Per the usual, it was certainly a dramatic year in pop culture and entertainment. From the amazing, to the tragic to the WTF…this year had it all. It would take forever to list all the things that wowed, amused, annoyed or just plain baffled me. And so, in the spirit of being more positive in 2016 (yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts…), I decided to focus on the 10 moments/events, etc. in entertainment, I loved the most this year.
Adele 25 – We had to wait almost four years, but it was well worth the wait. After taking some time away from the spotlight in the wake of her astonishing success with the album 21, Adele returned this year, picking up right where she left off by delivering an album of heartbreaking, soaring ballads and gut wrenching honest emotion. I have certainly made no secret of my Adele-love, so this one should come as no surprise. And just to be clear, this is not about jumping on a bandwagon. I have been a fan of Adele’s ever since I randomly stumbled on the video for her song Chasing Pavements and that love was cemented when I heard Hometown Glory and saw her perform To Feel My Love live. And I will continue to be a fan as long as she delivers such tender and heartfelt honesty in her music.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II – I know the reviews were mixed and many fans (especially non-book readers) were not too happy with this film. However, as a fan of the book series, I thought the film was a fitting end to the franchise. Could some things have been better, of course; which is often the case with any film adaptation. However, as she has done since the first film, I thought Jennifer Lawrence was perfect in her portrayal of Katniss. She was helped by a strong and impressive supporting cast. As always, Liam Hemsworth remained uneventful but at least he wasn’t “ruin the movie” awful. He was more or less just bland and uninteresting. Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of President Snow remained absolute perfection, as was Elizabeth Banks who made Effie such a scene stealing character that they kept her around longer in the movies than she actually was in the books. And of course, Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson, who while the writing may not have always been there for the latter, did great with what he was given. So a great franchise that I’m sure I’ll get the box set when it’s released.
The Affair: Season 2 – Like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, this was a little divisive. A lot of the critics have been less than thrilled with the direction the season took and to be honest, I’m not sure I am completely in love with the season finale, especially the reveal of how Scotty Lockhart really died. But that said, looking back on the season as a whole, there was a lot I did love and enjoyed about it and I found it as compelling, if not more so, than the first season. I will note that it probably helped that I have never really cared for the show’s lead characters, Alison and Noah, especially the latter. Therefore they weren’t really ruined for me this season, which is a problem many had with the season, because I already thought they were plenty awful in the first place. In my opinion, Noah continued being a selfish, self-centered jerk and Alison a whiny bore who did very well at playing the victim even when she wasn’t. The whole season felt for me like the ending of Descent (Noah’s fictional bestseller he wrote based on his affair with Alison), coming to fruition. That is, the man realizing that this woman he blew up his family and life for wasn’t who he thought she was and wasn’t worth it and in the end, in a fit of anger and bitterness, he kills her. I don’t think the killing Alison part will happen but I have a feeling the show will end on Noah’s original ending for the book – that is, the couple sitting down quietly to dinner with this big secret between them. Basically in my opinion, I see The Affair as a tragedy. It isn’t a love story but a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy of how one decision, one choice, can tragically change the course of so many lives. And that is what made the season so compelling.
Survivor: Season 31 – Survivor had a milestone season this year – the show about outwitting, outplaying and outlasting, turned 30. Unfortunately, the landmark season turned out to be VERY dull and uninspiring. The only semi-interesting aspect to the whole season was watching Mike immunity win his way to the final tribal council and ultimately the win. Especially as this REALLY annoyed and stuck in Dan’s craw. But aside from that, it was a season of jerks, little strategic play and uninspiring tribal councils. Not so for Season 31 which, for the first time in the show’s history, saw of cast of players who had played once before, voted to play again by the viewers of the show. Many of the cast members viewed the second chance as a huge gift, particularly because the fans voted them in and were determined to make the most of it. Season 31 turned out be one of the most unpredictable and exciting seasons in years – blindside after blindside, awesome immunity idol plays, you never knew who was really aligned with whom, etc. In the end, nice guy Jeremy who was completely blindsided by his alliance in his original season, took home the million in a complete sweep. I will admit that much as I liked Jeremy and was happy for his win, I was sad for Spencer who I really came to like in his original season. It wasn’t just that he lost, but that he lost because he completely missed Jeremy’s obviously being a huge threat, the jury eviscerated him and his character and he just looked so sad and disappointed at the reunion show. Still, a great season that hopefully Season 32 can live up to.
Jon Stewart’s Final Daily Show Season – After 16 years at the helm, Jon Stewart signed off from The Daily Show this year in perfect fashion. He remained consistently funny and insightful, with brilliant biting wit and sarcasm. I shared my feelings on what the show and Jon Stewart meant to me personally after his last episode and while Trevor Noah has acquitted himself well enough as Stewart’s replacement, the sting of the loss is still being felt and likely will for a little while longer. But after almost two decades, I understood Jon’s desire to leave and move on to something else. After all, as the old adage goes, “best to leave before they kick you out.”
