The 21st century has been a fast-paced and ever-changing one. We see that television has become one of the major means of mass media communication. There have been several factors that resulted in the increased popularity of television during the 2000s. No matter if it is businesses, news, or tv shows, we see that there has been a major impact on the pop culture of the 2000s.
How Television Impacted Pop Culture During the 2000s?
Advancement in Technology
One of the main changes we oversaw in the 2000s was that there was a significant advancement in technology. The television networks were able to provide services without any lag or gaps. There was an uninterrupted system that allowed the users to stream their favorite shows. As a result of this, people were more inclined to the television for the purpose of entertainment. It is said that the decade of 2000s has been the start of the Golden Age of Television because this was the time when significant improvement in technology and media allowed the companies to revive them.
Before the year 2000, there were horizontal lines of resolution while the video quality displayed was based on the analog video style. The use of VCRs was common all over the world which had 250 lines of resolution which provided 440 pixels. Post-2000s, we saw the arrival of DVD players which could connect to a television and allow you to stream your favorite movies in better quality at your home. Other aspects such as contrast ratio adjustment, screen definition adjustment, and pixel management were also made possible during the 2000s decade.
Availability of Television
Another great thing about the 2000s was that before this time, people did not have easy access to television. Being very expensive, only a few were able to actually afford the television. Some people bought televisions which were quite small in size and aspect ratio. They did not provide as much clarity nor were they sufficient enough that a whole family could watch the television on its own.
However, post-2000s, we saw that television is becoming more widely available. One of the main reasons for this is that companies like Samsung, Panasonic, LG, and Nobel were involved in the research and development of television. Advancement in technology provided the companies with better options for the production of television which did not only allow them to get cheaper with the cost but the quality of television was also improved. As a result, television was available to a mass audience. More people started to buy them and many companies entered the industry creating a competitive business environment forcing price cut downs.
TV Shows
One of the main influences of television on Pop Culture of the 2000s was with the help of TV shows of the decade. Famous TV shows like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, How I Met Your Mother and many others were aired during this decade. The unique part was that the comedy genre was one of the most popular ones in the 2000s. People were more interested in various forms of comedy. This was the time when the best comedy tv shows of all time were produced.
The TV shows of this era were impacting pop culture as the trend of watching them increased significantly. Shows such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and How I Met Your Mother enhanced the importance of group and friends. They promoted social relationships and presented the everyday matters being faced by fresh adults in a hilarious manner.
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Availability of Internet
A major influencing factor that led to the development and promotion of television all over the world was the availability of the internet. With the arrival of the internet, television could be streamed online as well. Different networks were starting their online live streaming services. Monitor-based systems were starting to gain popularity in this era and it helped out the online television services as well.
Simultaneously, dish networks also helped out as they were transformed into HDTV networks. The main impact on the pop culture of the 2000s was the fact that there was a large increase in hours available on television due to the arrival of more television networks. Some channels were only made with the purpose to handle individual viewers’ requests. These channels used to run particular shows and movies at specific times and charged the viewers for that.
Competition Shows
Quite a new thing which attracted the audience right away was the arrival of different types of competition shows. American Idol started in 2002 which was focused on contestants who would present their talents while being judged by a panel. The people were shortlisted based on their talents with competition on quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the Final which would result in the presentation of American Idol. Similarly, there were other such shows during this time such as “Dancing with the Stars” which was more focused particularly on dancing as a competitive aspect and started in 2005.
Despite the competition shows being quite successful, there were controversies related to them as well. For example, Blue Peter was one of the longest-running children’s programs which also offered in-show competitions for the viewers. During 2005, a phone call that came for a competition turned out to be a fake and rigged phone call. As a result, it sparked a huge debate, and later, Blue Peter was fined over £50,000.
These competition-based shows got many channels with substantially higher ratings such as FOX which got increased ratings after American Idol was aired. The viewers were more interested in these shows because of the interactive experience. The shows requested the viewers for polling so that they could share their opinion and get their favorite contestants to win. With the presence of the internet and little awareness on social platforms, many people used to share their thoughts and who they wanted to win. It became quite an interesting phenomenon of the decade which we can still see.
Strict Rules for Broadcasting
A major change in the 2000s which was influencing pop culture as well as impacting how producers and actors went along with the shows was when there were strict rules for broadcasting. In earlier times, the rules were not so strict because the shows as well as the actors were not doing anything controversial that would ruin their image. However, during the 2000s, several such incidents occurred forcing the authorities to be more vigilant and keep a check on television.
One such incident was the Super Bowl XXXVIII Controversy which occurred on February 1, 2004. During the halftime show, the singer Janet Jackson had her breast visibly shown with a nipple shield for a split second and was exposed by the singer Justin Timberlake. Although it was referred to as a “wardrobe malfunction”, the actions caused a huge controversy and led to an immediate crackdown on the indecency that was being shown in broadcasts. Simultaneously, there was a show called Jerry Singer: The Opera. Even though it was quite successful and racked up many awards, it also became the show that received over 55,000 complaints making it one of the most complained about television events.
By May 2005, the Advertising Standards Authority came across several complaints of advertisers misusing the advertising space. For example, the Crazy Frog advertisements were displayed too much. According to one survey, there were more than 2700 advertising slots daily which led to the majority of the people watching the show at least 26 times. This became annoying for the viewers and action was then taken to shut down all such forms of advertising which were being “overdone”. After all, it didn’t matter that the price for advertising slots was paid. What mattered was how well was the viewer’s experience.
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Conclusion
The pop culture of the 2000s was one of the most dynamic ones as it changed and got influenced by television quite often. With the presence of television as well as the increased development of television channels, shows, and streaming services, we saw a major increase in television viewership. As a result, pop culture was heavily influenced in the numerous ways mentioned above.