As friends and families gather on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the end of 2003, the world of entertainment also prepares to turn another page in its history. Without question, the last year was one of love and loss, of success and defeat; whether positive or negative, the effects of the last 12 months will be felt for a long time.

Unfortunately, the loss of several talented and appreciated individuals stands out as the most memorable aspect of the year. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers bassist Howard Epstein, cinema great Katharine Hepburn, beloved television actor Buddy Hackett, dance legend Gregory Hines, unforgettable baritone Barry White, television fall-guy John Ritter, long-time entertainer Bob Hope and unflappable musicians Warren Zevon and Johnny Cash were just a few of the talented people who died during the past year.

Arrests were also fairly heavy, with a number of well-known celebrities seeing the other side of a jail cell. Pete Townshend was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography, while R. Kelly and Michael Jackson were slapped with accusations of child molestation. Limp Bizkit was sued by its own fans for lead singer Fred Durst’s childish stage antics, and Courtney Love slid a little bit further down the crazy slope after being arrested for breaking into an ex-boyfriend’s home.

2003 also saw the onset of conflict in Iraq in March. Although fairly minuscule in comparison to the civil disobedience of the ’60s, quite a bit of controversy erupted after Madonna willingly pulled a politically charged music video and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks made negative comments about President Bush. And, of course, ultra-liberal Michael Moore gave his two cents during his acceptance speech for Best Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.

The music industry was highlighted by new releases from legendary bands, including The Beatles’ “Let it Be … Naked” and Led Zepellin’s “How the West Was Won.” On a less noble but just-as- grand scale, the second season of “American Idol” ended with the soulful Ruben Studdard edging out poppy pipsqueak Clay Aiken for the title. On a tragic note, a pyrotechnics fire during a concert by ’80s hair band Great White resulted in loss of life and lawsuits. And, finally, the music industry grudgingly accepted the Internet as a legitimate business model, following the breakaway success of Apple computer’s iPod and iTunes Music Store combination.

The movie world produced some of the best and worst films in recent history. “Finding Nemo,” the Pixar-animated tale of a father fish searching for his lost offspring, bridged the age gap in theater sales. Likewise, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” became one of the most hotly anticipated films of all time, with sneak previews and premiers selling out worldwide. Unfortunately, films like “Gigli” and “Dumb and Dumberer” put a damper on the film world’s overall appeal.

Few will forget the unbelievable antics of the entertainment world in 2003. From Terminators-turned-governors to bare-naked hotel heiresses, celebrities set the bar pretty high for their followers in 2004.

— Aaron Ladage

Aaron Ladage

Arts and Entertainment Editor

The splintered world of post-punk music in 2003 was a critic’s dream and a fan’s nightmare. Hardcore, emocore, prog-punk, and bizarre little offshoots like heart-core and no-core all filled the thesauruses of those who like a little heaviness in their heartache.

Fortunately, an overabundance of pointless titles and genres didn’t stop a handful of musicians from making some very memorable albums.

Most notable was The Blood Brothers. With schizophrenic vocals, careening instrumentation and live shows that feel more like a concussion than a concert, the Seattle quintet didn’t break the rules of hardcore — they shattered them.

The sleeper hit of the year — similar to The Blood Brothers in rebel form — was easily Brand New’s latest, “Deja Entendu.” Few expected more than silly pop punk from Taking Back Sunday’s nemesis, but lead singer Jesse Lacey, in his best Morrissey posturing, proved that even mindless breakup songs can be deep and intricate.

Top five albums:

1. The Blood Brothers “Burn Piano Island, Burn” (Artist Direct)

2. Coheed and Cambria “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3” (Equal Vision)

3. Brand New “Deja Entendu” (Razor & Tie)

4. Pretty Girls Make Graves “The New Romance” (Matador)

5. The New Amsterdams “Worse for the Wear” (Vagrant)

Best Song: OutKast, “Hey Ya!”

Best Music Video: Brand New, “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows”

Best Movie: Before Wednesday — “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,” after Wednesday — “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

Best Actor: Andy Serkis in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

Best Actress: Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill: Vol. 1”

Worst Album: Limp Bizkit “Results May Vary” (Interscope)

Worst Movie: “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”

P. Kim Bui

Assignment Arts and Entertainment Editor

This was a year of progress, of forward movement in countless ways. When the millennium was approaching, those in entertainment said R&B/hip hop was the future of music.

They were wrong. The future of music is expanding so fast, new genres are being created every day. It is impossible to define anything as just sci-fi, rock, horror, country or action anymore. It is not that rock is dead or pop has taken over the radio, it is that there is so much out there, no one could catalog or even remember them all.

There were definite low points of the year, most hinging on greed or pure stupidity. But as a whole, the amoeba of arts and entertainment is still multiplying in size. As the amoeba grows, the consumers will be listening, watching and reading.

If nothing else, America is a melting pot of entertainment.

