After the past two years, it’s fair to say that the concept of time no longer holds any meaning. If 2020 seemed to drag, then 2021 has embraced the “hold my beer” approach, ensuring the last 12 months have felt like an eternity.
Midway through this year, we rounded up the pop culture moments that made the first half of 2021 bearable and looking back at the list it’s hard not to be hit with a dose of nostalgia.
Cast your mind all the way back to January, when freezing cold Bernie Sanders made the mistake of wearing mittens at Biden’s inauguration. Then we had the Meghan, Harry and Oprah interview, that ship getting wedged in the Suez Canal and the Friends reunion.
These are all 2021 events and yet, they feel more like faded memories of a distant, less-Omicrony time. With that in mind, it’s now time to pay tribute to the pop culture moments that have seen us through the last six months of this never-ending nightmare.
Squid Game: The world rallies around Korea’s kill or be killed Netflix hit
It’s a rather fitting allegory for the pandemic that the most talked-about TV show this year featured a bunch of people doing whatever it takes to stay alive. When Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game hit Netflix in September no one was quite sure what to make of this deliciously violent South Korean show. But it didn’t long for us to get on board, the show becoming the streamer’s most-watched series, attracting more than 142 million member households and amassing 1.65 billion viewing hours during its first four weeks from launch.
Korean drama Squid Game became the most-watched show on Netflix of all time.Credit:Netflix
Where is Taylor Swift’s scarf? One of the Gyllenhaal siblings has it
Just when we thought Bernie Sanders mittens might be the most talked-about item of clothing this year, along comes Taylor Swift. Or more accurately, Taylor Swift’s scarf. Absolutely unrivalled when it comes to manufacturing moments, Swift dominated headlines when she dropped Red (Taylor’s Version), a re-release of her 2012 album. The album included an extended cut of her track, All Too Well, which tells the story of Swift’s breakup with actor, Jake Gyllenhall. Not only did Gyllenhall take her innocence, but he nicked her scarf too.
“And I, left my scarf there at your sister’s house,” sings Swift. “And you’ve still got it in your drawer even now.” The track renewed interest in this missing knit and for one weekend in November all the internet cared about was the whereabouts of Swift’s scarf. Safe to say it was a bad 48 hours to be Gyllenhaal.
Hooray for horrible rich white people: White Lotus and Succession steal the show
We can all agree there are too many shows about white people on TV, but at least some of what we’re watching paints them in a terrible light. Together, The White Lotus and Succession painted a deeply unflattering image of what it’s like to be rich, white and deeply unpleasant.
The rise of Pete Davidson: Big click energy
No one has had a better end to 2021 than Pete Davidson. Six months ago, the gangly Saturday Night Live comic was a blip on the radar, but his highly publicised relationship with Kim Kardashian has catapulted him into the pop-culture consciousness. Kardashian is the latest in a long line of Davidson’s beautiful girlfriends (see also: Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale), but the super wattage power of the reality star kicked off a dialogue that has dominated the back half of this year: what exactly is it about Pete Davidson?
Bringing bondage back: Kim Kardashian at the BDSMet Gala
Speaking of Kim, remember when she turned up to the Met Gala dressed as a mental breakdown? It’s been a big year for KKW, between Keeping Up With The Kardashians ending and her divorce to Kanye, she’s really been put through the wringer. So perhaps we can forgive this misstep, and be thankful for the onslaught of memes it inspired.
When in doubt, reach for a black bag: Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala.Credit:AP
The outfit, which included a blackout facial covering was less of a Met Gala look and more of a Met Gala look where you’re going, Kim.
And Just Like That: Enjoying Sex and the City again is just like riding a bike…kind of
If the Friends reunion taught us that sometimes our favourite shows are best left untouched, but someone forgot to tell Sex and the City creator, Michael Patrick King. The much-hyped reboot, And Just Like That… hit screens in December. Is it good? Sometimes. Is it bad? Often. Is it worth including on this list? Absolutely.
Chris Noth as Big and Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie in the first episode of the Sex and the City revival And Just Like That….Credit:HBO Max
Catching up with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the gals has provided plenty of eye-roll moments (why must Miranda hate podcasts so much?), as well as delivering one of the most talked-about on-screen deaths of the year.
Adele’s Sad Girl Summer: Go easy on her
It was meant to be the Hot Girl Summer until two unstoppable ladies combined to rain on our parade: La Niña and Adele. The release of Adele’s latest record, 30, put a stop to any notion of a fun-filled summer. With track names including, Cry Your Heart Out, Oh My God and Easy on Me, Adele single-handedly captured the 2021 mood. And clearly, we lapped it up, with the first track Easy On Me breaking the record for the most-streamed song in a single day on Spotify with 24 million global streams.
Bad Art Friend: A stolen story about a gifted kidney
Only on Twitter could a story about a donated kidney become the year’s most baffling whodunit saga. In October, The New York Times published the piece, Who Is The Bad Art Friend? a 10,000-word story detailing the tale of two writing acquaintances, Dawn Dorland and Sonya Larson.
Dorland donated a kidney to a stranger and then accused Larson of stealing her experience and turning it into a short story. Cue a global conversation about who owns what when it comes to storytelling and whether Larson’s piece constituted plagiarism.
Free me baby, one last time: Britney kicks the toxic conservatorship
The #FreeBritney movement has spanned 2021, but in November fans of the pop star finally received the news they’d been waiting for. “The court finds and determines that the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” ruled Judge Brenda Penny. After 14 years under the conservatorship, Spears was officially free to do whatever she wants. Which, based on her Instagram posts, is taking haunting selfies and dancing around her palatial home.
Almost Cancelled: Dave Chappelle
It wouldn’t be a year in pop culture without a famous comedian getting (almost) cancelled and in 2021 it was Dave Chappelle’s turn. The stand-up comic released his final Netflix special, The Closer, which included a series of comments about the trans community. Several Netflix employees stormed a board meeting to demand the special be removed from the platform. It wasn’t, but chief content officer Ted Sarandos did apologise for how he handled internal dissent from employees, saying: “I screwed up.”
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
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