The 28 biggest pop culture moments of 2022

It was a big, weird year for entertainment—think Will Smith, Bill Murray, Taylor Swift, and Elon Musk for starters—as these stories remind us

By Sam Barsanti, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, Hattie Lindert, Gabrielle Sanchez, Matt Schimkowitz | December 29, 2022 | 1:00pm

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The 28 biggest pop culture moments of 2022

Photo: Noam Galai (Getty Images) Dimitrios Kambouris (Getty Images), Eamonn M. McCormack (Getty Images), Ollie Upton / HBO, Warner Bros., Taylor Swift (YouTube)

What a year, huh? In one respect, 2022 was the year the blockbuster returned, with movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water and albums such as Renaissance and Midnights reviving pop culture after some pandemic-induced doldrums. However, the year also saw plenty of pain; the world said goodbye to a number of beloved stars, and the culmination of some of the biggest stories from the #MeToo era with the trials of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Harvey Weinstein, and Kevin Spacey. From Elon Musk to Olivia Wilde, from the return of Westeros to the ultimate finale of Walter White, The A.V. Club takes a look back at some of the biggest pop culture stories of 2022.

R.I.P. Bob Saget

Bob Saget was someone that raised a generation of TV watchers. On Full House, he was the open-hearted Danny Tanner, morning talk show host by day, father of three by night. His massive frame made him a striking TV presence, while his soft brown eyes recalled sitcom dads of the past, the Mike Bradys, who were replaced by Al Bundys around the same time as Full House’s debut. But as many comedy fans are quick to point out, he was also a raunchy stand-up legend who continued honing his craft up until his death. . The outpouring from his co-stars and fellow comedians—many of which he mentored—reminded us all what we lost: an effortlessly funny and empathetic comedian and actor that still had jokes to tell.Every year has its fair share of tragic deaths; this year was no exception as . Both feel impossible, like we’ll hear them on another podcast or see them at another club soon. It’s still hard to believe they’re gone. If only there was a Danny Tanner to comfort us. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars

And .It’s still hard to believe this year’s Oscars happened. . How was that not a sketch? Despite how tiresome the became, it felt warranted. Something truly unbelievably shocking happened in public and on television between two massive industry figures, and then one of them went on to accept the award for Best Actor? Though it’s doubtful that anyone takes the “Will Smith should’ve been arrested” narrative too seriously, this was an assault by a guy who played Muhammed Ali. There’s no way that didn’t hurt.But also, the humiliation both felt afterward must still sting. Rock and Smith are larger-than-life individuals but the violence on display felt incredibly human, as did the shame and shock both exhibited. Smith has been someone that epitomized Hollywood glamor without being poisoned by it, and yet seeing him crying and accepting the award, his raw humanity came through. All the P.R. speak and YouTube nonsense fell away, and he was just some guy who made a really big mistake. It was perhaps the most human he’s appeared since 1996. And Chris Rock, who had to smile through the pain and humiliation and finish the job of reading the teleprompter, must’ve felt so small in that moment. We still haven’t really heard his take on it—Smith, of course, has since returned to red carpets in a desperate attempt to save . [Matt Schimkowitz]

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Bill Murray’s on set behavior comes to light

The kind of news story that makes everybody uncomfortable: Production on Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut Being Mortal was stopped in April after. That someone, who later explained that he did something he and that it wasn’t taken that way, but it later became clear that there were plenty of additional stories about Bill Murray. The capper on the crummy news: Being Mortal’s Keke Palmer to ever get finished without Murray. [Sam Barsanti]

Kim Kardashian wears Marilyn Monroe’s dress to the Met Gala

Before Andrew Dominik boldly waded into the waters of stupidity with , the insistent reification of Marilyn Monroe came to the cultural forefront when that many thought she shouldn’t. At this year’s Met Gala (the theme of which was “America: An Anthology Of Fashion”), Kim Kardashian donned Monroe’s , last worn when Monroe infamously serenaded John F. Kennedy in 1962. Kardashian’s red-carpet moment drummed up backlash from the Internet, one of Monroe’s personal archives, and Bob Mackie himself, who created the first sketch for the garment. As he put it, the look “was designed for [Monroe.] Nobody else should be seen in that dress.” [Hattie Lindert]

