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1. Barbenheimer

July 21: the opening date shared by two incredibly different films made by two incredible directors. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” shared theaters across the country last July, spurring the creation of memes, merchandise, and cross-promotion by both casts. Fans debated the ideal order in which to watch the two films and showcased the outfits they’d wear to the double feature. The cultural phenomenon that is “Barbenheimer” speaks to not only the revival of watching films in theaters but also the importance of telling stories centered around women. July 21 was not only the biggest box-office weekend since the Covid-19 pandemic, but also the fourth largest box-office weekend ever and the highest grossing debut ever for a film directed by a woman, with “Barbie” rolling in $155 million its opening weekend. The duality of these films — one telling the story of the man at the center of creating the atomic bomb and another exploring femininity through the beloved Barbie doll — made “Barbenheimer” an unforgettable cultural moment. — Anna Moiseieva

2. WGA and SAG-AFTRA Go On Strike

The writer’s strike took Hollywood by storm. Beginning on May 2, the Writers Guild of America officially went on strike to protest for fairer rights in light of a new age of streaming and the rise of artificial intelligence use in the industry. As the summer progressed, actors joined the cause, with the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists taking up arms with the WGA and launching their own strike — joining the picket line, boycotting roles, and posting on social media to show their support. Writers’ demands included contracts that provided better hours, fairer residual payments, and stronger regulations on using AI-generated tools, which threaten both the professions of writers and actors and the authenticity of the creative arts. The strike was eventually resolved after 148 days when the WGA successfully renegotiated writers’ contracts with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, marking the end of the prolonged standoff. However, the strike was a significant cultural reckoning for writers and actors in the face of a rapidly changing digital age and evolving entertainment landscape. As AI becomes a more powerful content-creating tool, it is increasingly more important to take a stand and protect the rights and livelihoods of those in the creative industries. The strike became a powerful symbol of solidarity in the face of technological advancements, underscoring the importance of preserving creative professions and artistic integrity. — Arielle C. Frommer

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3. Taylor Swift and The Eras Tour

When Time Magazine named Taylor Swift their Person of the Year, they affirmed the massive cultural impact she’s had in 2023. From TikTok dances to Taylor Swift-themed nights on “The Voice” and “Dancing with the Stars,” media coverage of Swift is impossible to avoid. She’s even one of the most discussed figures in the NFL lately after attending games to support her boyfriend of almost three months, Travis Kelce. But what caused this massive craze? Her biggest project of the year was her first tour since 2018, which proved to be groundbreaking from the get-go as Ticketmaster broke down, unable to handle the number of fans fighting for tickets. From there, attending The Eras Tour created a whole community — Swifties made friendship bracelets to trade at concerts and crafted intricate outfits based on styles from Swift’s many eras. Hundreds of fans without tickets even gathered outside of stadiums just to catch a glimpse of Swift’s performance. Her Time profile details how she worked to live up to the hype, making a setlist more than three hours long, which she rehearsed while running on a treadmill so that she could handle singing during intense choreography. The tour has brought joy not only to fans, but also businesses in every city she visits. Each tour stop has generated an economic boom, bringing major tourism to travel industries, hotels, restaurants, and clothing companies. Since the original North American Tour announcement, Swift continued to add shows across the world, now with 151 stops total over the course of two years. She also released a film version of the concert in theaters and to rent at home. The tour has already won Guiness’s Highest Grossing Music Tour and she still has 85 shows left in 2024 to continue leaving her mark. — Margo A. Silliman

4. ChatGPT and Art

A lot has happened with ChatGPT in the last year, including interesting writer-ChatGPT interviews that suggest just how eerie and ominous artificial intelligence can be. In a world of changing artistic norms, practices, and developments, some have wondered whether AI-generated art, whether it be painting, music, or writing, can really compete with human spontaneity, emotional intelligence, and raw creativity. As of now, many have agreed that the answer is no, not yet; though who’s to say that this won’t change even a couple of years down the road. No matter how advanced AI-generated art becomes, one thing is certain: Art is a form of human self-expression, culture, and developing ideologies that foster the growth of societies. Art –– just as much as the end result –– is the process of thinking creatively, of problem solving, and of human interpretation. It is people who make art what it is, and this is what artificial intelligence can never replace. — Thomas A. Ferro

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5. Renaissance World Tour

Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour was sensational, including genre-bending music with extraordinary vocals from the headlining artist, as well as impressive dance choreography, stunning visual display, approximately 148 ravishing outfits, and captivating stage design elements like dance duo Les Twins swaying on flexible poles and Beyoncé flying on a glimmering horse. It was an unforgettable cultural phenomenon: Concertgoers donned elaborate silver and black outfits that impacted fashion trends and economic growth, Beyoncé paid homage to the LGBT community, as her LGBT-identfying listeners are historically and consistently core to her fanbase, and she brought a delightfully relaxed approach to the tour, embracing imperfection and spontaneity that contrasted the perfectionism of her prior performances. Beyoncé’s eldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, joined her onstage during songs “My Power” and “Black Parade.” Videos of the eleven-year-old trended on social media, as fans were thrilled to see her perform. At first, internet-users critiqued the lack of energy in her dance moves. As the tour progressed, she improved admirably, displaying increased confidence and captivating stage presence. Fans looked forward to Carter’s feature with overwhelming enthusiasm, bringing signs with encouraging phrases like “GO AWF BLUE! #IVY LEAGUE.” In Germany, fans waved blue balloons en masse to support the young performer. Through the Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter created one of the most memorable cultural moments of 2023. —Vivienne N. Germain

