2018 has been quite the year with some major pop culture highs and lows. From royal festivities, YouTube fails, and wacky dance challenges to movements like #MeToo picking up with ground-breaking momenta.
With all these crazy highs and lows, we can only imagine what awaits us as 2019 rolls in...Sit back, relax and enjoy the rollercoaster of moments we have created for you.
Black Panther Conquers The Big Screen
The first ever major motion picture to feature an almost exclusively all-black cast, Black Panther dominated cinemas this year hitting some amazing box office records. and the best part is, Ryan Cookler the creator promises a sequel is on its way!
A Love Letter To Black Culture
The movie was described as “a love letter to black culture” and has kids everywhere yelling “Wakanda Forever”. Indeed, the movie elevated and celebrated its black female characters in specific and created an entire world where black people thrived and were given much-needed representation.
The Royal Wedding
One of the hottest talking-points of this year is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding. From the elaborate ceremony where almost 30 million Americans tuned in to watch, to the family controversy that followed, the excitement continues.
All The Deets
We remember the drama with Meghan’s father in the weeks leading up to the wedding, but the former suites star and red-haired royal’s special day went off without a hitch.
The newly minted Duchess wore a custom Givenchy gown (with a 16 ½ foot-foot-long train) and a host of A-list celebs were in attendance. It was a day to remember.
Beyoncé’s Coachella Performance
Beyoncé became the first black female to head the Coachella festival this year making up for the previous year where she had to cancel her appearance due to her pregnancy.
No Limits
The mesmerizing performance had no limits and hailed by EW as “one of the most consequential performances of the year and…of the 21st century.”
With appearances by Rihanna, Jay Z, and most excitingly Destiny’s Child and an entire marching band, Queen B ruled the festival like only she knows how.
Kanye Paid a Visit To The White House
Honestly, we could make a full list of Kanye’s bizarre pop culture moments from 2018 but this one takes the cake.
We all know West’s love for Trump (he seems to never go anywhere without his ‘Make America Great cap), but he cemented his fondness of President Trump with a visit to the White House.
Channeled From The Soul
West delivered a monologue that touched on some…interesting topics. He self-described his speech as “channeled from the soul” and made suggestions that the president should travel on an Apple-designed airplane knows as iPlane 1.
We can imagine Kris Jenner had some serious damage control to do…
Ariana Grande’s Love Life
Grande has been one busy woman this year suffering some highs and many low lows. The attention was all on her when she and comedian Pete Davidson (the guy with the BDE) had one whirlwind romance resulting in an engagement in only a month or two.
Thank You, Next
We all know what happened next… after a sudden breakup, Mac Millers tragic death, covering up of tattoos, a record-breaking ex-track and an online cry for help by Davidson….its been one hell of a year for Grande and all those around her.
The Thai Soccer Team Rescue
One of the more heart-warming stories of 2018 is the tale of the Thai soccer team’s remarkable rescue. It seemed the entire world as watching when 12 boys and their soccer coach got trapped in an underground cave in Thailand for 18 long days.
As the cave flooded, their future seemed doomed.
A Miracle
A remarkable rescue by the Thailand Navy SEALS was performed with SEAL members themselves claiming “We’re not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what.”
It came to a happy ending and the adorable boys got their chance to share their experience on the Ellen show.
The Bieber Baldwin Romance
2018 seemed to be the year of young love and fast engagements, two such stars that hoped on the love train were songbird Justin Bieber and model Hailey Bieber. In a romance that traveled at the speed of light, the blonde beauties got it one.
Already A Family
High points included Bieber surprising Baldwin with a public serenade outside Buckingham Palace, a secret wedding, and a new addition to their family, an adorable pup named Oscar.
Tide Pod Challenge
Definitely the peak of stupidity for Pop Culture of 2018 came with the tide pod challenge in which a number of humans decided to publicly eat laundry detergent….for fun… this YouTube-based challenge dared people to eat detergent-stuffed plastic for others to look and laugh.
Poisoning’s Increase
It definitely was not all fun and games, after all, ingesting this substance is poison for the body. Poison Control received over 86 phone calls regarding poisonings that were Tide Related, and we can only imagine how many people grew ill thanks to this idiotic challenge.
Toys R Us Closed
it was the end of an era for Toys R Us in 2018 and a depressing time for those of us that grew up with the magic of the toy store at our fingertips. After half a century of bliss, the toy emporium filed bankruptcy.
Please Resurrect!
The closing of the brand left over 30,000 employees without a job and left major nostalgia for the times when Toys R Us was the happiest place for children all over the globe.
However, hope may not be lost! CNBC reported that the former CEO is speaking of a resurrection…
Sacha Baron Cohen Graces Us With His Brilliance Once Again
He is, without doubt, one of the most talented people out there (can you tell I’m a fan), Sacha Baron Cohen returns to TV for his 2018 series titled ‘Who is America?”
