Youthquake Time Warp: MTV Edition
A Noughties Girl Retrospect
As I continue looking back at the noughties' chaotic nostalgic wonderland (tonight I'll be your noughties girl, I’m calling all my girls), I decided to assign myself the task of re-watching previous awards show for fun and, of course, judgment. My curiosity wanted to see if I have any unlocked memories during this surreal time. Picking a specific awards show was easy; MTV was a tour de force then since music was still a focus and revenue-driving power. Sadly, I couldn’t find a full version of the MTV awards in 1998, the first time I watched both the movie and video music awards annually until it fell off years ago. I did manage to find the entire award show from the year 2000 on YouTube, so I decided to why not watch it and compare the parallels from then and now.
I was twelve and on the verge of turning thirteen. I was very impressionable and wanted to be as cool as my older sisters. They’re older, so they’re into more cool movies that introduced me to the modern stuff like Fight Club, American Pie, and She’s All That. Also, anything with Keanu Reeves. I recently discovered Britney Spears and *NSYNC just two years prior, so I found my niche in pop culture; little did I know that I’m still the same passionate fangirl.
Sisqó and Beyoncé co-hosted the pre-show while the main show featured some big industry names. For instance, Keanu Reeves, Janet Jackson, Adam Sandler, Aaliyah, Sarah Michelle Geller, Mel Gibson, Katie Holmes, Tom Green, Catherine Keener, Freddie Prinze Jr., Cameron Diaz, and more participated in the Culver City Sony lot taping. I mainly remember two things being phenoms that took over the year 2000 and beyond; one is Sex and the City, and the other is The Matrix.
I was only familiar with one during this time (we were too poor for HBO), and my older sister is a HUGE Keanu admirer. She rewatched Speed to the point that my mom hid the VHS; the same goes for The Matrix. She won’t like that I revealed that, but she doesn’t read my newsletters since she’s too busy being a rockstar mom to two kids with another on the way very soon. Not to get all Alice and losing focus, but I remember this award show vividly, primarily because of Carrie Bradshaw and Neo.
Sarah Jessica Parker was the hostess of the night and the awards opened with a parody short directed by Joel Gallen.
In short, Carrie awakens from a disco nap from a particular encrypted message from someone in ‘The Matrix.’ The short also stars a then SNL-starring Jimmy Fallon as Neo, Lawrence Fishburne as Morpheus, and Wanda Sykes as the Oracle (link below). The winner highlights are down below, which according to Variety, “the net has tallied 6 million online and 2 million through Blockbuster Video and via phone.”
Best Movie: The Matrix.
Best Male Performance: Keanu Reeves, The Matrix.
Best Female Performance: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Cruel Intentions.
Breakthrough Performance — Male: Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense.
Breakthrough Performance — Female: Julia Stiles, 10 Things I Hate About You.
Best Villain: Mike Myers, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Best Musical Performance: “Uncle F**ka,” Matt Stone, and Trey Parker in South Park.
Best Comedic Performance: Adam Sandler, Big Daddy.
Best On-Screen Duo: Mike Myers & Verne Troyer, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Best Kiss: Sarah Michelle Gellar & Selma Blair, Cruel Intentions.
Best Action Sequence: Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace, The Pod Race; George Lucas, director.
Best Fight: Keanu Reeves vs. Laurence Fishburne, The Matrix.
Best New Filmmaker: Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich.
It’s funny to re-live all these forgotten moments, including awards moments such as Tom Green presenting with Amy Smart and a coffee machine (I never understood his jokes or why he was funny, but I digress). I completely forgot about Ben Stiller’s dead-on impression as Tom Cruise’s reality-challenged stunt double Tom Crooze in a video bit that promos Mission Impossible: 2, which also starred the actor and director John Woo. The South Park creators contributed a segment in which characters from Gladiator and Battlefield Earth fight it out at the Coliseum; I already forgot this segment, again. There was also a parody of industry icon Bruce Vilanch starring David Cross that was something to fill air time; because that was a choice.
While the bit parts were forgettable, I remembered some moments. My favorite parts of the show back then are still my favorites now, aside from one particular one.