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6. My Roman Empire

“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” This seemingly innocuous question swept the country in September, with hoards of partners asking their boyfriends and husbands and broadcasting the results across TikTok. The answers — which ranged everywhere from once a month to once a day — rocked all conceptions of what was a “normal” amount to think about the Mediterranean civilization. But why this apparent overflow of Roman thoughts? That varied from reminders of their roads, to appreciation for their aqueduct system, to the legacy of the gladiators carried through popular media. As the trend hit news stations, it only accelerated, with the TikTok hashtag “romanempire” hitting 1.1 billion views. So maybe now’s the time to ask: How often do you really think about it? Whatever the answer may be, once the question is posed it’s like crossing the Rubicon; there’s no going back from the days of conversation that will ensue. —Alessandro M. M. Drake

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7. Rihanna’s Return to the Stage at the Super Bowl

The world was rocked in 2022 when Rihanna announced her first pregnancy with rapper A$AP Rocky and it was rocked yet again when she announced her second at her 2023 Super Bowl performance. The performance marked her first in five years, when she sang “Wild Thoughts” at the 2018 Grammys. In that time, Rihanna’s presence had been sorely missed, especially considering she had not released a full album since 2016’s “Anti.” On that special night in February [OF] 2023, the star sang from a suspended stage, dressed fully in red, and sang a compilation of some of her most popular songs. Her growing baby bump was on display to the crowd. Some of the songs featured in the set included “Where Have You Been,” “Love on the Brain,” “Wild Thoughts,” and “Umbrella.” Towards the end of the set, Rihanna donned a humongous red parka and for her finale, sang “Diamonds” as she stood alone at the microphone. The set proved that Rihanna needs no gimmicks in order to shine and wow audiences with her glory. It only takes her, a completely monochrome red look, and some similarly intricately dressed background dancers to continue to prove that her stardom is unquestionable. — Ella L. Jones

8. Elon Musk and the Downfall of Twitter

On July 23, billionaire Elon Musk began the questionable process of getting rid of Twitter’s iconic blue and white bird logo. Twitter — which has undergone a definitively rocky transition since Musk’s purchase of the platform last year — has been an iconic social network symbol since its creation in 2006. To “tweet” has been a verb for over a decade, and the blue Twitter bird has been around since 2010. However, in an expedited process beginning in late July, Musk moved to overthrow Twitter’s most signifying feature. Seemingly out-of-the-blue (pun intended), Musk announced Twitter’s transition to X, an app that he hopes will grow to be expansively multipurpose, a hub of not only social-networking but also retail and finance management. After 15 years of building an iconic brand value, Musk has deprived Twitter of its name and symbol in one brash move, frustrating many users. Over the past year, active users have dropped by 15%, a general trend since Musk acquired Twitter last year. The X brand has been of interest to Musk for many years — he originally founded the x.com domain in 1999 with the creation of an online bank, hosts a Model X as one of his more elaborate Tesla models, and has dubbed his artificial intelligence company “xAI.” Although it is not clear how Musk intends to go about enlarging the X app, his choice this summer makes it clear that his plans are underway. — Dylan R. Ragas

9. The Rise and Fall of George Santos

Recently expelled from Congress, Former New York Representative George Santos is a controversial figure for many reasons, most recently for joining the app Cameo. On Cameo, users can pay Santos to record short, personalized video messages. He is in high demand and has raised his prices in response to this enthusiasm from $75 to $500 as of Friday, Dec. 8. The videos themselves are going viral, with one of the most shockingly entertaining videos having him congratulate a furry for coming out. It is bizarre seeing the ex-representative saying words like “fursona”, “beaver-puss”, and ending the video with “yiff, yiff, yiff.” This speaks to the broader climate of US politics and its unfortunate interrelation with popular media, especially since ex-reality TV star Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. One thing is for certain, Santos may no longer be a part of congress, but he is making sure that he remains on everyone’s mind. — Sean Wang Zi-Ming

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10. Broadway’s Social Media Revival

This year brought a hilarious and unusually wide-reaching presence of Broadway drama and discourse on social media, adding a new dimension to its contemporary cultural relevance. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s infamous “Bad Cinderella” and audiences’ disdain for it were a popular topic and joke on the internet: For example, videos related to “Bad Cinderella” have 125.9 million views on TikTok. While internet-users enjoyed laughing about the musical, they also opened a conversation about the current quality of Broadway. When Lea Michele of “Glee” fame joined the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl” until her departure in September of 2023, internet-users made fun of Michele while praising her performance abilities, and TikTok videos related to the phrase “Lea Michele Funny Girl” reached 1.3 billion views on the platform. From “Glee”-related jokes to illiteracy jokes, Michele captivated a large part of the internet throughout the year. The internet buzz surrounding Michele and “Funny Girl” brought great attention to Broadway and sparked a resurgence of widespread interest in musical theater. While Broadway was not as prevalent on TikTok as “Barbie” or The Eras Tour, it certainly reached a high level of popularity that was atypical for a somewhat niche subject and had a real-world impact, proving its cultural relevance. — Vivienne N. Germain