Jason Momoa pushes to keep Amber Heard in Aquaman

Aquaman (2018) - Mera’s Rooftop Chase Scene (6/10) | Movieclips

During the Johnny Depp defamation trial, Amber Heard testified that run by Depp was negatively impacting her career, to the point where Warner Bros. reportedly trimmed down her role in Aquaman sequel The Lost Kingdom and had considered cutting her out entirely. It later turned out that both Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom director James Wan and star Jason Momoa were to Heard and fought with Warner Bros. to keep her in the film. We still won’t know how exactly that all worked out until. [Sam Barsanti]

Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard

One of the grossest stories of the year, one that revealed how far we haven’t come regarding the so-called Hollywood reckoning, the Depp-Heard trial crested on a wave of misogyny and sexism that recalled backlashes of the past. The double standards were flying fast and loose as armchair lawyers and acting coaches took to Tiktok to show off how truly repugnant celebrity culture is. For all the claims that this was a “mutually abusive relationship” the claims of acting on the stand didn’t extend to both parties. In the eyes of the public, Depp had been wronged because his ex-wife wrote about being in an abusive relationship. Heard was using her skills as a trickster to sway the jury—something her fellow actor ex-husband could never do. That claim won out both in trial and in public, and the limits of “believe women” were reached because a famous pirate was charming on the stand. Real bleak hours.

Lea Michele finally gets to do Funny Girl on Broadway

Lea Michele and cast of ‘Funny Girl’ perform ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ l GMA

A manifestation years in the making finally happened this year, when Glee’s Lea Michele of Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. The famed Barbra Streisand fanatic stepped into the lead role following Beanie Feldstein’s early from the production over the summer amid gloomy reviews. Michele’s entrance into Funny Girl turned the show into a Broadway , even as she had to beat the history of and allegations. , Funny Girl surpassed the previous ticket sales record for the August Wilson Theatre, offering a bright spot in what’s been a dismal year for Broadway overall. Rachel Berry would be beaming. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Beyoncé casually drops the album of the year with Renaissance

Beyoncé - I’M THAT GIRL (Official Teaser)

From the moment the prospect of a new Beyonce album turned from a wish your heart makes to an , dominated the cultural membrane for the second half of the year. Nearly ubiquitous across best-of-the-year lists (topping The A.V. Club’s own ), Renaissance descended onto dance floors with the unforgettable first single an infectious, empowered anthem that led more than a few people to quit their jobs. The flowers Bey rightfully received for her seminal work (and quite possibly the best album of her career) won’t end in 2022, however; she’s in a prime position to clean up at the in February. Forever that girl, indeed. [Hattie Lindert]

Warner Bros. Discovery guts HBO Max

Batgirl 2022 Trailer (LEAKED)

Where to begin with this one? Ever since David Zaslav abruptly —one of his most shocking decisions as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery—WB has provided an endless supply of infuriating news stories. The company is desperately trying to find its place amid a bad press cycle, but what do you expect when you start cutting beloved HBO Max originals from the platform? . . Gordita Chronicles, Love Life, Made For Love, Raised By Wolves? Gone, among many others, If a gigantic company like WB cannot appreciate its own beloved content, how is the audience going to respect them? Here’s hoping WBD steps into 2023 with a resolution to stop this trend. [Saloni Gajjar]

R.I.P. Anne Heche

In one of the more upsetting celebrity losses this year, Anne Heche after into a home in Los Angeles. The Six Days Seven Nights star was initially placed on life support after “smoke and thermal” injuries before she was officially declared deceased. The tragedy birthed a in the industry, including recognition of Heche and former partner Ellen DeGeneres as one of the first visibly gay couples in Hollywood. However, the circumstances of Heche’s death also begot a against her estate from the civilian whose home Heche drove into. Although the woman was unharmed, she lost all of her possessions in the crash and subsequent fire. [Hattie Lindert]

Saul Goodman’s last hurrah

Saul’s Confession | Better Call Saul Series Finale S6 E13 “Saul Gone”

