ITTL 9/11 Hijackers travel to Chechnya instead of Afghanistan and a fractured Al-Qaeda can't organize such an operation in the United States. Zarahawi the leader of Al-Jihad IOTL a separate organization is most supportive (and tried to persuade Bin Laden to back the Chechens IOTL.
Geronimo : What if Osama Bin Laden was killed prior to 9/11?
- Thread starter Iwanh
- Start date
I'd imagine seeing an Instagram location sticker for the World Trade Center, Marriot Hotel, the Warner Brothers' Store, and Windows of the World. Cue the Instagram and Tiktok reels from the view of the WTC.
Also another thing, if socmed was already widespread by TTL 2004 (which isn't), I would imagine hashtages like #IStandWithRussia, #PrayForRussia, #PrayForMoscow, and flag filter profile pictures.
Japan will be more anti-Russia. The uyuku-dantai (right-wing nationalists) would try to take power in the Diet. The LDP may lose local elections.
Looking forward to see how the Edwards Administration tackles Climate Change and Katrina.
Lets see if this administration can also do something to neuter the pernicious influence of those scumbag Koch brothers and Koctopus.
Someone actually named their organization "Koctopus" or is it a nickname?
I don't recall were I first heard the term however it is an informal designation.
They picked Russia as a target in OTL too.
2004 Russian aircraft bombings - Wikipedia
Part 42: I Predict a Riot - Culture 2004
Part XLII
I Predict a Riot – Culture 2004
CBS Gave 90 Million An Eyeful
Opinionated Editorial By Lisa de Moraes
February 3, 2004
An average of nearly 90 million viewers makes Super Bowl XXXVIII the most watched program on any network since the Super Bowl of January '98, CBS boasted yesterday.
In its bragging points, CBS also put out lots of demographic information, including the game's performance among men ages 18 to 34, 18 to 49, and 25 to 54.
But here's the demographic you all want to know about. CBS forgot to include it, but it was graciously provided to us by other number-crunchers: Based on preliminary stats, it appears that as many as one in five American kids between the ages of 2 and 11 years caught that halftime show, which included Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake’s memorable peepshow performance.
There is clear shock and outrage sparked by Justin and Christina’s number clearly designed to upstage Britney and Madonna’s liplock at the most recent MTV Music Video Awards.
In their performance, Aguilera, wearing practically nothing except for a skimpy mesh and chaps, and Timberlake in his usual grungy baggy chinos and T-shirt, sang and danced their way through their songs "Rock Your Body" -- Timberlake's tune from his first solo album and “Dirrty” from Aguilera’s fourth. While the two stalked each other across the stage, were caressed by backup dancers, and showered with water.
They periodically groped each other, keeping the promises in their songs to strip each other and “get dirty”, when asked if they thought the performance went too far the pair laughed it off “Hey, man, we love giving you something to talk about!" said Justin and Christina followed with “Shock value gets more and more extreme or whatever. But honestly, I thought it was a great performance”.
Some regulators have been less blasé about the incident, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell, saying he was "stunned at what I saw," yesterday and reported the agency fielding calls from outraged Americans asking for an investigation.
The Viacom-owned networks CBS and MTV, which produced the Super Bowl halftime show, have also refused to apologize, or accept responsibility and MTV President Judy McGrath even described the show as an "entertaining, exciting, great halftime show". Her only judgment was that perhaps the two went too far at times. While CBS has stood by its position that none of CBS’s broadcast standards were breached
Also conforming to CBS broadcast standards were Kid Rock's performance, in which he gave a big "hey" to "all you bastards at the IRS," as well as "hookers all tricking out in Hollywood" and "my hoods of the world misunderstood," while garbed in a fake soldiers uniform. Also conforming to CBS broadcast standards was Nelly's performance, in which he informed the stadium audience that he was "like good gracious [heinie] bodacious" while grabbing onto his crotch and holding on for dear life -- a sort of tribute to the super-long Super Bowl halftime bathroom lines at Reliant Stadium.
Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake perform at the 38th Super Bowl
The halftime show aside, Super Bowl XXXVIII was considered one of the best in the game’s history and was hailed by some as the “greatest of all time” between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots. Scoreless for nearly 2 quarters, the game extended into overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history finally decided by the game-winning touchdown by the Panthers, clinching the game and the championship.
