If Fads Lived Up To The Hype!!!
- Thread starter Mr_ Bondoc
- Start date
Does Herman Cain succeed her in 2011?
Actually given the events it seems the US experienced some sort of major change to its electoral system/government. Maybe something happened in the '70s that made the US political system more along the lines of say, Italy?Two things that don't make sense to me (i.e. I don't get jokes):
* Coke II? Alongside New Coke? What is Coke II in this timeline? Is it just a re-branded form of Classic Coke, or is it yet another formula of Coke because New Coke was so popular? My mind cannot wrap around this situation.
* Joey competing with Studio 60? Joey, a spin-off of Friends, aired on NBC. Presumably, Studio 60 would be airing on a competing network, instead of NBC, as in OTL. Although, I guess it's conceivable that NBC is so popular here that they have two broadcast networks somehow. XFL, of course, was also an NBC venture, meaning they might have *three* broadcast networks in this timeline.
By the way, if Joey is in its thirteenth series, and it premiered at the same time as OTL (2004), then the skit would be set in 2016-2017. Which would put a damper in the idea of Howard Dean being elected in 2004 (2008 is the earliest). Unless he's a former President when he died. Or unless Joey premiered in 1995 (Friends doing horribly after one season, but spins off into the uber-successful Joey?).
* Coke II? Alongside New Coke? What is Coke II in this timeline? Is it just a re-branded form of Classic Coke, or is it yet another formula of Coke because New Coke was so popular? My mind cannot wrap around this situation.
* Joey competing with Studio 60? Joey, a spin-off of Friends, aired on NBC. Presumably, Studio 60 would be airing on a competing network, instead of NBC, as in OTL. Although, I guess it's conceivable that NBC is so popular here that they have two broadcast networks somehow. XFL, of course, was also an NBC venture, meaning they might have *three* broadcast networks in this timeline.
By the way, if Joey is in its thirteenth series, and it premiered at the same time as OTL (2004), then the skit would be set in 2016-2017. Which would put a damper in the idea of Howard Dean being elected in 2004 (2008 is the earliest). Unless he's a former President when he died. Or unless Joey premiered in 1995 (Friends doing horribly after one season, but spins off into the uber-successful Joey?).
Does Herman Cain succeed her in 2011?
Maybe Herman Cain is the Vice-President! It would certainly make sense in the context of things...
* What about ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) of c. 1978?
* You also had a proposal for a "Flag-Burning" Amendment to the U.S. Constittution in c. 1991...
* Reagan Also proposed a Balanced Budget Amendment in c. 1985...
Any of these items could make things weird for the ATL...
Don't forget, you also have the possibility of the UPN, PTN (UPN's predecessor), the WB, and the CW!! You could certainly have the spinoffs take place there...
Another cool thing about the ATL, Joss Whedon shows would certainly last more than 2 seasons on FOX-TV....
If we're going to talk fashionable ideas/movements:
* Electronic Democracy passed in early 1990s as part of "information super highway" under Perot..
* Alter globalization movement rises to prominence in the 1990s, blocking NAFTA and other Free Trade agreements...
* Environmentalism has a brief flash of relevance under President Nader...
* FAIR Tax amendment signed into law in 2009 under President Palin, repealing the 16th amendment and replacing all federal taxes with a national sales tax of 23%...
* Tea Party, Coffee Party and Occupy Wall Street all clash on the streets...
Obviously again, the US has some sort of multiparty system (proportional representation? IRV?) that makes volatile shifts in government much more common given the shifts from people like Perot to Nader to Palin...
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I think we can move this to the "After 1900". In the meantime, here are a few PODs that should make things weird on an international level:
* Iraq gains the nuclear bomb c. 2003/2004... Nuff' Said...
* Vladimir Zhrinovsky, Russian ultra-nationalist comes to power in c. 1994
* Hugo-Chavez led ALBA challenges FTAA, effectively dividing all of Latin America into 2 political/military camps in c. 2004...
* South Africa falls apart due to Afrikanner-led "war for homeland", c. 1995...
* Quebec independence in c. 1994...
As for more domestic issues:
* "WWJD" bracelets (e.g. "What Would Jesus Do"), c. 1998
* "Freedom Fries", c. 2002
* "Promise Keepers" , c. 1998
* Woodstock II and Woodstock III...
* Satanic cults , c. 1983-1985
* Collapse of U.S. auto industry , c. 2009
Given the media hype about the resurgent far right in Europe and militias during the 1980s and early 1990s in particular, I'm guessing countries like the UK, France, Germany, (northern) Italy, etc. are either fascist hell holes or have worse problems with those groups while the US struggles with extremism at home? Actually come to think of it, given the POD this is starting to resemble V for Vendetta (2005) in some ways...
