The turn of the 21^st century was a weird time. The world was far from the utopian wonderland that optimistic science fiction media had predicted decades before. Instead, the early 2000s saw the rise of the “dude-bro.” The once underground culture of the “skateboarder” had suddenly poked its head into the mainstream. It was finally cool to be a doofus who rode around on a dangerous plank of wood or a dirt bike for fun.

Extreme sports. Dude talk. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. X-Treme X-Men. Xtreme Jell-O Sticks. Aside from Rocket Power, nothing seems to embody this bizarre turn-of-the-century more than Waldo – I mean, Dustin – Brooks. Continue reading →