Word: y2k
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...cultural event, the turn of the millennium is starting to look pretty anticlimactic. NBC's much-hyped "Y2K: The Movie" was a bomb. According to the Los Angeles Times last week, sales for millennium shows and galas have been "tepid." The paper reports that "many worry that what was initially looked at as a historic payday may end up as a bad investment covered in confetti." Celebration 2000, a lavish event to be held at the Javits Center in New York, was cancelled after no one bought tickets. Even singer/songwriter/poet Jewel canceled her hometown New Year's Eve concert...
...convincing enough that we're willing to buy Jewel tickets, or dig a fallout shelter, or buy a round trip to Tahiti. Bad math notwithstanding, Americans are remarkably blase about Y2K. "Sarah, Plain & Tall," whooped "Y2K: The Movie" before Thanksgiving. Millennium-themed advertisements are almost universally regarded as lame. And even as Y2K computer problems are beginning to surface--people in Philadelphia have been getting jury notices for service in February 1900--there's not much excitement over the impending milestone...
...blame Hollywood and the travel industry for banking on Y2K mania. As P.T. Barnum said, no one has lost money overestimating the stupidity of the American public (or something like that). Americans have a long and proud history of buying into such nonsense...
What does this say about us? Is the media suddenly pulling through with some Y2K common sense? Has the wisdom of our leaders preventing the forecasted hysteria? Or are Americans simply unable to handle two holiday buildups at once--and have opted for Christmas consumerism over New Year's millennialism? Maybe all the Y2K anxiety the nation's pundits have been expecting will be condensed into the week between Christmas and New Year...
...probably not. The way it looks now, however many real computer problems Y2K causes the social delirium isn't going to happen. Buying stock in the local gas mask company seemed like a good idea a year ago. Every once in a while, though, depending on the stupidity of strangers isn't such a safe bet after...