It was a controversial year for sports one tangled in legal troubles, in basketball a 10-minute brawl between Indiana Pacer players and Detroit Piston fans dubbed ‘The malice in the palace’ resulted in criminal charges for several involved. "That was the ugliest thing I've seen as a coach or a player," Detroit coach Larry Brown said. "I'm embarrassed for our league.”,
The case of NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant’s rape accusations ended when documents containing the alleged victim’s identity were leaked, leading to the case's dismissal, and though he issued apologies his image as the league's ‘good guy’ was tarnished. And the long-simmering steroid scandal continued to unfurl in Major League Baseball, as a federal investigation was launched into an organized doping ring by the BALCO labs organization accused of teaching players how to use steroids including some Olympic athletes, the scandal caught major players including Barry Bonds and Ken Camininti. However, on the brighter side, the Boston Red Sox finally cast off the infamous ‘curse of the Bambino’ winning the world series for the first time in 86 years.
Outside of the United States, the Olympics took place in Athens, in a Games designed by the committee to be a 'return to form' held in the location of its ancient origins, it went down exactly as planned described as “an unforgettable dream” by IOC President Jacques Rogge. Every country participated in the competition for the first time in 20 years with even both Koreas presenting a united team. Despite a few doping worries and streakers, the games went off without a hitch, China soared in the medal tally but ultimately came up short behind the U.S. but no doubt they were hunting for the top spot at the next Summer Olympics in Beijing.
(Left) Olympic flame outside the acropolis in Greece, (Right) Panthers win the 38th Super Bowl
When it came to music outside of the Super Bowl controversy it was still another busy year for music, despite many industry heads fretting over the rise of downloads sinking the business, plenty of popular music was released.
Top 10 selling albums of the year
- Confessions – Usher
- Encore – Eminem
- Feels like Home – Norah Jones
- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – U2
- Under My Skin – Avril Lavigne
- On My Mind – The Dixie Chicks [2]
- Songs About Jane – Maroon 5
- Love. Angel. Music. Baby. – Gwen Stefani
- Greatest Hits: My Prerogative – Britney Spears
- Elephunk – The Black-Eyed Peas
Scandal followed the world’s biggest stars when Britney Spears shortly before her successful World Tour attracted media scrutiny/mockery for getting a Las Vegas wedding only for it to be annulled a day later. And pop legend Michael Jackson, whose trial for child sexual abuse began, and attracted a media circus, that thronged the courthouse.
Away from the year’s biggest sellers and controversies, 2004 was an important year for the pop-punk band Green Day. The band achieved mainstream success in the ’90s with the release of their major debut album ‘Dookie’. But following its release the band achieved diminishing returns with its three subsequent albums:’ Insomniac’, ‘Nimrod’ and ‘Warning’ which left critics unimpressed. As the band tried to create its 5th album disaster struck when the master recordings were stolen in 2003, strained with the idea of starting anew, the band started experimenting, creating a spin-off band The Network to explore synth and new-wave sounds. Then they decided to put this new energy into a different album, an experimental pop-punk-rock-opera titled ‘Jesus of Suburbia’. The album explores themes of modern America, obsession with celebrity and image-centric politics, the division between America's cultures, unrestricted corporate greed, empty appeals to faith, and a violent and sex-obsessed news cycle. When released, the album received critical praise. Reviewers who saw the band's previous efforts as vacuous or juvenile praised the more mature and ambitious attempt, and it even earned a grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. However, it was a commercial flop, as the band's older fans were less appreciative of the turn and though it gained popularity among younger audiences and earned the band a cult following, it remained obscure. Regardless of success the band and its spin-offs continued to experiment with different genres and sounds for years to come.
(Left) Michael Jackson supporters outside the courthouse,(Right) pop-punk band Green Day
2004 was a year for television goodbyes, long time sit-com favorites Friends and Frazier departed in their 10th and 11th seasons with a series of well-regarded and widely watched finales that signaled to many, the end of a television era. But in their stead, they were replaced by some new grittier shows, ‘House M.D.’ a medical drama starring a bullish lead diagnostician (played by former stand-up comedian Denis Leary). And ‘Lost’, written by established television and film writer JJ Abrams the show combined Castaway, Survivor, Gilligan’s Island, and the Twilight Zone featuring a cast who become stranded on a desert island after a plane crash, unlike most network television, it would incorporate an overarching storyline filled with mysteries and had an expensive production value. The show proved very successful, but its expensive cost initially spooked the parent company, Disney, additional worries forced the show to include a graphic warning label due to the initial plane crash scene which executives worried emulated the 2004 Russian Plane Attacks that occurred only weeks prior.
Other popular shows that sprang up included the sci-fi project helmed by Buffy the Vampire Slayers’ Joss Wheedon, ‘Firefly’, half space opera, half western, the show succeeded on the Sci-Fi channel after being rejected by FOX. CSI expanded its universe with a spin-off show centered on Philadelphia, ‘CSI Philly[4]’, And another successful show was the critically adored ‘Arrested Development’ a comedy about the dysfunctional wealthy Bluth Family and their various occasionally criminal financial exploits, including selling property to various foreign dictators including Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, the Ayatollah and Kim Jong Il[5].
