2024 is the new 2009: the Oasis reunion and the sad cyclical nature of pop culture
In news that rapidly evolved from ‘never happening’ into ‘inevitable’, Oasis confirmed the worst-kept secret in music when the band announced a reunion tour almost 15 years to the day an argument before the group’s set at Paris’ Rock En Seine turned out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. For a decade and a half, at least.
The market for nostalgia across all forms of entertainment only grows stronger with each passing year, and with Oasis having secured a legendary reputation as one of the defining acts of their generation before initially calling it quits, it was always going to be an earth-shattering announcement when the Gallagher brothers finally put their differences aside in order to give the people what they wanted.
There’s no doubt the reunion tour is going to be a moneymaking machine that burnishes Noel and Liam’s bank balance to an even greater degree, but one sad and cyclical downside is that it’s only served to reinforce the notion that 2024 has suddenly become 2009 all over again without anyone even noticing.
One of the best-selling albums of 2009 was Taylor Swift’s Fearless, and it goes without saying not much has changed on that front in the 15 years since, with the singer’s Eras Tour reaffirming her position as the biggest name in pop by far. The top seller of the year hailed from Susan Boyle of all people, which presents the terrifying reality that she could belt her way back onto the charts by looking at what’s been going on across the world of film and television.
In 2009, Hugh Jackman starred in the very first movie where his career-defining character had their name in the title, with X-Men Origins: Wolverine arriving in cinemas. In 2024, the comic book superhero once again has their name in the title of a blockbuster release, sharing top billing with Ryan Reynolds in Marvel’s record-breaking Deadpool & Wolverine.
That was also the year Watchmen escaped decades of development hell to make it onto the big screen under the direction of Zack Snyder, and in 2024, a two-park animated remake will make its bow on home video. Terminator Salvation sought to give 2009-era fans of the franchise what they always wanted with a dark and gritty take on the future war constantly teased by James Cameron, only to end up as a disappointment.
However, guess what’s heading to Netflix that seeks to give 2024-era fans of the franchise what they always wanted with a dark and gritty take on the property? Animated series Terminator Zero. Fede Álvarez rejuvenated a flagging IP of his own with Alien: Romulus, which Ridley Scott tried and failed to do with Prometheus. When was that film confirmed with the original’s director at the helm? 2009, of course.
Marcus Nispel’s Friday the 13th remade the classic slasher for a new generation, and the 2009 do-over was the last time the franchise was spied on screen. In a nauseating recurring trend, prequel series Crystal Lake found itself a new showrunner and plunged headlong back into development in 2024 when Brad Kane signed on to replace Bryan Fuller at the helm.
What’s the highest-grossing release of 2024 so far at the box office? Pixar’s Inside Out 2. What Pixar flick debuted in 2009? Pete Docter’s Up. Which Pixar film did Pete Docter also direct? Inside Out. Kelsey Mann may have stepped in to helm the follow-up, but the fact remains that it’s right back around to the same old combinations having the biggest effect on the collective consciousness a decade and a half down the line.
What’s the biggest and most talked-about TV series on the planet right now? Quite possibly HBO’s House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones. When did the pilot episode of its forebear, ‘Winter Is Coming’, enter production to give rise to a sprawling fantasy saga that’s returned to the height of its popularity to reclaim its spot in the pop culture pantheon? There are zero prizes for guessing because the answer is obviously 2009.
Oasis is just one part of a much bigger issue, with the splashy announcement and monumental levels of hype merely papering over the cracks in a significantly larger cultural issue. Whether anyone likes it or not, 2024 is the new 2009, and it’s a cycle that’s only going to become much harder to break when the lenses on the rose-tinted glasses only grow thicker with each passing year.
