From the frustrating ending of the TV show “Lost” and introduction to all things “Jersey Shore” to playing “Angry Birds” and hearing the sound of the vuvuzela, the start of the decade in 2010 was one for the books — though not the kind of book you’re especially proud of reading. What 2020 brings we don’t yet know, but here’s what had us all talking 10 years ago.
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
With the help of Facebook and other social media, it was easy to get a crowd of strangers together for a short and seemingly impromptu dance, buy-a-thon for a small business, or bizarre bit of performance art. But word spreading quickly was a blessing and a curse — one flash mob planned for the D.C. Metro system was canceled after getting too much media attention.
The iPad
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Believe it or not, this is when Apple rolled out the first iPad. Announced by Steve Jobs in January, pre-orders began in March and the device was released in the beginning of April. By the end of 2010, the tablet was outselling Macs.
With bacon, cheese, and sauce sandwiched between two fried chicken pieces as a substitute for a bun, the Double Down was called downright disgusting by The New York Times — but was popular enough for KFC to bring back a few times as limited edition spinoffs, including one version for a hot dog.
Amazon
The high school drama put musicals back in the spotlight. Every week it featured a relatable storyline that was worked out with a series of musical numbers, all of which fans freaked out over. Highlights included Madonna, Britney Spears, and some hits from Broadway features. Not only did the show take off in 2010, but cast-sung CDs topped the charts too.
‘The Jersey Shore’
Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images
This reality show highlighted East Coast style as a group of kids headed to the “Shore,” shared a house, and worked side by side for the summer. The world was enraptured and appalled by the amounts of bronzer, hair product, and outrageous behavior — hello fist pumping and GTL, for gym, tanning, laundry.
With the growing popularity of the skinny jean came the creation of jeggings — leggings designed to look like jeans, right down to faux pockets and belt loops — that lack the stiffness of denim. While many doubted this fad would last, 10 years later and jeggings are still a thing.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Who can forget the MTV Video Music Awards ceremony where Lady Gaga donned a dress made of raw meat? While organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals took offense, Gaga said it was a statement against the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy about gay soldiers. For her, wearing clothing made of meat (she had also worn a meat bikini) made the statement “I am not a piece of meat.”
‘The Walking Dead’
AMC
First airing on Halloween night, comic book-based “The Walking Dead” portrays what it’s like to live during the zombie apocalypse. With plenty of suspense, horror, and gore, it is still going strong and spawning spinoffs, while the comic book has called it quits.
Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe to Cheapism and get exclusive tips, top deals, and money-saving ideas sent directly to you.
Bed Bugs
Brian Kersey/Getty Images
The year 2010 wasn’t all fun and games. Reports of bedbug infestations soared, topping out at an 81% increase in calls for pest control since 2000. Hotels and motels were especially susceptible, as travelers spread them from location to location. Gross.
The Vuvuzela
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Thanks to the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa, the sound makers called vuvuzelas — a tradition in South African football — had a global moment as the deafening (literally) sound became an unofficial, aural mascot. Some loved it, some hated it, but everyone talked about it and it definitely became the sound that symbolized the year.
‘Toy Story 3’
Disney
The third installment of this Pixar saga did not disappoint. In this second sequel, the toys’ owner heads off to college and the main characters find themselves in a box at a day care. New characters got sprinkled in, adding life to a crowd and critic favorite. “Toy Story 4” followed this year, with similar hype.
It was also a time to say goodbye to pop culture, or at least a quizzical “Hmm?” The six-season phenomenon from J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof said its farewells, airing a last episode that didn’t garner quite as many viewers as the network had hoped and remains highly debated to this day. Meanwhile, stars such as Evangeline Lilly and Daniel Dae Kim pop up in Marvel flicks and series such as “The Good Doctor,” while Abrams and Lindelof remake franchises from “Star Wars” to “Watchmen.”
‘Angry Birds’
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Rovio
With the release of the iPad came many more apps and a surge in popularity for existing ones. “Angry Birds” literally took casual gaming to a new level. The game has been downloaded well over 50 million times, and several different versions have been released. The franchise now even sells clothing, merchandise, and finally got a movie in 2016 (and a sequel this year).
The Old Spice Guy
OldSpice/facebook
A brand that was dull for decades became news again with the help of ex-football star Isaiah Mustafa, the face of an ad campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl in February, followed by 5.9 million views on YouTube just on the first day. Old Spice suddenly was back as a leading brand for men, with sales up by 125%.
iPhones Costing $8 Million
Stuart Hughes
British jewelry designer Stuart Hughes made two iconic iPhone 4s that each held 500 diamonds; the home buttons were platinum, with 7.4 carat single cut pink diamonds. The cost for one of these devices was $8 million, a price made all the more astonishing by the fact that Apple releases new iPhone models every year; if you had enough money to buy one of Hughes’ designs, you’d also probably want the newest model phone when it came out just several months later to relegate your iPhone 4 to a drawer somewhere.
‘I’m with Coco’
Mike Mitchell
When NBC started switching its late-night lineup to boost ratings, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien were pitted against each other in a messy fight over who got what time slot. It ended with O’Brien leaving the network, later signing on with TBS is. Conan fan and L.A. designer Mike Mitchell created an “I’m with Coco” campaign in support, and it went viral.
OK Go’s Rube Goldberg Video
OK Go/youtube
For one amazing video that debuted at the start of the year, the band OK Go built a giant Rube Goldberg machine to run in time with its song “This Too Shall Pass.” One of many insanely clever, complicated videos for the band, it was an instant YouTube hit.
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’
Columbia Pictures
While author Stieg Larsson died in 2004, his revenge fictions “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played with Fire,” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” all made it to the screen in this single year. The leadoff Swedish film also did extremely well at the U.S. box office with subtitles, and the obsession continued the next year, when an English adaptation was released.
‘A History of Rap’
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Justin Timberlake visited Jimmy Fallon to promote the movie “The Social Network” but went about it somewhat obliquely — with four minutes of music medley called “A History of Rap.” It was an instant hit that led to five more installments. Er, lessons.
‘Teach Me How to Dougie’
Teach Me How to Dougie by Shawn ((CC BY-NC))
Perhaps the biggest dance move to hit was The Dougie, a homage to hip-hop star Doug E. Fresh. While there is some controversy over who started it, The Dougie took on a life of its own in song and videos. From Justin Bieber to sports stars to your grandma, everyone — and we mean everyone — tried The Dougie a few times, and some more than others.
Raechel Conover has been a staff writer for Cheapism since 2010. In that time she has written hundreds of stories and review articles for the website, many of which have also appeared on Yahoo, MSN, TIME, The New York Times and various other websites. She also played a key role in developing the Cheapism blog and served as the blog manager for a number of years.
Now with three young kids she remains a regular contributor to Cheapism.com. She’s a self-confessed shopaholic and frugal mom, always scouring the clearance racks for deals, utilizing local resale websites, and stacking coupons. When she isn’t writing or deal hunting, she can be found taking full advantage of free community activities and events with her husband and children.
Raechel has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications from The Ohio State University. Based in Dublin, Ohio, Raechel also does freelance writing work and social media consulting for local companies.
