And the top pop culture moments of 2018 are 鈥� Wait.
WAS there any pop culture this year?
Of course there was, but you could be forgiven for forgetting, because more than ever it was politics, politics, and more politics occupying the zeitgeist and sucking the proverbial air out of the room. Still, if you wanted a break from that, there was a royal wedding with something for everyone, some groundbreaking movies, the return of Mary Poppins (to the screen) and Harry Potter (to Broadway), a goodbye to some favourite celebrities, a tale of two coats that were more than just coats, and more. Join us on a highly selective chronological journey through a year in pop culture.
January
The first awards shows reflect a changed Hollywood, only a few months after the #MeToo movement engulfed the industry. At the , the red carpet becomes a sea of glittering black gowns in solidarity with victims of sexual misconduct, and OPRAH WINFREY gives a barn-burner of a speech , looking to a day 鈥渨hen nobody ever has to say 鈥楳e Too鈥� again!鈥� At the , stars don white roses, and singer Kesha dedicates a tearful performance of 鈥淧raying鈥� to the #MeToo movement.
February
Welcome to WAKANDA: The latest Marvel hero to jump off the page into his own movie is the 鈥�,鈥� and RYAN COOGLER鈥橲 film is universally acclaimed. 鈥淭ell them who you are鈥� is a catchphrase of the film, but it might as well be a pre-Oscar motto for Coogler and a starry cast including CHADWICK BOSEMAN, MICHAEL B. JORDAN, LUPITA NYONG鈥橭 and a slew of others. Ten months later the film will be nominated for a Golden Globe and generating serious Oscar buzz.
March
Speaking of OSCAR, it鈥檚 that time, and we鈥檙e still talking about #MeToo, not to mention 鈥淭ime鈥檚 Up!鈥� Appearing onstage to mark the moment is a powerful trio of 鈥檚 accusers: ASHLEY JUDD, ANNABELLA SCIORRA, and SALMA HAYEK. And when FRANCES McDORMAND says she has 鈥渟ome things to say,鈥� people listen: The best actress winner asks all the women nominees in the room to stand, and instructs Hollywood to tell their stories.
April
Times are changing at the PULITZERS, too, where rapper wins the music prize for 鈥淒AMN.鈥� He鈥檚 the first rapper to win the prestigious laurel and the first winner who鈥檚 not a classical or jazz musician. In film, director JOHN KRASINSKI energizes the horror genre with the creepy, silent 鈥淎 Quiet Place,鈥� also starring wife EMILY BLUNT. On Broadway, the enduring magic of HARRY POTTER is conjured with the hit London transplant, 鈥淗arry Potter and the Cursed Child.鈥�
May
Let鈥檚 say 鈥淒o Svidaniya鈥� to our favourite Soviet spy couple as 鈥淭HE AMERICANS鈥� ends its six-season run on FX with an elegant, surprising and moving series finale. At the annual glittery MET GALA, the theme is 鈥淔ashion and the Catholic Imagination ,鈥� and imaginations are running rampant 鈥� we鈥檙e talking about you, KATY PERRY and your giant angel wings! But perhaps the most memorable fashion statement comes when the very American in a refreshingly unadorned white gown. A gospel choir sings 鈥淪tand By Me,鈥� and an American bishop, MICHAEL CURRY, almost steals the show with a spirited improvisational sermon before saying: 鈥淲e gotta get y鈥檃ll married!鈥� Also this month, 鈥淭HIS IS AMERICA鈥� by CHILDISH GAMBINO, aka multi-talented DONALD GLOVER (also having a big year with 鈥淎tlanta鈥�) opens at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, accompanied by a viral video of nonstop dancing punctuated by shocking scenes of shootings. And goodbye, ROSEANNE: The show鈥檚 reboot is cancelled following her racist tweet.
