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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Y2K Pop Culture

Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR

Books, Music, After Shows, Tv & Film, Film Reviews, News, Tv Reviews, Arts, Entertainment News, Music Commentary

4.510.6K Ratings

🗓️ 7 August 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We are 25 years into the 2000s, so we wanted to debate: what’s the most definitive piece of Y2K pop culture? We try to pinpoint the essence of that period when teens ruled the culture, viral internet memes first became a thing, and everyone was freaking out about stocking up on duct tape. We talk about Spice World, Get Over It, Britney Spears’ “Oops… I Did It Again” music video, and Janet Jackson’s “Empty.”

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for NPR and the following message come from the Walton Family Foundation, working to create access to opportunity for people and communities by tackling tough social and environmental problems.

0:11.5

More information is at waltonfamilyfoundation.org.

0:20.0

True story, a couple of years ago, American Girl introduced a pair of new historical characters from, wait for it, 1999.

0:30.6

The dolls accessories were as Y2K as they could possibly get. A Tamagachi, a purple inflatable chair, a portable CD player. Basically, my 11-year-old life.

0:40.7

I felt so old when I saw that. Now we're officially a quarter century into the 2000s, and it's

0:47.0

our turn to be a little bit nostalgic here on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. We're going to try to

0:51.7

pinpoint the essence of that period when teens ruled the

0:54.5

culture. Viral internet means first became a thing and everyone was freaking out about stocking up

1:00.2

on duct tape. I'm Aisha Harris and today we're debating what's the most definitive piece of

1:05.8

Y2K pop culture.

1:15.8

Support for NPR and the following message come from the Walton Family Foundation,

1:20.7

working to create access to opportunity for people and communities by tackling tough social and environmental problems.

1:23.1

More information is at waltinfamilyfoundation.org.

1:27.6

Join me today is Christina Tucker. She's the co-host of the podcast, Wait. Is this a date?

1:33.1

Hello, Christina. Hello, hello. Hello. Thrilled to be here. Thrill to have you here.

1:37.9

Also with us is culture writer Margaret H. Wilson. Hello, Margaret.

1:41.8

Hi, Aisha. Delighted to be here. It's so lovely to have you.

1:45.6

And making their pop culture happy hour debut, I am so excited, is the host of the podcast,

1:51.5

Pop Pantheon, DJ Louis the 14th.

1:54.7

Welcome to the show, Louie.

1:55.9

Aisha, this is a true honor.

1:58.0

Thank you so much for having me.

...

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