7 Pop Culture Moments We’re Thankful For 2017

One thing’s for sure, 2017 has been anything but normal. From politics to social movements, it’s been a crazy year punctuated by highs and lows so extreme it’s like someone hired George R. R. Martin to write it.

Despite the chaos, we want to close out the year on a positive note.

We can’t help but think in terms of pop culture, since it’s kind of our thing, so here are a few pop culture moments we’re thankful for in 2017.

Wonder Woman

To be fair, Wonder Woman has been around for a lot longer than 2017. But her onscreen debut was something worth celebrating. From the perfect casting of Gal Gadot and excellent direction of Patty Jenkins, this film was a certified hit for the Amazonian hero.

Emoji claps for days

Travis Thompson and Dave B Perform with Macklemore

What’s cooler than seeing young artists from your community taking a huge step forward in their careers? Not much. Sound Off! alums Travis Thompson and Dave B performing with Macklemore on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon was one of the coolest things ever.

Image courtesy of NBC
Way. too. cool.

SNES + Nintendo Switch Release

Do you remember that song “make new friends but keep the old?” That adorable little ditty is exactly what comes to mind when I think about Nintendo’s releases of the Nintendo Switch and SNES mini. The Switch is the perfect example of the future of gaming while the SNES reminds us why we fell in love with Nintendo to begin with. One is sliver and the other’s gold.

It's just so mini!

Taika Waititi

Yes, I know Taika Waititi isn’t a moment, but he’s certainly a director we’re thankful for. In 2017, Waititi went from the indie creator of such quirky favorites as Flight of the Conchords and Hunt for the Wilderpeople to the first person of color to direct for the MCU with Thor: Ragnarok. This is an exciting step in Waititi’s career, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Also, there’s this:

Have you ever just seen someone and known they're the one?

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek returned to the small screen for the first time in 17 years, and there’s a lot to be thankful for. Whether you’re a fan or still waiting to see how it all shakes out, Star Trek has broken ground with a long-form storytelling structure new to the series’ history, and innovation is at the core of what we love about Star Trek. Plus, that ship is pretty darn cool.

Starships are cool. Flipping starships upside down is even cooler.

Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Performance

If you can, think all the way to the beginning of the year. If you’re able to dip that far back into your past, you might remember Lady Gaga’s halftime performance at the super bowl. The super star took the stage by dropping from the ceiling while singing live to millions of fans and that was just the beginning. From there she danced, played, and costumed changed through the most jam-packed 15 minutes of the year all while singing live, and then she caught a football and disappeared. Pretty awesome.

Image courtesy of NBC
Hiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee

Star Wars

At the risk of being accused of jumping the gun, I’m super thankful for where it seems Star Wars is headed. Whether it’s Mark Hamill discussing the emotional experience of stepping back into the Millennium Falcon or Disney announcing that Rain Johnson (director of Episode 8) will be spearheading another trilogy after the completion of Episode 9, there’s a lot that seems to be going right in that galaxy far, far away.

I have so many theories on what happens next that it's actually painful to think about

What are you thankful for this holiday season? Is there a big pop culture moment you’re excited for coming up?