Popping off: Casting a net over pop culture 2003

Kirk Baird

Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2003 | 8:19 a.m.

The year 2002 gave us an "Idol" to remember and an idol to cringe at: Kelly Clarkson and Michael Jackson, respectively.

The year taught us a new set of family values, courtesy of "The Osbournes" and the value of Saks Fith Avenue merchandise, thanks to Winona Ryder.

It was a great year to be a movie studio executive, especially if you worked for Sony, Fox and Warner Bros., the studios behind the year's top three films: "Spider-Man," "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

And 2002 marked a further shift in home-entertainment equipment as VCR sales were down 29 percent from the previous year, while DVD sales almost doubled from 2001: $8.9 billion in 2002 compared to $5.4 billion in 2001.

With the spectre of Sept. 11 fading, the nation again returned to mindless pursuits and interests (see Winona) that define pop culture.

With that in mind, the following is a brief glance to the year ahead to what should be some of 2003's more interesting stories:

Prediction: The twice-married Lopez's impending nuptials are in deeper peril than her box-office clout. Americans can't get enough of the bona fide movie star and sometime recording artist at least, not yet.

Prediction: A careful reconstruction of her career begins in 2003. She's wiser (hopefully) about her movie choices and she still has the the looks and sex appeal to carry it off.

Prediction: 2004's "Shrek 2" cannot get here soon enough for moviegoers or Murphy's career.

Prediction: Martin again classes up the Oscars and scores -- however moderately -- with "Picasso."

Winona Ryder: So it wasn't the best year for Hollywood's Most Wanted. But the talented actress should be OK. She's keeping a low profile in 2003 with no projects scheduled so far. It's just as well.

Prediction: Shoplifters of the world unite, and all will be forgiven for Miss 10-Finger Discount. Just take a cue from Demi Moore and lay low a while.

Celine Dion: The Canadian pop diva's Las Vegas show opens March 23 at Caesars Palace, making her the only Strip performer with music on the charts. While her Lake Las Vegas neighbors may have successfully fought Dion on keeping a helicopter pad at her home, the songstress will have a much easier time in Las Vegas.

Prediction: Dion's show will be a success, giving her a cozy retirement option for when she really needs it.

"The Osbournes": When MTV's highest-rated series debuted early last year, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack were a must-see spectacle of familial angst and love. They were, for better or worse, as real a family as TV has ever produced. This year, though, much of the show's charm has been lost as the series' stars -- namely Kelly and Jack -- have become too aware of the cameras. The show is less about the daily life of an eccentric family now than the daily life of two stardom-starved kids and their enabling parent (Sharon). With Sharon's battle with colon cancer a focal point, however, the show does retain a touch of humanity amid the chaos.

Prediction: Once the show is retired for good at the end of the season, Kelly's singing career will fizzle and Jack will be looking for a new up-and-coming performer to manage. Ozzy will continue to tour, riding the success of "The Osbournes" and his status as heavy metal's elder statesman. And Sharon, whose own daytime talk show debuts in syndication in the fall, will do well enough on her own. After all, she's the brains in the family.

"American Idol": Desperate for a ratings hit, on Jan. 21 Fox returns to the reality-TV well in search of America's latest pop sensation. Even Fox network executives have acknowledged the second season of "Idol" won't be as big a draw as the first season. The previous "American Idol" faced lackluster competition in the summer and had the novelty factor in its favor.

Prediction: While not quite the ratings-grabber as its predecessor, the "American Idol" sequel will win its time slot and spawn a third season. Its CBS competition, however, a prime-time revival of "Star Search," won't fare so well without the Simon factor, the "Idol" judge we hate to love.

Reality TV: "Joe Millionaire" premiered Monday on Fox; "Fear Factor" is on NBC as well. There's a new version of ABC's "Mole," featuring B- and C-list celebs coming this month; and the father of today's reality-TV craze,"Survivor," returns in February with a new set of contestants and a new locale, the Amazon.

Prediction: The reality-TV boom, while slowing down, hasn't run its course. "Survivor: Thailand" was a top-10 show, and "Joe Millionaire," as devious as its intention (duping would-be brides into believing their Prince Charming is a millionaire, when he's really a construction worker) will entice enough viewers for Fox executives to consider it a success. Which brings us to ...

Fox: There's very little Fox won't stoop to for the sake of a Nielsen share. A history of "When Animals Attack" and "Alien Autopsy" prove that. Still, Fox was the first network to take a chance on prime-time animation, "The Simpsons," and this season renewed the critical fave "24," gambling that viewers would eventually discover the real-time drama. They were right. But a bruising list of cancellations -- "Firefly," "girls club" "The Grubbs" -- and underachievers ("Fastlane") have put the big hurt on the network. The network is betting on the return success of "American Idol" and its new series "Joe Millionaire" to offset its miscues.

Prediction: Both "Idol" and "Joe" come through. And with "The Simpsons" posting its best ratings numbers in years -- the show is again in the top 10 -- as well as the success of "24," Fox will do OK.

Movies: "The Hulk," "X Men 2," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and the two "Matrix" sequels are all coming to the big screen in 2003, in what's shaping up as a bigger year than the 2002's record numbers: more than $9 billion.

Prediction: Hollywood outdoes itself, money-wise, with another record box-office haul. It doesn't hurt that movie tickets are also nearly twice as expensive as they were a decade ago.

SACD/DVD-Audio: On a technological front, a small format war has been brewing: Super Audio CDs vs. DVD-Audio. Consider it this decade's version of Beta vs. VHS, with as much at stake. And just as the battle for VCR-format supremacy, Sony is anchored on one end (SACD) and just about every other electronic giant on the other (DVD-Audio). Only this time Sony may be victorious.

Prediction: The format scuffle is too confusing for the average consumer, who simply wants to play music in their home, car and portable CD players. SACD can do all of that without a costly upgrade.

"The Legend of Zelda": Nintendo's "Zelda" series was a revolution in the adventure/role-playing genre when it first bowed for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. And with every new system Nintendo has introduced, "Zelda" has broken ground in terms of both graphics and gameplay. "The Legend of Zelda" (as it's tentatively titled) for the GameCube is no exception. Due to hit stores in late March, "Zelda" has a new look -- similar to a cartoon -- which lends itself to more expressions and character emotions. The graphics again push state-of-the-art, while the game itself takes place over land and sea.

Prediction: In the past "Zelda" has been good enough to coax gameplayers to purchase a Nintendo over rival systems from Sony and Sega. Expect this "Zelda" to be no exception. Nintendo's flagship title (other than the plumber Mario) will increase the GameCube systems sales, while winning a few major gaming awards in the process.

Spam: Other than a computer virus, there's probably nothing more detestable online than spam. It can fill e-mail accounts and can overwhelm business networks. And does anybody care that "Tina" is hot and has the pictures to prove it? But there is good news to weary e-mailers. The European Union recently approved an electronic communications and data privacy law for this year, which will make it illegal for companies to spam individuals without their prior consent. And two years ago the Senate created the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN SPAM) Act, which would require all unsolicited e-mail to have a return address for removal requests. The bill will be voted on this year.

Prediction: Similar to annoying telemarketers, spam isn't going away. But there are more and more methods to combat them.

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