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Thursday, May 24, 2012

CULTURE

Year in Review: The Biggest Pop Culture Trends of 2010

2010 kicked off the new decade with a bang, introducing some of the most memorable and unpredictable pop culture trends we’ve seen in years. If that pattern continues, the next nine years promise to follow quite the interesting direction. Here are our picks for the year’s five strongest pop culture trends, which—for better or for worse—are sure to stick around well into the future:


Bieber Is the New Betty

Bieber Is the New Betty

Betty White (Steve Granitz/Contributor); Justin Bieber Attends 'My Worlds The Collection' Photocall in Madrid (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images); Justin Bieber HMV Book Signing(Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

While we were hoping that former “Golden Girl” Betty White’s rise in popularity over the past couple of years would tip the scales in favor of maturity, it seems not even the world’s most beloved grandmother could tame the power of the Bieber in 2010. We’re referring, of course, to 16-year-old Justin Bieber, the pop-singing sensation who has tween girls cooing, teen boys copying his dance moves and grown men (ahem, Tom Brady) stealing the swanky Justin Bieber hairstyle.

Earlier this year, Justin Bieber’s second album, “My World 2.0,” debuted in the number-one position atop Billboard’s album chart, selling 283,000 copies in just its first week. He’s the youngest person to reach the chart’s peak since 1963, when legendary musician Stevie Wonder spent one week in the top slot.

Never Say Never 3D (provided by YouTube)

And if you think Justin Bieber seems larger than life now, just wait until he hits movie theaters early next year—in 3D. Despite the fact that Never Say Never 3D doesn’t premiere for another three months, Paramount (the studio behind the film) sold 26,000 of 100,000 tickets to February previews in just 12 hours.

You can, of course, buy almost any kind of Justin Bieber merchandise these days—there are Justin Bieber pillows, Justin Bieber laptop skins, Justin Bieber flower bouquets, Justin Bieber teddy bears, Justin Bieber Silly Bandz, a veritable army of Justin Bieber dolls and more. Here’s some of the Bieber fever we experienced on eBay, where online sales of "Justin Bieber" items are up almost six-fold and eBay listings are up almost eight-fold in a recent week (12/4-12/10) vs. a week-long period approximately a year prior:

 


 

 

Jersey Is the New Hollywood

Jersey Is the New Hollywood

Jersey Shore (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images); Jerseylicious (Jason LaVeris/Contributor); Jersey Couture (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

Who would’ve thought that Seaside Heights, NJ, could ever become the epicenter of the entertainment industry? Snooki, the Situation, Pauly D and Jwoww suddenly became household names when MTV's "Jersey Shore" premiered late last year and created something of a firestorm thanks to the cast’s controversial antics. But the reality TV series really took off when MTV moved the cast to Miami for the second season in 2010, proving that you can take the stars out of Jersey, but you can’t take the Jersey out of the stars.

 Speaking of which, other networks seem to have converted to the Jersey-style philosophy as well, moving their series far from the Hollywood Hills. The Style Network began airing “Jerseylicious”—following the employees of a Jersey-based salon—in March of this year. Not to be outdone, Oxygen premiered “Jersey Couture,” a show centered on a family-based retail boutique in Freehold, NJ. VH1 filmed five couples during their wedding preparations in—where else?—New Jersey for “My Big Friggin’ Wedding,” and TLC set up shop at Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken to shoot “Cake Boss.”

Even Jersey style has spilled over into mainstream pop culture. According to Spirit Halloween, “Jersey Shore”-inspired outfits competed only with Lady Gaga (more on her later) for the title of most popular Halloween costume this year. You can buy Snooki’s signature bouffant-style pouf or wear faux abs to mimic the Situation’s famed six-pack. And if you’re willing to shell out enough dough, you can even hire the stars to come to your own party: DJ Pauly D usually charges $40,000 for one two-hour appearance.

If that price seems a little hefty, check out these other trendy Jersey style items we found with a  simple search on eBay:

 


 

Motion Sensing Is the New Remote

Motion Sensing Is the New Remote

Kinect (courtesy of Microsoft); Wii (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images); Playstation Move (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images)

Remember the days when playing video games meant you plopped yourself down in front of a TV with a handheld device and didn’t move for hours? Well, those days are long gone: Not only have gaming systems like Wii and Playstation Move forced you up and off your bottom, but now the Xbox Kinect is getting you to drop that controller, too.

