Connect! Unite! Act! is a weekly series that seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups meet regularly to socialize, get out the vote, support candidates, and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers that be. Visit us every week to see how you can get involved!
It was the year 2002. The top movie of the year would be Spiderman starring Toby McGuire. Next in line? George Lucas with Attack of the Clones, a Star Wars film that couldn’t recapture the magic after the disappointment in Lucas’ story. By 2012, the top film in America and globally was The Avengers, and that series and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have continued to grow and dominate the box office. Depending on when you are born, 20 years is likely a major percentage of your life. Even though I’m just a few years away from 50, 20 years is still a big slice of my time breathing. This week on Connect! Unite! Act!, I thought I’d look back at some of the most interesting moments that really got us all talking.
Film, TV and Music
Daily Kos may have a lot to say about politics and news, absolutely. That doesn’t mean that film, television, and music aren’t part of the experience of being alive. Several of our groups and authors spend time specifically discussing fantastic music on Daily Kos. Both Black Music and An Ear For Music can give you ideas on where to go and find something great to listen to right now. True Blue Majority once asked: Have you ever loved a song without understanding the words? I have to admit, there are tons of them, from foreign rappers I can’t grasp (but love the beat) to Enya, who manages to put me to sleep and feel rested. (Hey, no mocking Enya.)
We’ve had discussions of films by decades. Lengthy discussions about the content of the film Frozen happened here on Daily Kos, and at least I found it fun! I’ve always found some of my best writing came around films because I love them so much. I still laugh a bit at Republicans trying to take on the Marvel Universe and getting burned.
When it comes to television, we’ve seen it all. Mark Sumner followed Game of Thrones for us (massive spoilers ahead). We debated the end of The Sopranos. Star Trek has a constant following here on Daily Kos.
The Koscars are coming!
If you haven’t participated already, we’re looking at nominations for the best snark that you read here in the last 20 years. You can learn more about that in True Blue Majority’s diary! You still have time to nominate someone who you think exemplifies great snark on Daily Kos.
Here is a sampling of 20 of the classics that have been nominated already, written by blueness, Fishgrease, freewayblogger, HeyThereItsEric, Hunter, InteGritty, jazzmaniac, JeffLieber, karateexplosions, Major Kong, OllieGarkey, and ShowerCap.
Abort, My Antifa Comrades! Operation: Bags of Soup Has Been Compromised!
Back in 1982 I was dealing acid at Jim Morrison’s grave when I first met Vladimir Putin
The day I took the cat to the park
DEMS SCREAM DEATH AS TRUMP GOES NUTS
Dispatch from the War on Christmas
Exclusive: Interview with the Devil
Fake Headline Pretending I Just Picked Or Switched My Candidate
Fishgrease: DKos Booming School
Great Moments In Foreign Policy As Read To Children
I now fear I may have been born in Kenya
In The Vaults Where the Dry Powder Is Stored
INAPPROPRIATE CAPS: Misleading title 4 exclamation points
The Itsy Bitsy Spider, explored and explained
Massive windspill reported in Southern California
Monty Python, Hellboy, & a Conquistador: I Swear I’m Not Making Any of This Sh*t Up
The Much Anticipated Sarah Palin Show
My friend just had a breakdown thanks to Sarah Palin
The plane just lands itself, right?
The unlikely redemption of Safety Spider
You Know, I Don’t Think This Trump Fellow Is Going to Work Out
Do you think someone is missing? Want to throw extra support behind one of these writers or stories? Feel free to comment in True Blue Majority’s post and we’ll help figure it all out!
While this is a 20th anniversary and I could use the year-end top song of 2002, I hate to use Nickleback’s “You Remind Me” as the first song I throw into a Connect! Unite! Act! So instead of just that, after taking into consideration multiple charts, post streaming, and multiyear success, the song I’m going to end with is Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”
I was definitely listening to something more like:
And:
What music, movies, and TV had you entranced in the last 20 years? For book fans: Don’t worry, we’ll get there in a few weeks!
What are you working on in your local area
to move our progressive agenda along?