Let's Rank: Best Pop Culture Trends of 2020
It’s hard to believe anything beyond — ahem, well you know — could be trending in 2020, but you’d be wrong! During and out of quarantine, people across North America found reasons to connect, distract themselves, and share the love for hours on end. We put together all the moments that injected a bit of positivity to our monotonous days. So without further ado, here are the top trends of 2020.
THEATRES & STREAMING
When I say Netflix took over, I mean it. The streaming service DOMINATED our screens in 2020 with hit movies, docuseries, and TV hits! Consequently, theatres and big film production studios suffered from endless amounts of postponements with some even moving their release dates to 2022! (R.I.P. The Batman). Others, however, took the streaming plunge, like Disney+ with Mulan and Pixar's Soul . Not to mention the newest streaming release shocker: Wonder Woman 1984. If this is how the future is going to be, it’s time to invest into a home theatre system, amirite?
CAST REUNIONS
Probably one of the best and most unexpected trends of the year were all the reunions. It felt like every cast from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Community to Smallville and Scott Pilgrim were hanging out and rehashing iconic moments on their respective shows. It also felt these reunions might be a prelude to a few remakes. One can only hope. (Please bring back Firefly)
SAFETY, BUT MAKE IT FASHION
Have you ever wanted to wear a mask like a superhero or anime character? Well, 2020 was the year to do it! In light of *global event that shall not be named*, people collectively started to wear masks and got a little creative while doing it! Instead of the conventional blue medical masks, fans drew suped-up fandom designs for simple tasks like grabbing the groceries or the mail.
TIKTOK EXPLOSION
Whether you like it or not, TikTok is here to stay. This was super evident throughout quarantine where everyone including their mom, mom's mom, mom's mom's brother decided they wanted to be a content creator. Even newborns had their own TikTok account. Reminiscent of the late Vine, we came to love the random 10-second videos as something of comfort, comedy, and often times, cringe.
ANIMAL CROSSING
Can you be perpetually banned from every island? Well, I was in Animal Crossing. Maybe I didn’t understand the premise of the game but I found it to be rather boring. The thing is, I was 0.0001% of the population with this opinion. Everyone else on the other hand was OBSESSED. It's easy to understand why with all the customizable home decor, the outfits, the fun games, and world-building potential. Too bad I couldn’t get at least ONE full crop yield in.
ENDLESS BAKING
Who can forget the baking phase where everyone thought they could be Julia Child, Gordon Ramsay, and Remy the Rat all-in-one? The real challenge is determining which recipe was the best. Was it banana bread? Sourdough? Whipped coffee? Either way, this trend did no favours for our figure *sigh*. Kudos to @allthefeelz for bringing Baby Yoda into the mix. Who knew The Child (aka Grogu) could bake!
VIRTUAL MEETUPS
One of the funniest things to come out of quarantine was the Virtual Meetups craze. Nowadays, skyping or facetiming your friend on the other side of the world feels common. To connect, we all had to make concessions in the goal of safety. Even events like ours found new ways to reach the fans! Our Fan Meetups Events gave us the opportunity to join in the fun right from the comfort of your home! Although, we would be lying if we said we didn’t miss seeing you all in person.
AMONG US
Deserving of its own slot, Among Us has taken the world by storm. Funnily enough, the game was first launched two years ago will little fanfare. Who knew it would go on to become the internet sensation that it is today. From politicians to actors and music artists - everyone's playing! The only question is… who is the IMPOSTER? You’re all looking pretty sus right about now.