It was the worst of times, Dear God was it the worst of times. 2017 arrived like a bat out of Derry’s kitchen and proceeded to suck the life out of us for an entire 12 months. This year was exhausting, wasn’t it? There were so many tragedies and scandals unfolding on a daily basis that I think we’ve become numb. Like, can you label something a scandal if no one talks about it the next day? The only constant was Trump and sexual harassment accusations and sexual harassment accusations against Trump.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, there were bright moments like a happy, happy hippo, a kid running with a knife (trust me, it’s good), a discovery of life in a galaxy far, far away and the ultimate lounging word. Here’s my random list of random things that brought a bit of brightness in an otherwise shitty year…
Best animal: Fiona the baby hippo
Ever since this ad gave me the idea of having a tiny hippo in my life, I’ve been obsessed with tiny hippos. Thanks, Concerned Advertisers! Where were you last year during the U.S. election? Couldn’t have done a tiny hippo remix with him figuring his way through fake Facebook ads? * Harumph * Anyways, Fiona is the cutest thing to come out of 2017. And BuzzFeed Animals agrees…
Oh, and in case you missed it, let’s take a closer look at the best part. It’s a teeny hippo tooting! That toot also serves as a bit of jet propulsion. I’m seriously crushing on this little one right now.
I mean, c’mon!
Honourable mentions: This hamster, these pandas, this gorilla and these crazies.
Best podcast: Binge Mode
Binge Mode shot onto the scene like an ice dragon burning down a magical wall. (Trust me, that’s fast.) This was the best pod in my lineup. The one you wait for and start up the minute it appears on your playlist. I could wax poetic on the Binge for hours, but instead, I’ll give you three reasons why it’s good:
- Good hosts. Hosts are so key, if there’s no chemistry, or the person can’t engage well or tell a decent story. Get Out! (great movie, see below) On Binge Mode, Mallory Rubin is the Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar & the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regnant of the 7 Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains & Mother of Dragons to Jason Concepcion’s Bastard Jon Snow. Completely in tune, completely engaged, completely passionate (minus incest love).
- Good variety. There are a ton of pods that discuss TV shows at length, but Binge goes further by breaking down their content into sections: An initial recap of the episode’s central theme leads to engaging segments about Westeros history, top moments/takeaways and who wins the week.
- Good emotion. Yeah, they’re just discussing a TV show, but the way they discuss it and relate it to real life situations and human emotions, well, it can leave you with all the feels.
Mallory and Jason’s pod pairing became so popular that Binge Mode is now a weekly show. If you like Pixar movies, try not to cry listening to this one. I’m also super pumped because they are entering the wizarding world of Harry Potter this spring!
Honourable mentions: Still Processing (#1 last year!), House of Carbs, Lovett or Leave It, S-Town and Black on the Air.
Best movie: Get Out
So there we are, a white woman going to see Get Out with her black boyfriend. Ummmmmmm.
This is not the most comfortable movie for a mixed couple. There were a few moments throughout the thriller where I could see — through my peripherals — the bf’s head slowly turn my way.
But besides those tense glance-uations, Get Out was an excellent watch. Especially experiencing it in a theatre with other moviegoers.
A thriller that makes you think…and laugh…and angry…and jump out of your seats. Exceptional. And that last scene, well, we were definitely NOT expecting that. No spoilers, I’m not spilling the tea here. 🥄☕💧👁👁
Best new word: Lampin’
We’ve been uttering this word every Sunday since we first heard it on Curb.
Best TV show: The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale scared the ever-loving shit out of me. It was fantastic, but there was no way I could binge it. After watching an episode I appreciated the week-long break. It’s infuriating and scary and it left me shook. A show about a dystopian future that actually doesn’t look as far-fetched AS IT SHOULD! This show couldn’t have been dropped on our culture at a more relevant time.
Honourable mentions: Game of Thrones (obvi), Better Call Saul, The Young Pope, Stranger Things II (mainly because of amazing cast), Mindhunter and Glow.
Best performance: Drake
“Somewhere between I’m sober and I’m lifted.” Gotta love this Canadian goof. 🦉
Best viral video: The Knife Runner
I watched this on loop 37 times in a row. No regrets. (turn audio on)
Honourable mentions: Derry and the bat, Melissa ‘Spicey’ McCarthy, Gosling refusing cereal and Hi Stranger.
Best discovery: TRAPPIST-1
Because, NASA discovered 7 EARTH-SIZE, HABITABLE ZONE PLANETS! Amazing. I want to go there.
Best destination: Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye
Historic, dark, rugged, stunning, friendly, surprising. It was exceptional, even if I did rag on it albeit in a cheeky way. This video nicely shows off some of its charm…
Honourable mentions: DC with the birches and the Cliffs of Moher.
Best Winnipeg thing: Nuit Blanche
I’m a sucker for saturated tones, and the bright, neon lights of nuit blanche mixed with a dark Winnipeg night was a feast for the senses. Also appreciated the amount of people roaming downtown at night. More of that, please.
Sorry guys, that is not Ryan Gosling.
Best meme: Joanne the Scammer
Joanne makes the list because I’ve been trying to figure out how to search for this meme Queen in giphy… for months! I finally gave up and used one of my “Ask a Friend” lifelines. And my bae didn’t disappoint…
Honourable mentions: Distracted boyfriend and Right in front of my salad?
And then there was the suckage…
3. Dunkirk
I didn’t get it? It was technically beautiful, but don’t you need a story, especially one with heart, to get people to feel something about your flick? I hated this film, but I’m obviously in the minority — everyone loved it. Which leads me to…
2. Internet yelling
We need to stop and chill (or lamp). Stop yelling at people you don’t know. Stop telling people they’re stupid (or worse) if they don’t agree with you. Aren’t you tired yet? I know I am. Which leads me to who we’re yelling the most about…
1. Trump
Ugh, hands up if you’ve had enough of this fool? ✋🙋🙋🤚