I like it!! throw in the political correctness of Demolition Man and the chaos of Blade Runner for good measure....
Well, Demolition Man had Taco Bell taking over the fast food industry as the sole-survivor of the franchise wars, (implied) mass privatization and President Schwarzenegger at some point. And Blade Runner had AT&T, Atari and a bunch of other bankrupt/defunct companies still alive and well in a hyper-globalized, polluted, Japan-dominated 2019...
Well, I love the ideas about the rise of the far right-wing in Western Europe. It definitely touches on stuff mentioned in the Eclipse trilogy by John Shirley. As such, some other PODs:
* War in the Balkans has to collapse in "Vietnam War fashion" until c. 2004,...
* North Korea has to start a Second Korean War in either 1994 or 2004....
* India and Pakistan border conflict over Kashmir has to go nuclear in c. 2000/2001...
* China suffers a SARS-based influenza pandemic in either 1994 or 2004
* Mexico collapses in c. 1994 due to the Zapatistas, drug cartels take over the region in c. 2008, sparking civil unrest and panic...
* War in the Balkans has to collapse in "Vietnam War fashion" until c. 2004,...
* North Korea has to start a Second Korean War in either 1994 or 2004....
* India and Pakistan border conflict over Kashmir has to go nuclear in c. 2000/2001...
* China suffers a SARS-based influenza pandemic in either 1994 or 2004
* Mexico collapses in c. 1994 due to the Zapatistas, drug cartels take over the region in c. 2008, sparking civil unrest and panic...
Here are some PODs that should show that things could have gotten weird with fads that were over-hyped:
* The Playboy Club (NBC-TV) (2011)
* "Friday" by Rebecca Black (2011)
* The Adventures of Pluto Nash starring Eddie Murphy (2002)
* Heroes Reborn (1996/1997)- Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee restart the Marvel Universe
* Jerry Springer (D-OH) announces his U.S. Senate bid in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2003...
* The Playboy Club (NBC-TV) (2011)
* "Friday" by Rebecca Black (2011)
* The Adventures of Pluto Nash starring Eddie Murphy (2002)
* Heroes Reborn (1996/1997)- Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee restart the Marvel Universe
* Jerry Springer (D-OH) announces his U.S. Senate bid in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2003...
Which always amuses me since where I live there is not A.Single.Taco.Bell.
Oh but we have like 3 McD's at least 2 A&W's, Burger Kings and basically any other fast food joint. Except.Taco.Bell
Here are some events, that never delivered:
* Michael Jordan leads the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series in c. 1995-1998
* Pro-football/baseball player Bo Jackson dazzles the sports world in c. 1994-1996...
* Anna Kournikova dazzles the teenis world, c. 2002-2007...
* David Caruso becomes a movie star c. 1994-1997
* Michael Jordan leads the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series in c. 1995-1998
* Pro-football/baseball player Bo Jackson dazzles the sports world in c. 1994-1996...
* Anna Kournikova dazzles the teenis world, c. 2002-2007...
* David Caruso becomes a movie star c. 1994-1997
Something that would make the ATL divergent is the is "cold fusion" being confirmed by Pons/ Fleischmann in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1990. This would certainly allow for greater independence from foreign oil than in OTL...
Here are some failed and over-hyped cultural trends that certainly would make things interesting:
* Amerika (ABC-TV, 1987) television mini-series about Soviet occupation of the United States actually becomes a major hit...
* Actor Ben Affleck and Actress Jennifer Lopez are married in Beverly Hills, California, sparking international attention in 2003....
* M. Night Shamlayan launches the blockbuster franchise The Last Airbender in 2010, bringing interest to the anime series...
* Actress Elizabeth Berkley, becomes a star after the film Showgirls launches her career in 1995....
* Dean Devlin/ Roland Emmerich launch the Godzilla film franchise, sparking renewed interest in the genre in 1998...
* Amerika (ABC-TV, 1987) television mini-series about Soviet occupation of the United States actually becomes a major hit...
* Actor Ben Affleck and Actress Jennifer Lopez are married in Beverly Hills, California, sparking international attention in 2003....
* M. Night Shamlayan launches the blockbuster franchise The Last Airbender in 2010, bringing interest to the anime series...
* Actress Elizabeth Berkley, becomes a star after the film Showgirls launches her career in 1995....
* Dean Devlin/ Roland Emmerich launch the Godzilla film franchise, sparking renewed interest in the genre in 1998...
Here are some pre-1985 PODs to make sure that should serve as flags of the ATL:
* Killer bee scares begin throughout the American Southeast in c. 1978
* Fire ant scares begin throughout the American Southwest in c. 1977/1978
* U.S. Metric-system conversion campaign launched in Washington D.C., c. 1975-1982
* Can't Stop the Music starring the Village People and Bruce Jenner, makes its hit film debut in 1980...
