The good, the bad and the crazy

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The 2000s saw everything from politically charged celebrities rallying against their president to one of the most awkward interviews ever shown on TV.

Hereโ€™s a look at some of the most memorable moments of the past decade.

Important moments

1. Hollywood versus Bush

The Dixie Chicks stirred up a shitstorm of controversy when singer Natalie Maines announced to a London audience that she was โ€œashamed that the president of the United States is from Texasโ€ in March 2003. Death threats and destruction of CDs by bulldozers ensued.

Weeks later at the Oscars, documentary drama queen Michael Moore deemed Bush a โ€œfictitious presidentโ€ and cried, โ€œShame on you!โ€ as the get-off-the-stage music played in the background.

Others celebs like Woody Harrelson, Chrissie Hynde, Richard Gere, Robin Williams, Danny Glover and Jessica Lange were also adamantly opposed to the Bush administration.

2. Live 8

In July 2005, Bob Geldof tried to reclaim the glory of Live Aid by organizing a number of benefit concerts across various G8 nations.

Setting a goal to โ€œmake poverty history,โ€ the concert series came under fire for its limited and mediocre success and lack of follow-up action, making it seem like a publicity stunt for musicians worldwide โ€“ not the people dying below the poverty line.

3. Oscar firsts at the 74th Academy Awards

Hollywoodโ€™s finest watched as Halle Berry accepted her award for Best Actress in March 2002, making her the first African American woman to receive this acclaim.

That same year, Denzel Washington took home the trophy for Best Actor, while Sidney Poitier was given a Lifetime Achievement Award, earning the ceremony the short-lived and mildly offensive nickname โ€œThe Blackademy Awardsโ€.

The 74th Academy Awards also marked the first time the television broadcast had been produced by a woman.

Bizarre moments

1. MJ dangles baby

Whether he was simply sharing a glimpse of his beloved child with the fans outside or perhaps just going insane, Michael Jackson dangled his infant son over the balcony of his German hotel room in November 2002.

Definitely not the King of Popโ€™s finest moment โ€“though probably not the worst of his entire career โ€“ the baby dangling incident remains MJโ€™s biggest public faux-pas of the 2000s.

2. โ€œJoaquin, Iโ€™m sorry you couldnโ€™t be here tonightโ€

In one of televisionโ€™s most awkward moments ever, Joaquin Phoenix appeared on the David Letterman Show sporting dark glasses and a massive beard, only to remain in an unresponsive, zoned-out state throughout the entire interview.

Unaware of the film he was promoting or the general presence of Letterman himself, Phoenix only said anything when he was announcing his retirement from acting to pursue a new profession in hip-hop music.

A resounding โ€œwhat the fuck?โ€ echoed from TV watchers everywhere.

3. Britney finds true love…multiple times

On Sept. 18 2004, Britney and Kevin Federline joined together in the greatest trailer-park union since Ricky, Julian and Bubbles.

It ended after two years, two kids and so much drama that in retrospect, Britneyโ€™s 55-hour marriage to Jason Alexander earlier in 2004 seems like the more successful of the two.


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