Kelly Rowland Texting On An Excel Sheet And 18 Other 2000s Music Video Moments That Will Live Forever In Infamy
Oh, the 2000s...what a time for music. And particularly music videos. There were SO MANY iconic videos, but I have to say...they didn't all age perfectly.
SME (on behalf of Jive);
Here are 19 music videos moments that looking back are awkward, cringe, ridiculous, or just sooo 2000s.
1.I gotta start with the iconic notepad-writing in Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" music video:
There were so many iconic things about this music video, from the Junior Jewels shirt to the giant fake glasses to the brunette mean girl Taylor to Taylor using the same dude from The Hannah Montana Movie. But the writing really takes the cake. WHY DID WE THINK THIS WAS THE MOST ROMANTIC THING ON THE PLANET?!? TEXTING EXISTS!
This lil' "sorry" expression...changed lives.
Big Machine Records, LLC
2.And also the ending, where the dude inexplicably also has a piece of paper that says "I love you":
Talking exists! This is so cheesy.
Watch the music video here:
3.In Nelly's "Dilemma" (ft. Kelly Rowland), when Kelly "texted" but was actually on an Excel sheet:
Did Nokias even have Excel access? Why would they do this? I don't even care though, because it has become high camp in modern times.
Watch the video here:
4.In the JoBros' "SOS," when Kevin receives this text:
I re-watched a LOT of Jonas Brothers music videos for this post, and it's kind of wild how in every single one, Kevin gets the stupidest bit. This is Kevin's big moment! It's his heart-breaking, Earth-shattering loss! And it's a text (that looks nothing like a text message, BTW) that says "I like u but...I don't like u." WITH AN ANALOG FROWNY FACE. And the worst part? I, too, had text message heartbreaks in 2007, so this was sadly relatable at the time.
Watch the video here:
5.In Justin Bieber's "One Time," when Usher calls Justin:
The number of times I played this back just to hear Justin talk...what was wrong with me?!? The dialogue is so awkward, and I'm obsessed with the fact that "Ryan" is a character in the music video we're somehow supposed to know, and then he remains completely silent and doesn't even appear in the rest of the video. Who is Ryan??? The world will never know.
Watch the music video here:
6.The intro of Rihanna's "Pon de Replay":
WHY IS PRE-VIDEO DIALOGUE ALWAYS SO AWKWARD? I'm obsessed with everything here, including the fact that there's no one on the dance floor, and you literally cannot hear the music.
Watch the video here:
7.This "badass" moment in Paramore's "Misery Business" music video:
Hayley Williams was THE "not like other girls" girlie in the 2000s. Gotta love this moment where she "beats" the hot girl by pulling out her chicken cutlets and wiping her face for a half-second, revealing how much makeup she was wearing with a grossed-out face....despite obviously wearing even more makeup herself. And yet at the time, this was such a "heck yeah, you show her!" moment.
Watch the video here:
8.Pink's music video for "Stupid Girls," which made fun of celebs that seemed like pretty obvious caricatures of Lindsay Lohan and other 2000s female celebs...:
If Hayley Williams was the queen of Not Like Other Girls girlies, Pink was the pop princess. This music video just comes across as mean-spirited now, but at the time it was like a feminist anthem.
9....including celebs with eating disorders:
The whole point of this is, like, OMG, how disgusting and embarrassing that women are doing this! Rather than focusing on the men or the society that causes it.
Watch the music video here:
10.Just *this* line and accompanying music video moment from Demi Lovato's "La La Land":
Demi was also a Not Like Other Girls girlie, but in a far less insidious way because she wasn't putting down other women. But still, the whole Converse-with-a-dress (and Converse in general) thing is SO 2000s "edgy" and ridiculous. I love the implication that the PR people are SHOCKED that Demi is wearing Converse, like, how DARE she?!?
Watch the video here:
11.Everything about the song and video for Katy Perry's "Ur So Gay," but especially this moment that shows the song is obviously about Pete Wentz:
First of all, the weird computer-generated background is so horribly 2000s, and I hate it. Second of all...this whole song is just a big "oof." It's just so randomly homophobic — like, where did this idea come from? And why does it go so actively hard against Pete Wentz? It's very awkward and cringy to watch back.
Watch the video here:
12.Lil Mama's mom's advice in the "Lip Gloss" music video:
Absolutely life-changing!!!! This song is about more than just lip gloss, you guys.
Watch the video here:
13.Britney using her perfume at the beginning of the "Circus" music video:
I'm including this one not even because it's awkward but because it is SO 2000s. Were you even a 2000s pop star if you didn't have your own perfume that was sold at Kohls? Britney had, like three, and two of them are featured right at the start of this video, because why not get an extra ad in there?
Watch the video here:
14.NSYNC's marionette dancing in the "Bye Bye Bye" music video:
This one's made even more iconic (and even more cringe) by the fact that it was copied on Glee. Why did we think this was SO cool at the time???
Watch the video here:
15.Avril Lavigne's random basket in the "Complicated" music video:
SME (on behalf of Arista)
I feel like Avril had just seen the Harlem Globetrotters. Why is there a basketball hoop? Why are they in a sports store? Why does she do this horribly unrealistic flip? I still thought it was cool at the time, but...why? Also, shoutout to the tie over the tank that was Avril's staple.
16.And when Britney Spears did the same in "Oops!...I did it again — but she did an outfit change mid-spin...:
SME (Jive Records)
17....quickly followed by Britney laughing as she pulls off an astronaut's helmet and his head blows up like a balloon:
WTF is going on here?
Watch the video here:
18.Some of the cards in the All-American Reject's "Dirty Little Secret" music video:
This music video is completely iconic, and the idea of putting secrets on postcards is genius. But some of the secrets...WTF??? I do not remember these from when I was obsessed with the video in the 2000s.
Watch the music video here:
19.And finally, just...the entire "Here We Go Again" music video.
Ok Go had four treadmills, a wrinkled photo backdrop, and a dream. It's so low-budget and yet...you know what, I'm gonna say this one is still iconic, even if it's a little awkward.