Every decade has its own unique set of cultural influences and effects on society. From the popular music of the time, to the scientific advances that paved the way for future endeavors, each decade has left its mark on toady’s life, none of which are perhaps as easily recognizable of the previous decade. This post will explore the cultural aspects of the previous decade, how society, and its influences have shaped the world as we know it today, and how the legacies of the 2000’s have led to the world we have today. The Media is what shapes a society and its culture, and in the early 2000’s, media was growing at a rapid pace. With the internet on the rise, information was growing at a rapid pace. Even though it was still in its infancy, the internet allowed for a rapid sharing of information as well as broadened communication horizons. The internet also allowed for something never seen before: The rise of eSports. As multiplayer video games such as Counter-Strike, Quake, Halo, and the original DOTA were on the rise, early tournaments began to pop up, and gaming conventions such as Dreamhack allowed for numerous spectators to watch their favourite teams battle it out. The internet also allowed for information to be easily shared to the world, revolutionizing research and communication. It meant that students no longer had to resort to long library sessions and searching through endless amounts of books for information, they could now spend an hour or so online in order to do the research needed. The music and film industries also began to take advantage of the internet and its growing popularity. Early streaming services such as Napster and later SoundCloud allowed for an easier platform for music distribution, as well as giving rise to a number of smaller artists, allowing them to reach a larger audience than before, and video streaming sites such as YouTube allowed for a large spreading of amateur videos, as well as providing an outlet for larger companies to advertise on. The music of the decade allowed for the rise of many one-hit wonders in popular music, as well as a gradual shift of these genres. In the early days of the decade, the popular music was centralized around pop-punk and pop-rock genres, with artists such as Sum 41 and The All-American Rejects making a name for themselves through their energetic style and lyrics that resonated with most teens of the time. However, the popular genre eventually began shifting to songs with a more electronic influence, with artists such as Katy Perry beginning to dominate the charts, but the full scope of electronic music wouldn’t be recognized, at least by the mainstream media, until well into the following decade. Movies also saw major advancements during the 2000’s, mainly in the swift progression and adoption of CGI effects, as well as fully computer animated movies, as pioneered by Pixar and Disney. These, along with much newer approaches in storytelling, helped shaped many of today’s stories and cultural views. The mindset going into the 2000’s was hopeful and full of idealism. People believed they were moving into the future, as they were entering a new millennium, and with it, a new era of prosperity and wealth, and although that may have been true for the early parts of the decade, by the end, people’s ideas were brought down to reality, but in the harder times near the end of the decade, emerged something else. A sense of resilience that would last into the next decade, a mindset of perseverance and determination which would give way to some of the most important advancements of the present day both in science and culture.
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The following is an informative article about Duncan "Thorin" Shields, written for my media studies class. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/Thooorin
Duncan “Thorin” Shields is a Scottish eSports analyst and self-labeled “eSports Historian” known for his down to earth analysts and sarcastic personality. He is one of the premier analysts for eSports and is knowledgeable in several of the top eSports games, primarily Counter-Strike, DOTA 2, and League of Legends. Atop of his eSports casting, he also runs two YouTube channels: “Thorin”s Thoughts”, where he discusses pertinent topics involving various eSports (Roster changes, reflections on notable and historic games, criticisms of teams and players, etc.), and “Thorin’s Side”, a personal channel where he discusses non-eSports related topics in the same format as “Thorin’s Thoughts”. These topics vary greatly, from philosophy to general product reviews. Thorin presents his topics in a factual and well thought out manner, he always strives to present the most clear, and realistic viewpoint when looking at a topic, both eSports or otherwise. He will always try to look at both sides of a story, as well as try to build up as much context around an event or situation as possible (Good example being his re-visiting of the infamous Fnatic vs. LDLC boost during Dreamhack Winter 2014). However, his personal bias is clearly noticeable when analyzing a topic, and he is often known in the eSports industry for his witty and sarcastic attitude. Because of said attitude, he is often criticized for being unprofessional or taking his criticisms and banter too far. He is often known for being brash and outspoken, as well as often saying things that can be taken as quite offensive. He has built up a large following, and often appears as an analyst for most large eSports events, mainly large Counter-Strike Tournaments. Notable tournaments include ESL One Cologne (2016), ELeague Major (2017), MLG Columbus (2016), Dreamhack Winter (2013/14), and ESL One New York (2016). Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! This is the place where I'll not only be sharing my inner thoughts and musings. I'll be writing articles about various topics such as eSports, cars, politics, and other topics, as well as writing reviews for things like movies and music albums. This place will also be a dumping grounds for a lot of school projects and assignments. Articles of this nature will be marked so if you don't want to read what I'm currently writing about for school, it will be easy to find and ignore. Other than that, welcome, and enjoy!
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About Me:Welcome to my blog! Here you'll find various articles about all sorts of topics. Politics, Music, Video Games, eSports, and many other topics I feel the need to write about. Archives
February 2018
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