When it came to less dense productions yet more reality television swamped the screens including ‘Project Runway’ a show about competing fashion designers, ‘Ghost Hunters’ a show about Ghost Hunters, and ‘The Apprentice’ a show about contestants competing to work for New York billionaire Donald Trump.
When it came to awards the old favorites, ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The West Wing’ went toe to toe again, with The Sopranos finally coming out on top. This year The West Wing’s political universe centered on the newly re-elected President Bartlett now forced to share power with a Republican congress, while dealing with an ambitious vice-president and an increasingly turbulent home life. The season sees Bartlett forced to appoint a moderate Supreme court justice rather than the liberal one he prefers, send troops to end a (fictional) civil war in Africa, and tackle a national security emergency where several congressmen are hospitalized by bioweapons sent through the mail.
In a win for TV critics, the Baltimore-centred crime/police drama ‘The Wire’ , having faced the axe after 2 seasons of low ratings, the show gained a significant following in its third season and won the show its first Emmy. [6]
(Left to right) promotional material for the TV shows Lost, House, and Firefly
For Film buffs, 2004 was a year littered with sequels and reboots, but it still made room for a number of surprises. The year’s best sellers included sequels like the animated Disney parody ‘Shrek 2’, another addition to the Harry Potter series with ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ and the year also saw two major Superhero franchises come to the screens again ‘Spider-Man 2’ and ‘Superman Flyby’.
Superman Flyby was a success at the box office though not enough to top the Spider-man sequel. It was well-liked by general audiences and satisfying enough for critics, hardcore Superman fans, however, were left upset by alterations to the character's traditional cannon, for instance, the removal of his classic red underpants or the revelation that Krypton survived its destruction.
Additional sequels included Oceans Twelve, Alien vs Predator, and a sequel to the 1994 Schwarzenegger movie True Lies, where once again Schwarzenegger and James Cameron found success with the action-comedy-spy thriller.
(Left to right) Movie Posters for True Lies 2, Spider-Man 2, Superman Flyby, and The Day after Tomorrow
One of the year's surprising successes was the Will Smith helmed sci-fi action movie ‘i, Robot’, where Will Smith's character acts alongside a mostly CGI robot Sonny to uncover a vast conspiracy, though critics were mixed it proved very receptive to general audiences thanks to its action sequences and digital effects becoming the most successful nonsequel/reboot of the year.
Three notable films were released this year Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’, a remake of ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Team America vs the Glass Tiger’. Gibson’s Christ sparked controversy a film portraying the death of Jesus was always going to be a hard sell, but the especially bloody portrayal and accusations of antisemitism stymied the film and though there was a campaign by American Churches to back the film it couldn’t escape the negative press leading to disappointing returns.[7] The Manchurian candidate was also under the spotlight for its political themes, with the updated setting and the ultimate twist that instead of Arab terrorists being behind the plot to usurp the American government it is a cabal of corporate giants. Then Team America vs the Glass Tiger, a movie made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone the creative partners behind the irreverent animated sit-com South Park, the film was a parody of modern action films and modern American, made entirely with Thunderbirds like puppets, Team America on the orders of President Bush are dispatched to China to do battle with their caricatured communist enemies, excessively foul-mouthed and satirical it openly mocks the Bush administration (dumb assholes) and the Democrats (smug pussies) winning the film praise and criticism from liberals and conservatives[8].
Several prestigious and noteworthy biopics released including ‘The Aviator’ about eccentric businessman Howard Hughes, ‘Beyond the Sea’ and ’Ray’ about singers Bobby Darin and Ray Charles and ‘The Last Bridge’ a film depicting the Bosnian war and genocide from the perspective of the Doctors of Srebrenica, the film criticizes the United States and the United Nations for its perceived failures to intervene in the genocide.[9] The film's lead Adrian Brody, received acclaim for his portrayal though failed to win the Best Actor category to Jamie Foxx in Ray.
An interesting development as noted by several media analysts was the death or ‘undeath’ rather, of the 'Zombie movie'.
Controversy continued in Hollywood where director Quentin Tarantino and Miramax productions settled an out-of-court settlement regarding safety on the set of his unreleased The Bride Movie, with actress Uma Thurman unwilling to return to complete the production. Tarantino was angered believing the project had serious quality and vowed to “make another Kung fu movie that’s gonna blow your asses off”.