June
What was she thinking? MELANIA TRUMP doesn鈥檛 say, but the writing on her Zara jacket has everyone talking. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really care. Do U ?鈥� reads the garment worn by the first lady on parts of her trip to visit detained migrant children in Texas. Four months later she鈥檒l explain it was 鈥渇or the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me.鈥� In music, JAY-Z and BEYONCE continue to exert their unique influence with a surprise joint album, 鈥淓verything is Love.鈥� On a sad note, two admired celebrities are mourned after taking their own lives: global culinary chronicler ANTHONY BOURDAIN and colorful it-bag designer KATE SPADE.
July
Last year, it was WEINSTEIN. This year, it鈥檚 , one of the most powerful men in television. Reporter RONAN FARROW breaks the explosive story of sexual misconduct on the part of the CBS chief executive; in September, with accusations escalating, Moonves will step down. And at year鈥檚 end he鈥檒l lose his $120 million severance when CBS says it has grounds to fire him for cause, concluding he violated company policy and was unco-operative with an investigation 鈥� a claim Moonves鈥� attorney denies.
August
Farewell to the Queen of Soul: 鈥檚 death sparks worldwide mourning, and the singer is hailed not only for her talent 鈥� the greatest of a generation 鈥� but her lifelong demand for 鈥淩ESPECT,鈥� as a woman and an African-American. She is eulogized in an epic eight-hour funeral. Another longtime great, PAUL MCCARTNEY, does carpool karaoke with JAMES CORDEN, and their visit to McCartney鈥檚 hometown of Liverpool that has many fans crying sweet tears of nostalgia.
September
鈥淏elieve in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,鈥� says a new NIKE ad that makes waves because of the man speaking the lines: , the former San Francisco quarterback who began a wave of protests among NFL players against police brutality and racial inequality. At the EMMYS, the awards themselves are upstaged by a surprise marriage proposal. And happy birthday, HARRY POTTER! Wow, you鈥檙e 20 years old.
October
Usually DONALD TRUMP has the spotlight in the Oval Office, but apparently not when KANYE WEST visits. The rapper, ostensibly there to discuss prison reform, delivers a 10-minute speech about the president, politics, and of course himself. 鈥淵ou are tasting a fine wine,鈥� he says, referring to, er, his truly. 鈥淚t has multiple notes to it.鈥� Onscreen, the ultimate chameleon, LADY GAGA, reinvents herself yet again with a stunning turn in BRADLEY COOPER鈥檚 acclaimed 鈥淎 STAR IS BORN. 鈥� And some fine-art news: The elusive pulls a stunt for the ages with his self-shredding painting at a Sotheby鈥檚 auction. But was that him, in the audience? Maybe.
November
Three broken ribs might sideline a football player, but RUTH BADER GINSBURG ? Nah. Days after her injury from a fall, the 85-year-old Supreme Court justice is back on the job, capping a year in which she鈥檚 emerged as a true pop culture heroine. Already in the spotlight for 鈥淩BG,鈥� the documentary in which she鈥檚 shown doing push-ups among other things, she鈥檚 also the subject of a popular SNL rap video, and by year鈥檚 end a new feature film, 鈥淥n the Basis of Sex.鈥� Oh, and she鈥檚 back at the gym, too.
December
Wanna be the new Oscar host? They鈥檙e hiring! (Unless you鈥檇 prefer to be Trump鈥檚 chief of staff.) is forced to step down 鈥� two days after being named 鈥� when past homophobic tweets are aired. And remember all the talk over the first lady鈥檚 Zara coat? Now it鈥檚 NANCY PELOSI鈥檚 MaxMara coat we鈥檙e discussing, a fiery red number that she wears 鈥� with Armani shades 鈥� emerging from a tense showdown with the president. The fashion label immediately reissues the discontinued garment. And speaking of cool overcoats: A stylish new MARY POPPINS is on the block, thanks to BLUNT, who proves a worthy successor to Julie Andrews in the Disney sequel. At the end of a tough year, it feels nice to indulge with just a spoonful of sugar.
Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
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