Katy Perry’s Superbowl Half-Time Show – I am not the biggest fan of Katy Perry’s. In fact, there are really only a handful of her songs that I truly love. That said, while this was certainly not my favorite halftime show of all time (that honor still belongs to Prince), I think she did a pretty damn good job. The inclusion of Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot, who probably both seemed random when first announced, was a stroke of genius; particularly Missy’s appearance which helped rejuvenate the hip hop star’s career and remind so many of just how awesome she is. You can check out my original review of the performance here.
Mr. Robot: Episode 6 – If you aren’t watching USA’s Mr. Robot, you need to. The show is a dark, twisted, complex and mind-bending ball of crazy that makes you feel like you’re on a never-ending acid trip. And it is freaking fantastic. At the core of the show’s success is the brilliantly understated performance by the enigmatic Rami Malek, who plays lead character Eliot Alderson. If you’ve read my most recent blog post, you probably know how thrilled I am at all the award show love he and the show have gotten. While the entire season is amazing, if I would suggest one episode that encapsulates the dark and disturbing brilliance of the show perfectly, and where Malek just absolutely shines from beginning to end, it would be Episode 6. Racing against the clock to help a very dangerous criminal, whose associates are holding his neighbor and sometimes love interest hostage, escape from prison, Malek expertly delivers a range of emotion, from fear, panic and gut-wrenching sadness with a quiet subtlety and grace that’s just mesmerizing to watch.
Bates Motel: Season 3 – If you have ever watched the classic horror film Psycho or at the least heard about the plot, you probably already know how completely bat-shit crazy Norman Bates is. Bates Motel, the criminally under-appreciated A&E drama is a prequel that tells the story of who Norman Bates was before he became completely bat-shit crazy and murdered Marion Crane, while dressed as his dead mother. In other words, we’re already spoiled as to where the show is going and essentially have just been waiting for that big moment. The moment where Norman and Mother truly start to become one. Season 3 of the show, which aired earlier this year, finally delivered that moment. Played to absolute perfection by Freddie Highmore (seriously, that he has never even been nominated for this role is beyond absurd), the season saw the continued inevitable decline of Norman’s mental state as he fell deeper and deeper into his psychosis. It all culminated in the brutal murder of the emotionally lost Bradley by the hands of Norman as “Mother.” It was one of the most disturbing, horrific and spellbinding scenes I saw on television this year.
Kendrick Lamar’s Alright – Kendrick Lamar escaped the dreaded sophomore slump in absolutely brilliant fashion. Coming on the heels of his critically acclaimed good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar delivered one of, if not the best album of the year, To Pimp A Butterfly. Picking up where he left off on good kid, m.A.A.d city, the album is chock full of powerful messages and truths about the plight of the young African American male, inner city youth, white supremacy, the struggle to find and identify oneself, etc. And while many songs are powerful on their own, probably the stand out moment comes from the song Alright, which became a rallying cry for the #blacklivesmatter movement. It would be naïve to not see and understand why this song is currently as important and powerful as it is, with all that’s going around the U.S., particularly in regards to police brutality against African Americans. Certainly a powerful song in general but the added weight of the current socio-political climate makes it one of the most important songs in decades and a rallying cry for so many.
Top 5 Fashion Moments – If you’ve been reading my blog often or even occasionally, you know I’m always here for fashion and some great fashion moments. So I would be remiss to not include some type of fashion list in my review of my favorite pop culture moments of the year. And here they are:
Rihanna – Met Ball Gala
It was the dress that spawned hundreds of memes and sure, we can go on for days with the jokes about her looking like a human omelet. But as I noted in my recap about this year’s Gala, it is a costume ball for crying out loud. It is probably the one time celebrities should embrace the bold and daring and take crazy risks and just have fun. And I feel like Rihanna totally got that.
Diane Kruger – Venice International Film Festival
Some did not love the big bow on the side but I have to say, from the moment I saw this look, I fell in love with it. There is something just so timeless and classic yet bold about it.
Cate Blanchett – Cannes Film Festival
This look just screams movie star and red carpet. I loved the bold print, the drama and simultaneously, the whimsical and softness of it. This is a movie star’s dress and Cate Blanchett who carries herself in such a regal and classic manner, was the perfect one to carry it off.
Lupita Nyong’o – Cannes Film Festival
After an amazing debut season on the red carpet on her way to winning her first Academy Award, things seemed to go VERY wrong with Lupita on the fashion front. I really started to believe her previous red carpet moments had merely been a stroke of luck. So thank goodness for this gorgeous green Grecian moment. Not only was the dress stunning but it matched her skin tone beautifully and she wore it very well.
Lady Gaga – The Primetime Emmy Awards
There really isn’t anything that amazing about this dress. It’s your typical classic black evening dress. What made it such a memorable red carpet moment was who was wearing it. It was truly a jaw dropping moment when the woman who’d once worn a meat dress, showed up at the Emmys looking a classic old-Hollywood star. And she wore it so well.
PoPnOgR@PhY 