman could turn this 2004 story about erasing all memories of love into one of the decade's most romantic movies.
70. Prison inmates' "Thriller" video
Click to viewNow that's a "breakout" hit: the clip of inmates at a Philippines high-security prison performing an intricately choreographed dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" has nabbed more than 42 million views since 2007.
71. Kylie's hot pants
"They're Australia's very own Turin Shroud," Nick Cave has said of Ms Minogue's skimpy "Spinning Around" knicks. "Whole civilisations have been built in honour of lesser things than these hot pants. The pyramids, for example." Well said.
72. True Blood
Like Twilight for grown-ups, this vampire saga has bite.
73. Mamma Mia!
For more than 10 years, dancing queens have been having the time of their lives at the Abba-inspired stage phenomenon.
74. Daft Punk
Two French dudes in shiny robot helmets sliced, diced and reconstructed dance music, and in the process created the soundtrack for the discotheque at the end of the universe.
75. David Letterman's first show after 9/11
He's snarky. He's snide. But when a solemn Letterman returned to the air on Sept. 17, 2001 (his was the first late-night comedy show to air after the attacks), his off-the-cuff monologue showed the shell-shocked audience it was OK to laugh...and to cry.
76. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
Forget all the Oprah hoo-ha: Franzen's 2001 doorstop of a domestic drama teaches that, yes, you can go home again. But you might not want to.
77. Cougars
Toy boys, cradle-robbers and MILFs have had their day. The coining of the phrase "cougars" (inspiring Courteney Cox TV show Cougar Town and Jennifer Aniston's next project, Puma) created a loud and proud movement. Thanks, Demi.
78. The Ocean's Eleven heist scene
Featuring three impregnable Vegas casinos and 11 ring-a-ding criminals, Steven Soderbergh's 2001 roll of the dice provided the most winning robbery sequence of the decade.
79. A baby named Stewie
TV has seen lots of adorable babies. But in the realm of devious, scheming, matricidal tots, Family Guy's Stewie is our fave by far. And we're not saying that just so he won't kill us.
80. A legal eagle named Elle Woods
She's blonde, bubbly and carries a tiny chihuahua. But despite the inevitable Paris Hilton comparisons, Reese Witherspoon's Legally Blonde dynamo managed to be taken seriously. Case closed!
81. Almost Famous
Every Cameron Crowe film is, in one way or another, about romance, rock and roll and his romance with rock and roll. This 2000 power ballad of a movie is also Crowe's greatest, most personal film, thanks to the golden gods of Stillwater and their biggest fan, Kate Hudson's incomparable Penny Lane.
82. Celeb reality shows
No longer content just to be snapped at Starbucks, a roll call of sorta-stars (the Osbournes, the Lohans, the Kardashians, Nick and Jessica,...) opened up their homes to TV cameras.
83. Alias pilot
Fiery red hair. Weird red ball. Black ops. White knuckles. Our 2001 introduction to Jennifer Garner's Sydney Bristow - the grad-student/fake-banker/double-agent superspy at the rapidly beating heart of this intricate action serial - was mesmerisingly colourful.
84. The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown's 2003 mystery-thriller is the bestselling adult novel of all time, to the tune of 81 million readers. Who cares what the critics think?
85. The Departed
If they're lucky, directors make one classic film in their career. Martin Scorsese has one per decade (Taxi Driver in the 1970s, Raging Bull in the '80s, GoodFellas in the '90s). His 2006 Irish Mafia masterpiece kept the streak alive.
86. Mean Girls
"Fetch" may never happen, but 2004's eminently quotable movie is still one of the sharpest high-school satires ever. Which is pretty grool, if you ask us.
87. Paris Hilton
With nothing but a surname and a sex tape she's famously famous for being famous. But boy, is she famous.
88. Bond swimsuits
So much for spies being inconspicuous. Halle Berry's orange bikini in Die Another Day (2002) and Daniel Craig's supersnug trunks in Casino Royale (2006) suggest neither 007 star can keep a secret.
89. Maggie Doyle
Now that's an exit: Blue Heelers golden girl Lisa McCune died in a hail of bullets in 2000.
90. Pan's Labyrinth
Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning fanciful and chilling story, set against the backdrop of the fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain, was utterly unique and completely unforgettable.
91. Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls
Sure, Beyonce's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." When she sang, "You're gonna love me," it wasn't just a lyric - it was a fact.
92. Lady Gaga's outfits
Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, her outre ensembles brought performance art into the mainstream. (We're still not sold on the hair bow, though.)
93. "The Landlord" video
The only thing funnier than a foul-mouthed 2-year-old? A foul-mouthed 2-year-old named Pearl berating Will Ferrell on funnyordie.com.
94. Chris Lilley
For creating We Can be Heroes and Summer Heights High (especially Ja'mie and Mr G), we nominate the chameleon comic for Australian of the Decade. Sorry, Phil Olivetti.
95. Fashion-forward first ladies
French first lady Carla Bruni and US mum-in-chief Michelle Obama bring it to the fashion stakes like no-one since Jackie O.
96. Tell-all books
Andre Agassi, Marcia from The Brady Bunch, Mark Latham and a library of others grabbed attention by spilling their guts.
97. Slap Corey
A website allowed players to knock the yellow sunnies right off the Melbourne party brat's face.
98. Current-affairs corkers
OK, the lizard on Naomi Robson's shoulder as she reported Steve Irwin's death was pretty unforgettable, but for us the highlight of the decade was Tom Cruise telling 60 Minutes' Peter Overton to "put his manners back in." Repeatedly.
99. The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas
A man slaps an acquaintance's child at a suburban barbecue, setting into motion a damaging chain of events in the lives of the party guests. Melbourne author Tsiolkas's scalding 2008 exploration of friendship and family in contemporary Australia kept book clubs across the country buzzing.
100. The kiss in Spider-Man
Why is the rainy smooch between Spider-Man and Mary Jane from 2002 not corny? Even if she suspects he's Peter Parker, she doesn't try to find out. Sexy as hell.
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