POP CULTURE 2022 RECAP!

Well, here we are again friends, at the tail end of another year gone by. I think I speak for all of us when I say “what the fuck?” Every year flies by faster than the last, but the good news about another year ending is it’s time for my recap of all things pop culture!

2022 felt like A LOT for pop culture, it was non-stop stories. There were lots of feel good moments that made us tear up, unhinged moments that we either laughed about or wished we could have never seen or heard about and a lot of sad and unexpected losses of some really great souls. This year I’ve recapped the moments that stuck out in my mind as THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY.

THE GOOD

• We saw two couples, in their 40’s, find their true loves (one again) and get married. We got both the weddings of Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker AND finally the wedding of Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck this year! JLo definitely won the wedding dress contest between the two brides, she had 3 dresses and each was stunning. Kourtney and Travis won for wedding location and all the festivities leading up to the big day! The real contest though is whose impromptu Las Vegas wedding was better?

• Brendan Fraser’s comeback. I personally had no idea why Brendan had left Hollywood and just assumed he wasn’t getting acting gigs anymore? I recapped what went down and why he left on my Tik Tok. It’s so heartwarming to see him getting such admiration, support and appreciation from peers and new and old fans. He seems like the sweetest soul and deserves all this support in my opinion. You think he’ll win the big awards for “The Whale”?

• Anne Hathaway becoming a fucking style icon, she literally can do no wrong. Every single look this year she smashed.

• The Don’t Worry Darling drama at the Venice film festival. I’m putting this in the good category because it was a collective hilariously unhinged social media bringing together. The hold this drama had on us as a society was hilarious and a nice distraction from real life. Chris Pine was clearly the star of this, from completely disassociating at all press junkets with the cast, hyping up Florence Pugh’s red carpet arrival, getting possibly spit on by Harry Styles…? it was a great moment in 2022 for anyone who loves ridiculously unnecessary, possibly made up, drama.

• Salad Dressing Gate, again sort of in line with Don’t Worry Darling drama because it involves the director, Olivia Wilde, and it’s star Harry Styles. According to an insane Daily Mail article with Olivia and ex, Jason Sudekis, former nanny, Jason had a meltdown over a salad dressing. According to this nanny, Olivia was making Harry a salad with her famous dressing she used to make Jason all the time, he was so enraged that he apparently threw himself in front of her car so she wouldn’t leave. Hilarious if embellished, unsettling if this actually happened.

• Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber shutting toxic fans down by posing for pictures together at an event. Even hugging! Maybe it was all PR, but you know what… even if it was good on them. It’s showing that women shouldn’t be tearing one another down and need to come together to support one another regardless.

• Andrew Garfield’s glow up.

• Britney being freed of her conservatorship, though to be honest I am concerned. I don’t believe Britney should be trapped in a conservatorship of abuse, but I worry that the people around her are still using and abusing her, and not providing her the support she requires. She clearly needs help of some kind for all the trauma she’s endured and I’m just not sure any of the people around her truly care to help her live on her own free will.

• Both Shawn Mendes & Justin Bieber cancelling their World Tours to concentrate on their mental health. Great role models for the fans they attract and hopefully opened up some positive conversations with parents and kids about mental health.

• Harry Styles as the cover feature on Better Home and Garden’s magazine. So dang wholesome.

• The Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary. Love seeing these two speak their truth and learn about their courtship. Everyone has this completely made up judgements about Meghan Markle that is so far from who she actually is. Like calling this women a diva when she literally camped in a ACTUAL commoner tent, no glamping here, in Africa with Harry after they had only had 3 in person dates??? Like, peeing in a bush people. This is not a diva.

• Julia Fox, she actually has some great conversations and points of view of society etc. I mean her fashion choices are way off but social skills and opinions are pretty interesting and though provoking at times.

• Shania Twain’s official comeback with a new album, Netflix documentary and World Tour. I love her so much!

• Emma D'Arcy's Negroni Sbagliato Tik Tok video, could not get it out of my head. I hear the actual drink is gross though which is very disappointing.

• The Super Bowl halftime show that featured the hip hop artists of my youth! I can’t believe they were able to give enough airtime to all those artists.

• Kathy Hilton being a PJ in public queen and literally just not giving one fuck about anything or what people think of her. It’s a lot unhinged but don’t we all inspire to be that unhinged we don’t give a fuck at all?