Top five albums:

1. The Darkness “Permission to Land” (Atlantic)

2. OutKast “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” (La Face)

3. Deftones “Deftones” (Maverick)

4. Blu Cantrell “Bittersweet” (Arista)

5. T.S.O.L. “Divided We Stand” (Nitro)

Best Song: OutKast, “Hey Ya!”

Best Music Video: Johnny Cash, “Hurt”

Best Movie: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

Best Actor: Sean Penn in “Mystic River”

Best Actress: Naomi Watts in “Le Divorce”

Worst Album: Limp Bizkit, “Results May Vary” (Interscope)

Worst Movie: “Gigli”

Andrew Mabe

Arts and Entertainment Senior Reporter

Indie musicians can consistently improve and change without turning off their loyal fans. This is the fact Ben Gibbard proved in 2003, stunning listeners with both The Postal Service and Deathcab For Cutie’s latest release, “Transatlanticism.”

In the world of underground hip hop, Busdriver was doing the same thing. The verbal contortionist started the year with the mind-bending humor and style found in “Temporary Forever” and then recently dropped “Weather” with Radioinactive and Daedelus complimenting him. Listening to Busdriver rhyme about grotesque bacterial infections and everything else never heard before, one can almost picture his mouth being mushed into the strangest shapes.

Both of these artists stand out as doing something to dispel a myth about independent musicians — that they limit themselves early on and run out of steam as soon as they win their cult followings.

Top five albums:

1. The Postal Service “Give Up” (Sub Pop)

2. Busdriver “Temporary Forever” (Temporary)

3. Andrew Bird “Weather Systems” (Righteous Babe)

4. Brother Ali “Shadows on the Sun” (Rhyme Sayers/Rhymesayers)

5. Explosions in the Sky “Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place” (Temporary)

Best Song: OutKast, “Hey Ya!”

Best Music Video: Sigur R¢s, “Untitled 1”

Best Movie: “L’Auberge Espagnole”

Best Actor: Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean”

Best Actress: Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill: Vol. 1”

Worst Album: Limp Bizkit “Results May Vary” (Interscope)

Worst Movie: “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”

Megan Hinds

Managing Editor of Content and Development

2003: The year of OutKast. The dynamic Southern duo did it again this year with their double-disc release “Speakerboxx/The Love Below.” Andre 3000 and Big Boi did what they do best on this outing — effectively render all other rap artists irrelevant. The “Hey Ya!” craze even inspired Polaroid’s CEO to publicly advise consumers that while the company was flattered by the gratuitous publicity, “shaking a Polaroid picture is not necessary for its proper development.” Whatever.

The year also marked the first time I became interested in (shudder) reality television — “Average Joe,” to be precise. I was drawn into the saga of former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Melana Scantlin and her legion of homely suitors, only to throw a pillow at my television in frustration during the season finale. Who picks a 26-year-old pretty boy who still lives with Mommy and Daddy over a charming, successful millionaire stockbroker with a face only a mother could love? Screw this reality nonsense — it’s back to PBS documentaries for me.

Top five albums:

1. OutKast “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” (La Face)

2. John Mayer “Heavier Things” (Sony)

3. Ryan Adams “Rock N Roll” (Lost Highway)

4. Damien Rice “O” (Vector)

5. Travis “12 Memories” (Epic)

Best Song: OutKast, “Hey Ya!”

Best Music Video: Coldplay, “The Scientist”

Best Movie: “Lost In Translation”

Best Actor: Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Radio”

Best Actress: Scarlett Johannsen in “Lost In Translation”

Worst Album: Ashanti “Chapter II” (Def Jam)

Worst Movie: Tie — “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions”

Amy Schierbrock

Managing Editor of Visual and Production

As I look back on the last year, I realize how fast time has gone by. With work and classes consuming a majority of my days, I have been left with less time to enjoy music and movies I have always loved.

However, the entertainment industry has come through this year with mindless entertainment you can’t help but love for its hilarious stupidity. Whether it be “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” “Rich Girls” or any of the other million reality shows, television and movies have allowed us to turn off our brains and laugh.

And even though entertainment may have been just mindless fun this year, I’ve enjoyed the chance to sit back, laugh and relax while giving my brain a break.

Top five albums:

1. Linkin Park “Meteora” (Warner Bros.)

2. Beyonc‚ Knowles “Dangerously in Love” (Sony)

3. John Mayer “Heavier Things” (Sony)

4. R. Kelly “The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1” (Jive)

5. Various Artists “Bad Boys II Soundtrack” (Bad Boy)

Best Song: Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell, “Beautiful”

Best Music Video: Jessica Simpson, “With You”

Best Movie: “Finding Nemo”

Best Actor: Tobey Maguire in “Seabiscuit”

Best Actress: Julia Stiles in “Mona Lisa Smile”

Worst Album: Anything by any former member of a boy band

Worst Movie: “Anger Management”