To no one’s surprise, certainly not to longtime fans, AMC’s ended with an . BCS’s sixth and final season reached new highs with each passing episode, from (spoiler alert!) Nacho and Howard’s deaths to Tony Dalton’s epic evil performance (and mustache), to appearances from Carol Burnett and . Plus, Bob Odenkirk and delivered career-best work. It’s no wonder that the show’s impressive and dominated the —it was, undoubtedly, . [Saloni Gajjar]

House of the Dragon | Official Trailer | HBO Max

After the miserable ending, it’s fair to say that faced an uphill battle ahead of its launch. Most viewers were, at the very least, nervous about committing to another Westerosi adventure. However, the show premiered with massive ratings and became Twitter fodder every Sunday night (we can credit a ). After all, there was so much to unpack about Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, and their quest for the throne. Thanks to some stunning costumes, and impressive dragon CGI, HOTD became one of the year’s biggest dramas. Not to mention, it turned Matt Smith into the internet’s boyfriend, [Saloni Gajjar]

Ben Affleck and J.Lo finally tie the knot

How the hell did Ben Affleck pull this off? After a decade of being the sullen Hollywood magnate, who , , and cheating on his wife, he spent the pandemic regaining the public’s trust. After several well-placed Dunkin Donuts orders and a hilarious break-up with Ana de Armas (), Affleck shifted from persona non grata to Dunkin-lovin’ memelord. His stock on the rise, he shot his shot for a second time, and rekindled his love with J. Lo, .Then, impossibly, they got married. It might be hard for some readers to remember how spectacularly their first relationship ended. Two massive bombs (Gigli and Jersey Girl) had done supposedly irreparable harm to both of their careers. Now, they’re arguably more famous than ever. Whatever publicist orchestrated their reunion deserves a raise. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Don’t Worry Darling’s worrisome press tour

Don’t Worry Darling | Official Trailer

For a movie that was more or less panned, had a behind-the-scenes saga for the ages. From Olivia Wilde’s relationship with Harry Styles, to Jason Sudeikis serving her custody papers on stage, to Florence Pugh refusing to do press for the movie, to Harry maybe-probably-not , to Wilde referring to Pugh as “Miss Flo” in a video message to axed-star Shia LaBeouf, to, to … Yes, it was silly. Yes, it probably took up too much of our limited attention this year. But, sometimes, it feels so good to just let yourself be distracted. [Drew Gillis]

R.I.P. Elizabeth II

may not be the typical pop culture figure—she never even got a Golden Globe nomination—but during her 70 years on the British throne, she was a constant fixture across stage, screen, and the arts. She was the first monarch to rule through the TV age and the ascension of the internet, and her likeness earned an Oscar for Helen Mirren and Emmys for Claire Foy and Olivia Coleman. Her death in September prompted a massive outpouring of grief, even from some with no vested interest in the monarchy. “I think her passing became a focus for grief,” wrote in her year-end message to fans, “for unexpressed loss that so many people had felt during the pandemic.” As usual, Kate Bush is probably onto something here. [Drew Gillis]

The changing of the guard at SNL

Weekend Update: Cathy Anne Says Goodbye for Now - SNL

This year, Saturday Night Live saw a true changing of the guards, with the of several longtime cast members, including , , , , , , Kyle Mooney, and . It marked the biggest exodus the show has seen in years, giving SNL a much-needed chance at renewal. Ahead of season 48, the sketch show Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

The Golden Globes stage a comeback

The only fun thing about the Golden Globes was always how much of a scam they were. Even before critics pointed out that, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which runs the event) was accused of that existed just to get free stuff for its members. The televised version of the Globes was canceled last year, but as an apparent show of good faith in the HFPA’s attempts at reform, [Sam Barsanti]

Dave Chappelle Stand-Up Monologue - SNL

If the old adage about “no news is good news” is true, then what does it say about Dave Chappelle that he was in the news a lot this year? Having already joined last year, Chappelle’s 2022 involved him, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos suggesting that Netflix releasing, Chappelle, SNL mindlessly jumping in to controversy (and also tempting fate) by, and finally Chappelle for antisemitic comments made in his SNL monologue. [Sam Barsanti]