The British comic embodies an array of stereotypical and outlandish characters and gets to business making people feel very uncomfortable.
The Casualties
Casualties of his ridiculous pranks include Jason Spencer, a Georgian Lawmaker who resigned in disgrace after Baron Cohen gets him to do the most ridiculous things. O.J Simpson also makes a debut with one of the most outrageous interviews on the list…a must see.
The Incredibles 2
After more than a decade of waiting with bated breath, children and adults flocked to cinemas to watch Incredibles 2, and it did not disappoint!!
Living Up To The Hype
The film brought nostalgia to the elder generation and excitement to the youngins and was hailed “an exhilarating gift” by Rolling Stones. Ticket sales didn’t disappoint either! It brought in $180.2 million in its opening week alone!
'In My Feelings’ Challenge
Drake once again killed the game in 2018, but the best part was his bouncy jam that was more than just the official 2018 song of summer.
Not only is it infectious to listen to, but it inspired the ‘In My Feelings’ dance challenge that spread like wildfire (sensitive topic but the simile remains)
Will Smith Gets Into It
It all started with the homemade video from comedian Shoker who tagged his dance clip #InMyFeelings and #DoTheShiggy. It soon became a worldwide craze with dances popping up everywhere.
Even celebs like Ciara, Odell Beckham Jr., and Will Smith hopped on the bandwagon!
Tristan Caught Cheating On Khloe
One of the sadder highlights of the year was the most lovable Kardashian, Khloe, seemingly failing to catch a break. Literally days before giving birth, her man Tristan Thompson was caught being unfaithful with multiple women.
Powering Through
Days later Khloe gave birth (in a very awkward delivery room) to the cutest little pumpkin named True (ironic isn’t it).
She has decided to stay with Thompson (for now) recently sharing their Thanksgiving as a family and we are all shaking our heads asking why.
Aretha Franklin Passes Away
Another rather sad momentous occasion this year was the passing of the Queen of Soul.
Aretha Franklin passed away at age 76 from pancreatic cancer with many publicly mourning her death including Barack Obama who tweeted a tribute saying that the singer “helped define the American experience.”
Quite The Funeral
Her funeral was almost as imposing as she was and featured performances from musicians such as Chaka Khan, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder.
A Raccoon Scaled A Skyscraper
Stand aside Celebs, one of the more bizarre moments of 2018 centered around a record-breaking raccoon! The whole world of social media was glued to the tale of the “MPR Raccoon: as it spent the day crawling up the 15th tallest building in the city of St, Paul Minnesota.
Extraordinary Heights
The raccoon, first reported by a reporter at Minnesota Public Radio, climbed and climbed taking short breaks as crowds formed beneath and inside the building to watch its extraordinary journey.
As one biologist told the Times, commenting on the incident’s strangeness: “That kind of height is extraordinary.” Thankfully, it reached the top safe and sound and was retrieved by Wildlife Management Services.
In a hilarious response by the parody Twitter account made for the raccoon, he announced that he would “like to thank God, the great people of Minnesota and the Wu-Tang Clan.”
Cardi B threw A Shoe At Nicki Minaj
It’s kind of sad that whenever two girl’s maker it to the top a feud starts to brew, but it’s also entertaining as hell. Such has been the case this year with the feud between the vivacious Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, culminating in a shoe…
Didn’t Even Flinch
Their mutual dislike of one another reached its peak when in September, Cardi threw a shoe at Minaj during a party at New Years Fashion Week and was accompanied by security out the event. Minaj apparently kept her cool and ‘didn’t even flinch’…could it all just be a publicity stunt?
Chloe Kim Wins Gold
You may have forgotten that the Winter Olympics were hosted this year. but you definitely remember the name Chloe Kim- the charismatic 17-year-old American snowboarder who won gold.
The Star Of The Games
From her infectious smile to her incredible skills and refreshingly grounded personality she was for sure the star of the show at this game, she even made it to the Times list of the 100 most influential people of the year.
Yodeling Kid
I’m pretty sure when young Mason Ramsey took to his Walmart in Illinois to give a yodeling rendition of “Lovesick Blues” he has absolutely no idea what was coming his way.
A Rising Star
“Yodeling kid” was caught on camera and from there on out it was all anyone could talk about.
The 11-year-old with his signature red bowtie and cowboy boots went viral, so viral that it resulted in a Coachella performance, an Ellen appearance, and even a deal with Atlantic Records!!!
Red Hair Emojis
Red Haired Humans rejoice! Finally, years of a major cultural oversight was fixed when redhead emojis were released.
Although the red-haired community and others have been requesting this for years, emoji creators had issues with how exactly to implement this.
Emoji Universe Deserves Justice
It was on June 5th, 2018 that the emoji was made available worldwide and all phone companies were given the mandate to integrate them into their brands. It seems the emoji universe is bent towards justice!