* Inchon directed by Mitsuhara Ishi, starring Laurence Olivier as Douglas Macarthur, makes its hit film debut...
* Killer bee scares begin throughout the American Southeast in c. 1978
* Fire ant scares begin throughout the American Southwest in c. 1977/1978
* U.S. Metric-system conversion campaign launched in Washington D.C., c. 1975-1982
* Can't Stop the Music starring the Village People and Bruce Jenner, makes its hit film debut in 1980...
* Inchon directed by Mitsuhara Ishi, starring Laurence Olivier as Douglas Macarthur, makes its hit film debut...
Here is a rough outline for the ATL:
1975: U.S. Metric-system conversion campaign launched in Washington D.C.
1976-1979: Swine Flu Pandemic grips United States, Russia, China. Cold War finally ends as USSR and PRC regimes implode.
1977/1978: Fire ant scares begin throughout the American Southwest
1978: ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) ratified. Killer bee scares begin throughout the American Southeast
1980: Betamax dominates the market. John Anderson elected President. Can't Stop the Music starring the Village People and Bruce Jenner, makes its hit film debut.
1982: Inchon directed by Mitsuhara Ishi, starring Laurence Olivier as Douglas Macarthur
1983: Emergence of Satanic cults across America
1984: Mirage comics makes its hit debut. Gary Hart elected President.
1985: New Coke makes its debut; old Coke formula re-christened "Classic Coke."
1985: Balanced Budget Amendment ratified to the U.S. Constitution...
1987: Amerika (ABC-TV) television mini-series about Soviet occupation of the United States actually becomes a major hit
1988: Gary Hart re-elected President.
1989: Killer Bee infestations become more pronounced; Power-Glove becomes top selling item.
1990: "Cold Fusion" being confirmed by Pons/ Fleischmann in Salt Lake City, Utah
1991: "Flag-Burning" Amendment to the U.S. Constittution
1992: Crystal Pepsi makes its debut, soon devouring up more of the market share.
1992: Ross Perot elected President. Valiant and Image Comics make their hit debuts amidst a booming independent comics industry.
1993-1994: Blind Melon makes their hit debut, signaling explosion of "grunge" genre. Internet dead as AOL network spreads.
1994: Vladimir Zhrinovsky, Russian ultra-nationalist comes to power in Moscow. Quebec independence. David Caruso becomes a movie star. Pro-football/baseball player Bo Jackson dazzles the sports world.
1995: Nintendo VirtuaBoy console makes its hit debut, part of a new wave of VR. Controversy over unauthorized pornographic content spreads - 2nd Sexual Revolution underway. Waterworld makes its hit debut. Actress Elizabeth Berkley, becomes a star after the film Showgirls launches her career. South Africa falls apart due to Afrikanner-led "war for homeland". Michael Jordan leads the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series.
1996: Ross Perot re-elected President. Comics crash averted. Heroes Reborn (1996/1997)- Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee restart the Marvel Universe.
1998: Dean Devlin/ Roland Emmerich launch the Godzilla film franchise, sparking renewed interest in the genre. "WWJD" bracelets (e.g. "What Would Jesus Do") and "Promise Keepers" become popular.
1999: The Phantom Menace makes its hit debut. Sega Dreamcast solidifies Sega as video game industry leader.
2000: Y2K virus signals economic crash. Ralph Nader elected. XFL makes its hit debut. "O-Town" forms signaling pop-punk revival (note: different band than OTL).
2001: India and Pakistan border conflict over Kashmir goes nuclear....
2002: Friendster and Zune make their hit debuts. Vanilla Coke makes its hit debut. "Freedom Fries" make their debut. Anna Kournikova dazzles the tennis world. The Adventures of Pluto Nash starring Eddie Murphy
2003: SARS virus signals further trouble for global economy. Actor Ben Affleck and Actress Jennifer Lopez are married in Beverly Hills, California, sparking international attention. Iraq gains the nuclear bomb. Jerry Springer (D-OH) announces his U.S. Senate bid in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2004: Howard Dean elected President amidst global political turmoil. Hugo-Chavez led ALBA challenges FTAA, effectively dividing all of Latin America into 2 political/military camps
2003-2007: "Flexisexuality" trend spreads as "3rd Sexual Revolution" occurs.
2009: FAIR Tax amendment signed into law under President Palin, repealing the 16th amendment and replacing all federal taxes with a national sales tax of 23%. Collapse of U.S. auto industry.
2010: M. Night Shamlayan launches the blockbuster franchise The Last Airbender
2011: "Friday" by Rebecca Black makes its hit musical debut. The Playboy Club (NBC-TV) makes its hit television debut.