Perhaps influenced in part by the growing popularity of 3D-interactive movies, Xbox 360 Kinect’s technology tracks your skeletal movements rather than those of a remote, so it recognizes your own unique kick for a game like soccer or a dance routine. It also allows you to download and watch movies in HD, stream your favorite music and watch live sporting events, creating a virtual hub for all of your home’s entertainment. And because it also contains voice and facial recognition software, you can control all of that—games, movies, music, etc.—with verbal commands and body movements, no clunky remote required.

Sales of controller-based gaming systems like Playstation Move (which sold only one million units in its first month, according to Sony) and Wii have slowed; Nintendo even announced its company’s first profit loss in 2010, following six years of growth. This year, Nintendo’s Wii also fell from its position as the number-one gaming console to number three.

Meanwhile, Microsoft sold one million Xbox 360 Kinect units within 10 days of its November release. The latest numbers indicate that 2.5 million Kinects were sold within 25 days. That, Microsoft claims, puts them on track to reach their goal of moving 5 million units by the end of the year, and it also cements their status as the hottest gaming trend of the year.

Xbox Kinect is so popular that many are selling for far more than their $299.99 bundle price (that’s for the Xbox 360 console and the Kinect sensor). Here’s what we found on eBay, plus some games to go with the Kinect:

 

 

 

 

Costumes Are the New Red Carpet Style

Costumes Are the New Red Carpet Style

Lady Gaga (Kevin Mazur/Contributor); Katy Perry (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic); Ke$ha (Kevin Mazur/AMA2010/Contributor)

In 2010 alone, Lady Gaga wore the following ensembles: an Armani-designed halo-shaped gown to the Grammy Awards, a mini-dress fashioned from real human hair at a New York concert, a nude lace jumpsuit to her sister’s graduation ceremony and a dress made entirely of raw meat to the MTV Video Music Awards.

And though these the outfits aren’t necessarily the most figure-flattering, they always get Lady Gaga, for whom listings are up 68% on eBay, plenty of press—which is likely why so many other starlets have followed suit. See: Ke$ha’s grunge-and-sparkle numbers, Miley Cyrus’s newfound love of outrageous unitards and Katy Perry’s pastel, candy-coated confections.

Even Barbie’s getting in on the action: Beijing artist Veik has a famous Flickr album of the dolls he’s dressed as Gaga, and recently, perhaps inspired by Veik’s work, Entertainment Weekly published pictures of Barbies in some of Gaga’s most outrageous garments of 2010 (including the meat dress).

If you’re looking to make a fashion statement as big as these style stars, check out some of the cool costume-like fashions we located on eBay:

 


 

Underdogs Are the New Goliaths

Underdogs Are the New Goliaths

New Orleans Saints (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images); San Francisco Giants (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images); Yankees Lose (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

They said it could never be done: The long suffering New Orleans Saints (previously known to locals as the “Aints”) were fated to fall to Peyton Manning’s perpetual playoff team, the Indianapolis Colts. But on a now-legendary day in January 2010, the Saints—down by four points at halftime—started the third quarter with a surprise onside kick that put the black-and-gold back in the game. After a fourth quarter interception by the New Orleans Saints and a failed touchdown drive by the Indianapolis Colts, the Saints proved victorious in an unexpected 31-17 Super Bowl victory against the Colts. Celebrations erupted on Bourbon Street, and Mardi Gras – just over a week later – became known as “Lombardi Gras” to locals this year.

The former Aints may have inspired other teams to beat the odds later in 2010. Two underdog teams—Spain and the Netherlands—progressed to this summer’s World Cup Finals in South Africa. It was the first time in World Cup history that the final match did not include any of the world’s most successful teams: Brazil, Italy, Germany or Argentina. Then in the fall, two shocking World Series playoff upsets by the Texas Rangers  and the San Francisco Giants (who beat 2009’s championship teams the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies) led both underdogs to the 2010 World Series. (The Giants won.)

You can find an amazing selection of this year’s underdog team memorabilia with a quick search on eBay:

 

 

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3366b5c3-f4dc-4faa-b0b7-48673004d4ec Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:15:18 PST Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:15:18 PST
Roberta
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I can't wait to get my hands on the Kinect for the Xbox 360...that thing looks super cool. On a side note, Lady Gaga has some pretty crazy fashion sense, but her Little Monsters love her, myself included. When I went to her concert in July 2010, I saw a lot of fans dressed like her with their bodysuits and hair bows. She is definitely a polarizing force in the pop culture realm today. And there will never be another Betty White, she's a national treasure.

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We've unearthed the most stylish stuff on eBay according to the week's hottest trends.

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