I can’t believe that today is the last day of 2010, and that when we wake up tomorrow morning (or afternoon, if you’re planning a really great night out – which if you are you might want to read Candace’s latest blog) it will not only be the start of a brand new year, but the start of a brand new decade! But before we jump into our resolutions and get all optimistic for all that the promise that a new year holds, let’s take a minute, get nostalgic, and reflect on my Top 10 People/Events/Moments of 2010.
10. LOST – The Series Finale
The television show that captivated North America – that prompted more conspiracy theories than Tom Cruise and Scientology – the show that we loved to watch every Thursday, ended. Beloved characters returned, but in the end the show that I loved to love became the show I loved to hate. While so many were happy with the ending, I couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the writers who obviously just ran out of ideas in the end. But I have to thank them for giving me a 5 solid seasons and 1 fairly lacklustre final season. The finale makes #10 in my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010 because it reminded me that all good things must come to an end.
9. Grayson Chance
There are many videos that make the morning social media rounds – of kids dancing in their parent’s cars – funny animals, cute cartoons – you get the picture. But one morning in May a video of a young boy showed up in my Facebook stream that had everybody talking. In it, 12 year old Grayson Chance, in a 6th grade music festival, performed his very own version of ‘Paparazzi’ by Lady Gaga. Chance put tears in my eyes as I watched this young man sing and play piano, and I wasn’t the only one. Ellen DeGeneres saw the clip and had him on her show, and before you knew it he was a guest at awards shows and rubbing elbows with Justin Bieber. I watched his video again while I was writing this and it put tears in my eyes and goose bumps on my arms again. That’s why he’s on my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010.
8. Flash Mobs
Here a flash mob, there a flash mob, everywhere a flash mob! This incredible phenomenon really kicked off when The Black Eyed Peas and Oprah opened her last season with a huge flash mob in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. After that flash mobs popped up everywhere, from Glee flash mobs in Seattle and Germany, to T-Mobile flash mobs in Heathrow airport, to the lovely food court flash mob that took place in a little mall in Welland, Ontario. No one doesn’t like flash mobs – and no matter how many times I watch them I always cry. That’s how happy they make me – and being a part of one still remains the only item on my bucket list. For that, flash mobs are #8 on my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010.
7. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock had a year she’ll never forget in 2010. It started out strong for Bullock, with a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for her role in The Blind Side, culminating in wins at both ceremonies. But, before they could even get her Oscar engraved came the cheating scandal where poor Sandy discovered that her husband was cheating on her with someone that I think I can only describe as ‘skeezy’. But not one to wallow in her own self-pity (Jen Aniston – take note) Sandra bounced back with a new baby and a new outlook on life. She divorced that cheating no good husband of hers, became a single mother, and really, never looked back. And for that Sandra Bullock lands at #7 on my Top 10 Best People of 2010.
6. Kanye West
While the infamous Kanye West/Taylor Swift debacle technically happened in 2009, no can deny the fact that Kanye dominated much of the entertainment talk in 2010! But Kanye was smart, and he laid low, he stayed out of the spotlight for a while, and he seemed to genuinely apologize to Taylor Swift for his actions. He seemed remorseful (Chris Brown – take note of how to do that). And slowly Kanye revealed himself back to the world, little by little, mostly through his twitter stream, culminating in a totally self-deprecating performance on this year’s MTV VMA’s. West performed a musical apology of sorts to Taylor Swift – further making the entire situation about himself. If you follow Kanye on twitter you have no doubt been entertained by him on more than one occasion through his tweets, which really are little pieces of gold. And the thing I love about Kanye is that Kanye really believes that Kanye is a piece of gold, and how can you not love that!? And that’s why Kanye West is #6 on my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010.
5. Social Media
We all know how much I love twitter, and it seems that this is the year that everyone else does too! With movies like ‘The Social Network’, the focus on facebook and twitter as a means of socialization has taken over. I challenge you to find a website these days that doesn’t have a social media ‘sharing’ toolbar on it. Social Media has changed how we think, how we write, and how we do business. And I love it. And for that reason it’s #5 on my Top 10 of 2010!
4. Celebrity Deaths
Sadly, every year we must say good bye to some of our most beloved entertainers, and of course 2010 was no different. We lost such entertainers as Teena Marie, Corey Haim, Denis Hopper, Dixie Carter, Gary Coleman, Jill Clayburgh, Lena Horne, Lynn Redgrave, Tom Bosley, and Tony Curtis, to name a few. And while it’s never a happy occasion to see stars leave us, it is nice to have the opportunity to remember them. And that’s why it’s #4 on my Top 10 of 2010.
3. Celebrity Births
With the sadness that comes with celebrity deaths we can revel in the magic that comes with celebrity births! This year we saw a lot of new babies being born to some of our favourite stars – with even a few Christmas babies thrown in for good measure! Stars who welcomed babies in 2010 include; Alicia Keyes, Mario Lopez, Amy Adams, Matthew McConaughey, Neil Patrick Harris, Alannis Morisette, Elton John, Vince Vaughn and Kelly Preston, Celine Dion and a whole lot of Teen Moms! Who doesn’t love new babies?! I know I do, and that’s why celebrity babies made it to #3 on my list of Top 10 of 2010.
2. The Chilean Miners
Were you glued to your computer or television watching?! I know you were, because I was too, and we tweeted and facebooked and blogged about it. After 10 weeks stuck in a collapsed mine, the entire world watched as all 33 miners were safely brought to the surface. And we cried as each of them reunited with their families, and we didn’t care about the supposed ‘mistress’ scandals that some networks tried to force on us, because we were so full with happiness and relief and wonder and marvel at the human spirit of these men that all we could do was cry and chant ‘Chi Chi Chi, le le Le’ along with them. And that is why the Chilean Miners land at #2 on my Top 10 of 2010.
1. The Vancouver Olympics
This was hard, because the Chilean Miners would have been my #1 in any other year, but the Winter Olympics were on home turf this year, and there were too many incredible moments to not award it the #1 spot. The Vancouver Winter Olympics started off rocky - with a tragic death, uncooperative weather, and protesters. But Vancouver did not disappoint, and nor did our athletes. We saw incredible performances by all of our athletes, with Alexandre Bilodeau winning our first gold medal of the games, but definitely not the last. We saw figure skater Joannie Rochette come back after experiencing the death of her mother to win a silver medal, ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir winning gold and Jon Montgomery walking through Athlete’s village with a pitcher of beer celebrating his win in the skeleton. But no one can forget the goal heard across the country, when Sid the Kid scored the winning goal in overtime to confirm that hockey really is our game. And whether you’re a hockey fan or not, I guarantee you jumped and screamed and yelled when that goal went in. Vancouver put on one hell of an Olympics and for 16 glorious days the entire country united to support athletes, and they didn’t disappoint. And for that, The Vancouver Winter Olympic Games is #1 in my Top 10 of 2010.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my wrap up of 2010 – from the best breakups to the best hook-ups to the most overrated – and the best of 2010. Let me know if you think I’ve missed anything in the comments. I wish you all a safe and happy New Years Eve and a wonderful and prosperous 2011! Be safe, don’t drink and drive, and thank you to all of you for reading, and indulging my passion for celebrity pop culture for yet another year.
Here’s to a perfectly smutty 2011! Happy New Year!
Scene and Heard
Confessions from a Pop Culture Mummy
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