Aziz Ansari Story Unfolds
Masters of None stars, Aziz Ansari is one of those funny lovable TV characters we can’t get enough of. But then came the piece published on Babe about a woman’s experience with the actor where he repeatedly crossed the line.
Everyone Weighs In
Thanks to the internet the news traveled like wildfire and everyone had an opinion. 800 bajillion Twitter accounts weighed in some claiming there were clear sexual misconduct and others suggesting the case was not nearly as clear as it was made out to be.
There is still no conclusion while Ansari just released dates for one crazy busy North American tour, what will be next we can only guess.
The Suicide Forest Video
For every high there is an even worse low, pushing the boundary for biggest touch in pop culture is one Paul Logan, the YouTube star who started off his blog in 2018 with a video of him walking into Japan’s “Suicide Forest”.
Death Is No Joke
Paul and his friends dressed ridiculously were joking around when they stumbled across an actual dead body. As you can expect, people were NOT happy and deemed Logan totally insensitive.
He was forced to leave his popular channel. Paul returned to the spotlight later on in the year, and we wish he didn’t.
Blasey Ford And Kavanaugh Testify
People had incredibly strong opinions when it came to the elected Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford who accused him of sexual misconduct 36 years prior.
No matter what side of the divide you stood on, it was a huge cultural moment for everyone tuning in.
No One Left Satisfied
Over 20 million people tuned in to watch these two professionals go into deep personal stories and incredibly intense emotions. Both sides were left less than satisfied and the repercussions of the case will undoubtedly go on for generations.
Stephen Hawking Dies
This year also had the world dealing with the death of renowned Brutish physicist Stephen Hawking who is known for his incredible contributions to the world of science and had been suffering from a motor neuron disease that left him wheelchair-bound since the age of 21.
People Pay Respects
Prominent people from around the world paid the respects upon hearing the news. The inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee spoke of Hawking’s “colossal mind and wonderful spirit,” while actor Benedict Cumberbatch addressed his “wickedly funny sense of humor.”
Oprah’s Golden Globe Speech
Oh Oprah, just when you think she couldn’t get any better- she does!
Her speech at the Golden Globes this year addressed the entertainment industries sexual harassment scandals, she also showed how the problems are not only in Hollywood and offered the crowd and all those watching a message of home with her words “when a new day final dawns”.
President Oprah?
While the speech was not political, her powerful command got people speculating that she may just be the perfect candidate to rival Trump fir the 2020 elections…while she shrugged off the suggestion, we still secretly have hope!
A Star Is Born
The movie that took the most spotlight this year was ‘A Star is Born’. The hype began when it was revealed that this would be Bradley Cooper's directorial debut and Lady Gaga’s breakout role, and it lived up to the hype!
A Star Was Born
People went nuts for it with many believing it would take home many awards when award season rolls over.
Yanny V. Laurel
There is no way you got through 2018 without hearing (again and again) about the Yanny versus Laurel situation. Like “The Dress” before it, the “Yanny or Laurel” debate broke down relationships between family members, loved ones, and even strangers!
The Doughnut Peacemaker
It started off when listeners of the low-quality audio clip heard totally different things. Some clearly heard “Yanny,” others distinctly hear “Laurel,” and there was no room for compromise.
Thanks to basketball player Charles Barkley people came together when he suggested the audio clip actually said “doughnut” and EVERYONE agreed that was wrong.
Amy Schumer And Emily Ratajkowski Get Arrested
Both women had incredibly busy years, but their dual arrest takes the cake for the highlight. both famous women, who reached their fame for very different reasons, were arrested when they protested outside the US Senate building to challenge Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Ideals First
It was refreshing to see these pampered stars putting their ideals ahead of their physical freedom (and let’s be honest, Ratajkowski probably rocked the prison uniform too).
Kate Spade Passes
Among the list of very sad deaths, this year was the world-famous Kate Spade, the designer behind her namesake brand. Spade ended her own life and it came out she had been suffering from depression for years.
Raising Awareness
Reactions poured in from around the world from people who loved both the designer and the woman herself. Lena Dunham wrote a touching post “Kate Spade was more than a designer,” she posted on Twitter.
“She was also a staple of NYC who spread goodwill…. Thank you, Kate, from one of the millions you made feel beautiful.” It also started a dialog about depression and the importance of being there for one another.
Queer Eye Reboot
It took 11 years, and finally, Queer Eye returned to our screens as a Netflix series and boy, did it take off. With an all-new fab five and a different location, this reboot was an instant hit.
Everyone Fell In Love
PopSugar even stated the internet has pretty much fallen in love with it.” Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson captured the feeling best when he tweeted that while he “wasn’t expecting to be so emotionally invested…. these guys are building bridges & moving me to tears in ever episode.”
Mark Wahlberg And Michelle Williams Pay Disparity Came To Light
