What were you doing in 2002?

We haven’t done this for a long time, mostly because these posts take a lot of time to prepare! But let’s step back in time, to 2002. Do you remember what you were doing? Let me put a rocket under your memory…..

2002 was the year terrorism got personal, when, still digesting the horrors of September 11 2001, we mourned 88 Australians killed by terrorist bombs in Kuta, Bali in October. The nation watched agog as Ansett Airlines collapsed, cheered when speed skater Steven Bradbury snared a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and Can-Canned into cinemas to see a post-Tom Nicole Kidman vamp it up in Moulin Rouge!

Debate raged on how to keep Australian borders safe and Prime Minister John Howard recommited to the war on terror, citing the Bali bombings as proof that no country was “immune” to terrorism.

World

Offshore, the Euro became the official currency for Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Austria.

East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, the United States ramped up security when President George W.Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law and French President Jacques Chirac was reelected, as was New Zealand’s Helen Clark.

French-Columbian politician Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped in Columbia by the Revolutionary Armed forces of Columbia (FARC) while campaigning for presidency and American Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was murdered in Pakistan.

Car and suicide bomb attacks in the Middle East became standard news fare, floods ravaged central Europe and the US Beltway Sniper attacks began in October, with ten fatal shootings over three weeks. Both the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret died.

Music

On the music front we grooved to Grammy song of the year Fallin’ by newcomer Alicia Keys, bopped to skater girl Avril Lavinge’s punk pop tune Complicated and watched songstress Christina Aguelera ditch the bubble gum pop image and get Dirrty:

In case some of them were a little forgettable (Holly Valance?) here’s ARIA’s top ten singles of 2002:

• –    Without Me, Eminem
• –    Whenever, Wherever, Shakira
• –   A Little Less Conversation, Elvis Vs JXL
• –    Dilemma, Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
• –    The Ketchup Song, Las Ketchup
• –    A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton
• –    Not Pretty Enough, Kasey Chambers
• –    Complicated, Avril Lavigne
• –    Hero, Enrique Iglesias
• –    Kiss Kiss, Holly Valance

Ipods were brand new with the second edition released in July, and although illegal music downloads were beginning to slow sales of CDs, the Itunes music store wasn’t on the scene until 2003.

TV & Movies

Halle Berry took out the 2002 Best Actress Oscar for Monsters Ball, Denzel Washington collected Best Actor for Training Day and A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connolly was voted Best Picture.

On the box we were loving Melbourne-based drama The Secret Life of Us, which won the Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series. Other gongs went to Big Brother for Best Reality Show and Rove Live for Best Light Entertainment Program. All Saints star Georgie Parker took home the Gold Logie.

And here’s what else we were watching at the movies.

• Chicago
• The Pianist
• The Hours
• Gangs of New York
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Catch Me If You Can
• Spider Man
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• About a Boy

Fashion

Australian fashion was having a moment with iconic collections from Sass and Bide, Akira and Easton Pearson scoring top points from critics.

Sydney socialite Terry Biviano debuted her sky high stilettos, Yves Saint Laurent retired from fashion aged 65 and supermodel Kate Moss, who led the style icon stakes and hadn’t yet been busted powdering her nose gave birth to her daughter with publishing powerhouse Jefferson Hack, Lila Grace.

We saw the introduction of skinny jeans, cargo pants and the boho-style meant we were all wearing embroidered peasant blouses, flouncy skirts and wide embellished belts. Cameron Diaz was a hit on the red carpet wearing Emanuel Ungaro and Gwenyth Paltrow made a memorable bra-less faux pas at the Oscars after party wearing sheer Alexander McQueen.

Sex and the City was in its fifth season, and was having a huge impact on fashion, we all wanted the nameplate necklace worn by Carrie, cameo brooches and flower corsages.  Nicole Kidman, was on a fashion roll after her 2001 divorce, was consistently named best dressed and Crocs came on the scene – a good or bad thing depending on where you sit on the plastic-clogs-with-holes-in-them scale.

[Thanks Lucy]

So. What was I doing in 2002? Lord, I’m a bit foggy. My son was starting school. I was coming out of a bit of a dark period and enjoying editing Cosmo although I was itchy for new challenges. I found them in Cosmo Pregnancy, Cosmo Brides and Cosmo Hair & Beauty which were labours of love for a while until advertisers jumped on board and they began to thrive.

Your turn. What happened to YOU in 2002?