• Jodie Turner Smith’s red carpet fashion.

THE BAD

• The incredibly sudden passing of beloved comedian and actor Bob Saget. How loved he was and how missed he’ll be is so evident in the emotional tributes his friends shared after his passing. Also, part of the bad was all the weird conspiracy theories after his passing and how his family had to ensure the autopsy results were private because people were trying to obtain them? So grotesque.

• Another really unexpected death, that of Leslie Jordan. He brought so much light and laughter during the pandemic for so many. I will miss his story telling on Instagram, he was a really great story teller.

• Robbie Coltrane’s death. As a lover of Harry Potter this was gutting and I can’t believe so many of the cast is no longer with us when re-watching these movies now.

• Tom Brady being a horrible husband and choosing his career over his family. Like, as if the guy hasn’t accomplished a shit ton career wise? Was there REALLY a need to go back? Just proves that ideology where men love the aesthetic of being a dad and having a family, but don’t actually wish to participate in being a part of that family.

• Anne Heche’s tragic and traumatic death. Knowing she battled very hard demons for pretty much most of her life, it’s so sad to see it come to an end like this. Hopefully she’s at peace now and can feel love that she never felt in this physical world.

• Kendall Jenner cutting a cucumber.

• tWitch’s very shocking passing. This one really shook me up and goes to show even the brightest smile in the room can be suffering. If you are feeling like this please reach out to Canada’s Suicide Hotline - 1-833-456-4566.

• The Bieber’s serious health issues, Hailey’s mini-stroke caused by an underlining unknown issue she’s probably had since birth and then Justin’s bout with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Thankfully they both seem to be doing well now and let’s hope that continues on for them in 2023.

• All the Nepo baby talk. Honestly that’s more annoying than actual Nepo babies. Let’s leave this one in 2022 ok?

• Britney Spears and Elton John’s version of “Hold Me Closer”. I effing hate it, it’s a mess of a song.

• The no eyebrow trend, it’s hideous and frankly downright scary looking.

THE UGLY

• Will Smith losing his damn mind and assaulting Chris Rock at the Oscars. Like, what? I’ll never condone any sort of violence and to say it was for love and in defense of his wife? Please. That’s toxic masculinity at it’s best and no women should feel loved or proud for a man to do that in “her honour”. The most disturbing part was him then being allowed to stay, win the Oscar and get a standing ovation?? Ugh.

• The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial…. Disturbing as hell and it’s scary these two are raising children into the world (not together but are parents to their own kids.). Was it wildly entertaining at times, of course but this coming from a life long Johnny Depp fan I’ll never look at him the same again or be able to defend him. Do I believe he did a lot of what she’s accused him of, no, but he played one hell of a toxic abusive part in that coupling and some of his “joking” text messages are hideous and inexcusable.

• Kanye West.

• Heidi Klum dressing as that horrific worm for Halloween. I will never not unsee that…

• The constant disturbing behaviour and news of Ezra Miller this year, from breaking into homes, getting violent with people and possibly keeping an underage girl captive from her family? WTF??? I don’t get how Warner Bros parted ways with Johnny Depp but not Miller?

• Rosie O’Donnell thinking Priyanka Chopra Jonas was Deepak Chopra’s dad to HER face, solely based on the fact they have the SAME last name and well, racial profiling… Then making the most horrendous apology video online where she referred to her not by name but as “Nick’s wife”. Lord heave misery! So cringe.

• All of Madonna’s TikTok posts… please make her stop.

• Danny Masterson’s mistrial for all the rape allegations against him. The devil works hard but Scientology works harder. Here’s hoping these women find some justice in 2023.

• Prince of Pegging. Google it.

• King Charles having a tantrum over a leaky pen.

• The orchestrated bot attack on Garcelle Beauvais teenage son on Instagram. Absolutely vile.

• Diana Jenkins and Lisa Rhinna respectfully. Especially when Lisa tried to claim her shitty personality was because her mother died. What about how shitty and heinous of a person she was ALL those previous years prior to her mother’s death? That woman needs to be off television.

• Nick Cannon having what, 3 or 4 more kids this year? Plus probably some pregnancy announcements in there for 2023 babies? I literally can’t keep track.