Seeing Keanu be Keanu is always a treat. Spike Jonze winning best filmmaker reminded me how early on I was fascinated by his work (John Malkovich was the oddest movie that I watched so young). Spike’s music videos for Fatboy Slim, Weezer, Sonic Youth, and Daft Punk were so memorable, so seeing that throwback was fun. The one moment I used to love was seeing *NSYNC but seeing it back now made me laugh. The captivating blinders are off; it was hysterical to see Justin Timberlake wear cornrows, and it’s living forever on Rihanna’s internet (see below). Upside Metallica and D'Angelo also performed.
Other notable things that I forgot about were previous celebrity couples like Sophia Coppola and Spike Jonze. Selma Blair and Jason Schwartzman. Also, Winona Ryder and Jimmy Fallon, albeit the latter, were brief from what I checked online. For research and also because of curiosity. The awards show sponsors included L’Oreal, Nike, Visa, and local air force recruiters. AALIYAH. Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx presented together, cue to many years later they dated secretly for six years. Nic Cage gruffly presented with a sore throat. Janet Janet emulates Morpheus. My other favorite thing was Sarah Jessica Parker as hostess. She was endearingly wholesome with the right amount of fun that made viewers fall in love with her as a forever fashion luminary.
SJP began the ceremony with a song parody of Pure Imagination about the love of films and then exclaimed, HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD with a genuine old-Hollywood type of earnestness.
Not to be ignored are the impressive fifteen wardrobe changes that SJP has throughout the award show. Her labels include Dolce & Gabbana, Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Norma Kamali, Calvin Klein, Christian Lacroix, Moschino, Prada, Jeremy Scott, Richard Tyler, Versace, and even an Alaska Thunderfuck worthy donkey mask. As you can tell, I’m indeed a fan. SJP won me over since I was a wee girl obsessed with her film, Girls Just Want to Have Fun (my condolences to Hocus Pocus). Below is a sartorial retrospective since the style parallels continue to blur, and it’s fun to reminisce.
⏳ You can watch the entire MTV Movie awards HERE; it’s utterly fascinating.
⚡ Are you a fan of pop culture? Let’s be friends!
🎥 Keeping with the movie theme, you know it’s time for The Trailer Round-Up.
Image courtesy of HBO/Warner Bros.
This two-part documentary by Emmy® and Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney is a searing indictment of Big Pharma. It reveals that America’s opioid epidemic isn’t a public health crisis that came out of nowhere.
Tommy Flanagan and George Kosturos in American Fighter. Image courtesy of Lionsgate.
Desperate for cash to save his deathly ill mother, college wrestler Ali (George Kosturos, American Wrestler: The Wizard) enters the hidden world of underground fighting. Ali shows promise, but he lacks skills and gets beaten bloody. Duke (Sean Patrick Flanery, The Boondock Saints), a troubled handler, takes pity on the boy and trains him to be a fierce competitor— but is it enough to make Ali a winner? This gritty action tale also stars Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy), based on a true story.
Margarete Schwarz in a FINAL ACCOUNT. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.
Over a decade in the making, ranging from former SS members to civilians— discuss their memories and perceptions of the Holocaust.
Andrew Garfield in Gia Coppola’s Mainstream. Image via IFC Films.
A young woman finds a path to internet stardom when she starts making videos with a charismatic stranger.
Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell both stars in this gripping new adventure film as Jack Halsey takes his wife (Romijn), their adult kids, and a friend for a dream vacation in Kenya. But as they venture off alone into a wilderness park, their safari van is flipped over by an angry rhino, leaving them injured but also vulnerably desperate.
I cannot wait to see Yelena Belova and Natasha Romanoff FINALLY.
At birth, the Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) was given to the KGB, which grooms her to become its ultimate operative. When the U.S.S.R. breaks up, the government tries to kill her as the action moves to present-day New York, a freelance operative. As a kid who loved Marvel, I’m excited about this! Those who don’t like Marvel keep scrolling. Lol.
Look out for my last bit of #SBIFF coverage coming soon!
With love, your noughties girl 💘