(Left to right) Movie Posters for I,Robot, The Last Bridge, The Passion of the Christ, and Shaun of the Dead
In economic and entertainment news 2004 made big waves. The Walt Disney Company was going through tumultuous times, the brand was under siege, no longer the box office draw that it was in the ’90s during the renaissance which had led the company to go on a spending spree it had taken a big hit in the 00’s downturn. CEO Michael Eisner doubled down on the strategy of buying more properties hoping to turn things around quickly, but the company started reporting losses resulting in the selling of assets, firing of employees, and closing of stores. The companies stumbling while its competitors thrived, led to an internal revolt among board members and shareholders.
Outsiders spotted an opportunity, and two major companies made offers to buy the company media giants, Brian Roberts Comcast and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, for a year, the companies waged a bidding war over the acquisition, Eisner was ousted from the company and a deal was made, the Walt Disney Company the last major independent studio would be under the new ownership of Comcast. The deal turned Comcast into a media powerhouse and capped a story of Comcast's stunning growth from a regional cable company to the largest entertainment company in America. Many were worried about what this meant for the future of both companies "Comcast has a successful track record of acquisitions but that's solely on the cable side, not the content side," and some fretted that it concentrated too much influence in Comcast's hands and made hopeless appeals to regulators. The House of Mouse was now owned by the largest media conglomerate in the world.
(Left to right) Comcast heads Brian L. Roberts (and Stephen B. Burke, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner
Outside of the entertainment industry, wider economic themes of the year was the rise of China, rippling oil prices, concern over cheap imports, big bank mergers, and the airline industry shake after the 9/4 attacks, Despite an otherwise strong economy it was clear that many had economic anxieties.
2004 also saw the birth of two ‘social-media’ websites ‘Myspace’ and ‘TheFacebook’ designed to allow users to create profiles and converse online. And video games stepped forward with the release of several extremely popular franchise updates including Halo 2, Half-Life 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, as well as the release of the ‘massive multiplayer online’ game World of Warcraft.
In other events the military alliance NATO and the European Union were expanded to many former eastern bloc countries A referendum designed to end the Cyprus conflict failed, prolonging the political conflict, Edward Munch’s The Scream was stolen in Norway and Yasser Arafat the President of the Palestinian Authority was flown to France for surgery following a stroke that he survived though with reduced mobility[11].
(Left to right) EU and Nato Expansion, Greek and Turkish protesters, police at the Munch Museum in Oslo, Arafat's recovery
[1] ITTL Janet Jackson performs in 2002 as she originally was supposed to, resulting in a less explicit but still scandalous performance
[2] A fictional album
[3] Their album ‘Letter to the 5 boroughs’ was made in response to 9/11 and the Iraq war
[4] Instead of CSI NY
[5] There is a theory that the Bluth family is an allegory for the Bush family.
[6] Appropriate that a show about how Americans have lost interest in the war on drugs due to the war on terror finds more success ITTL
[7] 9/11 and the war on terror, fired up religious groups, and according to some triggered a religious revival.
[8] Trey and Matt had this idea before 9/11 and Iraq but this version is focused on broader American foreign criticisms rather than rogue states and celebrities.
[9] Instead of Hotel Rwanda
[10] People have attributed the success of Zombie movies to a lot of things, such as allegories for war or terror or capitalism for whatever reason this revival doesn’t take off. Something also tells me people were more comfortable with the gore after the attacks and wars.
[11] I generally detest conspiracy but without enduring, the siege and the early end to the 2nd intifada Arafat’s health is improved regardless allowing his survival.
@Iwanh JESUS you really made frozen Twin tower poster!!! You take my ideas! Thank you so much, Incredibly awesome , You're a master of photoshop!
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I was also thinking the alternate version of Team America would still feature Kim Jong-Il, Saddam Hussein, or Qaddafi as the villains.
The zombie genre was actually rising in the early 2000s thanks to Capcom and SEGA releasing Resident Evil and The House of the Dead in 1996 and their respective sequels in 1998.
Since the zombie genre somehow fails here, there won't be more Resident Evil games, Resident Evil: Apocalypse (live-action sequel to the first RE), Dead Rising (another zombie game of Capcom that concerns about a bioterrorist attack as well), Fido, and Left 4 Dead to name a few?
My guess is the movie will be more or less the same as OTL but only with the Twin Towers.
Considering that Twin Towers still standing, Kill Bill, American idiot never existed is acceptable
Wow, what a chapter. @Iwanh once again knocks it out of the park, bravo.
It’s nice to see that Green Day hasn’t fallen in obscurity, Jesus of Suburbia sounds like one heck of an album. It hits the same strides of satire like American Idiot, but it’s more domestic focused and that’s always a welcomed surprise.
It’s nice to see that Green Day hasn’t fallen in obscurity, Jesus of Suburbia sounds like one heck of an album. It hits the same strides of satire like American Idiot, but it’s more domestic focused and that’s always a welcomed surprise.