Elon Musk does his thing to Twitter

No one was surprised when it turned out that Elon Musk was ill-equipped to run one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, but of him entering Twitter HQ in October carrying a bathroom sink and captioned “Let that sink in” still manages to sink this writer’s stomach into the pits of hell. The milquetoast, stolen humor is just a drop in the bucket compared to the , , and . Now, we can only wait for Musk to step down as CEO, as he promised. [Drew Gillis]

James Gunn is hired to run DCEU

Recent backlash aside, hiring The Suicide Squad director with producer Peter Safran might be the smartest thing the company has done in years. Not only is it a delightfully playful shot at Disney—where Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy movies are one of the MCU’s biggest hits—but Gunn is a fan-favorite filmmaker with a lot of interesting ideas about how to depict superheroes. (Even if and that were not great.) [Sam Barsanti]

R.I.P. Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter, the scampy, spiky-haired teen crooner behind ’90s classics like “I Want Candy” and “Aaron’s Party,” at the age of 34. Although Carter struggled with substance abuse during his lifetime, a cause of death has still not been released. Carter rose to prominence as a child star when he was just nine, and navigated the entertainment world alongside his brother, Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter. Despite the untimely nature of his death, Carter’s charisma will live on next year when an he took part in before his death, Group, will move forward with writer-director Brian Farmer. [Hattie Lindert]

Ticketmaster faces the wrath of the Swifties

Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

For more than a few Swifties, 2022 was the year class consciousness crashed down like a drunkenly built Jenga tower. After Taylor Swift announced her star-studded in November, fans were left both devastated and angry after Ticketmaster crashed, then a long-awaited general public sale citing demand. The disaster mobilized a fanbase high off to call for action against Ticketmaster, whose merger with Live Nation created a monopoly that has made in-demand concert tickets more elusive to non-elites than ever. Swift via social media, but when all was said and done, the Senate had opened an investigation into Ticketmaster and scheduled a “to examine the lack of competition in the ticketing industry.” Moral of the story: don’t hinder stans from floor tickets and expect no blowback. [Hattie Lindert]

Bob Iger returns to Disney

How weird is it that the last three people to run Disney have been named Bob, and two of them are the same guy? Bob Iger was the man who took Disney to world domination, overseeing the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox, but successor Bob Chapek’s most memorable move was when he decided to react to anti-gay legislation in Florida by not reacting at all and then reacting too late—a move that may end the company’s. Chapek’s brief tenure was tumultuous, but to clean up after him was by company insiders. [Sam Barsanti]

Good Morning America finally becomes The Morning Show

From the outside, the drama surrounding Good Morning America’s What You Need To Know hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes was… kind of fun? (they’re both married to other people) and, well, people on TV have done worse. Not to dismiss whatever impact this may have had on their families, but the relatively low-stakes nature of this saga is a lot of what made it easy to follow. There’s sort of a retro appeal to it. Last we heard, into whether or not the alleged affair violated company policy. [Sam Barsanti]

Harry and Meghan take their talents to Netflix

Harry & Meghan | Official Trailer 2 | Netflix

2022 marked one of the most tumultuous years for the British monarchy in recent memory, from to the family’s of this season The Crown, which a certain (non-royal) Dame described as “.” But one of the most notable moments came this December, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally released their long-promised Netflix series. Once, Meghan had emphasized that there “will be no reality show” for the couple—but then, Netflix and What Happened, Miss Simone? director Liz Garbus .From texts with Beyoncé to the “seems fake but OK” fact that Tyler Perry is their son Archie’s godfather, the six-part docuseries had about the duo’s royal life: the violent lechery of British tabloids, the racist abuse Markle faced, and the lack of protection the duo received post-royal exodus. But most apparent throughout the documentary was the unspoken reality that the monarchy itself is a racist, colonial structure at heart—and after centuries of history, real structural change isn’t likely to come from the inside. [Hattie Lindert]

Harvey Weinstein is guilty, again

Harvey Weinstein had already been found guilty by a New York court in 2020, but in December, the disgraced film producer was found guilty of three counts of rape and . Weinstein still awaits sentencing from that decision, but the 70-year-old was already sentenced to 23 years from the previous trial. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming sentencing, it’s safe to say that Weinstein will spend the rest of his days behind bars. [Drew Gillis]