* War in the Balkans has to collapse in "Vietnam War fashion" until c. 2004,...
* North Korea has to start a Second Korean War in either 1994 or 2004....
* China suffers a SARS-based influenza pandemic in either 1994 or 2004
* Mexico collapses in c. 1994 due to the Zapatistas, drug cartels take over the region in c. 2008, sparking civil unrest and panic...
1975: U.S. Metric-system conversion campaign launched in Washington D.C.
1976-1979: Swine Flu Pandemic grips United States, Russia, China. Cold War finally ends as USSR and PRC regimes implode.
1977/1978: Fire ant scares begin throughout the American Southwest
1978: ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) ratified. Killer bee scares begin throughout the American Southeast
1980: Betamax dominates the market. John Anderson elected President. Can't Stop the Music starring the Village People and Bruce Jenner, makes its hit film debut.
1982: Inchon directed by Mitsuhara Ishi, starring Laurence Olivier as Douglas Macarthur
1983: Emergence of Satanic cults across America
1984: Mirage comics makes its hit debut. Gary Hart elected President.
1985: New Coke makes its debut; old Coke formula re-christened "Classic Coke."
1985: Balanced Budget Amendment ratified to the U.S. Constitution...
1987: Amerika (ABC-TV) television mini-series about Soviet occupation of the United States actually becomes a major hit
1988: Gary Hart re-elected President.
1989: Killer Bee infestations become more pronounced; Power-Glove becomes top selling item.
1990: "Cold Fusion" being confirmed by Pons/ Fleischmann in Salt Lake City, Utah
1991: "Flag-Burning" Amendment to the U.S. Constittution
1992: Crystal Pepsi makes its debut, soon devouring up more of the market share.
1992: Ross Perot elected President. Valiant and Image Comics make their hit debuts amidst a booming independent comics industry.
1993-1994: Blind Melon makes their hit debut, signaling explosion of "grunge" genre. Internet dead as AOL network spreads.
1994: Vladimir Zhrinovsky, Russian ultra-nationalist comes to power in Moscow. Quebec independence. David Caruso becomes a movie star. Pro-football/baseball player Bo Jackson dazzles the sports world.
1995: Nintendo VirtuaBoy console makes its hit debut, part of a new wave of VR. Controversy over unauthorized pornographic content spreads - 2nd Sexual Revolution underway. Waterworld makes its hit debut. Actress Elizabeth Berkley, becomes a star after the film Showgirls launches her career. South Africa falls apart due to Afrikanner-led "war for homeland". Michael Jordan leads the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series.
1996: Ross Perot re-elected President. Comics crash averted. Heroes Reborn (1996/1997)- Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee restart the Marvel Universe.
1998: Dean Devlin/ Roland Emmerich launch the Godzilla film franchise, sparking renewed interest in the genre. "WWJD" bracelets (e.g. "What Would Jesus Do") and "Promise Keepers" become popular.
1999: The Phantom Menace makes its hit debut. Sega Dreamcast solidifies Sega as video game industry leader.
2000: Y2K virus signals economic crash. Ralph Nader elected. XFL makes its hit debut. "O-Town" forms signaling pop-punk revival (note: different band than OTL).
2001: India and Pakistan border conflict over Kashmir goes nuclear....
2002: Friendster and Zune make their hit debuts. Vanilla Coke makes its hit debut. "Freedom Fries" make their debut. Anna Kournikova dazzles the tennis world. The Adventures of Pluto Nash starring Eddie Murphy
2003: SARS virus signals further trouble for global economy. Actor Ben Affleck and Actress Jennifer Lopez are married in Beverly Hills, California, sparking international attention. Iraq gains the nuclear bomb. Jerry Springer (D-OH) announces his U.S. Senate bid in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2004: Howard Dean elected President amidst global political turmoil. Hugo-Chavez led ALBA challenges FTAA, effectively dividing all of Latin America into 2 political/military camps
2003-2007: "Flexisexuality" trend spreads as "3rd Sexual Revolution" occurs.
2009: FAIR Tax amendment signed into law under President Palin, repealing the 16th amendment and replacing all federal taxes with a national sales tax of 23%. Collapse of U.S. auto industry.
2010: M. Night Shamlayan launches the blockbuster franchise The Last Airbender
2011: "Friday" by Rebecca Black makes its hit musical debut. The Playboy Club (NBC-TV) makes its hit television debut.
* War in the Balkans has to collapse in "Vietnam War fashion" until c. 2004,...
* North Korea has to start a Second Korean War in either 1994 or 2004....
* China suffers a SARS-based influenza pandemic in either 1994 or 2004
* Mexico collapses in c. 1994 due to the Zapatistas, drug cartels take over the region in c. 2008, sparking civil unrest and panic...