Goodbye, Westeros. Hello, “Old Town Road”: The year in pop culture news
Nothing quite reveals the fecund nature of pop culture than combing through a year’s worth of news while repeatedly gasping, “That happened this year?!” It’s nearly impossible to find a single through-line that summarily captures 2019 in entertainment stories, but the year certainly wasn’t without its cultural markers, like the ceaseless Scorsese-led Film Discourse, or our fight to survive the crushing weight of Peak TV. We said goodbye to creative titans like John Singleton, Toni Morrison, Sulli, Gloria Vanderbilt, John Witherspoon, Daniel Johnston, Luke Perry, and others embedded in the fabric of the art we love. The year marked the ends of Game Of Thrones and a defining phase in Marvel cinema, while ushering in new beginnings for old favorites like Steven Universe and The L Word. Most importantly, it cemented the impending totalitarian rule of Baby Yoda. Let’s revisit some notable moments of the year in pop culture, month by month.
January: R. Kelly finally met his reckoning
After decades of sexual abuse allegations and predatory behavior, R. Kelly finally began to experience consequences outside of a few jokes and a tainted reputation. Over the course of six specials, courageous women shared their harrowing stories of abuse in the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly. In return, the Illinois state attorney launched a full investigation of the singer. Kelly was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges and soon after was dropped by his longtime label, Sony Records. Even Lady Gaga apologized for a 2014 collaboration with Kelly, the unfortunately titled “Do What U Want (With My Body),” which she later removed from future copies of her album ARTPOP. Kelly would go on to incur a litany of additional charges and lawsuits, in addition to sitting for a bizarre interview with Gayle King. And the story is far from over: Part II of Surviving R. Kelly will premiere on Lifetime January 2.
February: The potential host of the Oscars nearly overshadowed the ceremony
To the naïve viewer, a host-less Oscars ceremony might have looked like a trendy play at minimalism, or a weird call from a production team that forgot how poorly things went the last time it tried as much. But by February, everyone was well-aware of the Ballad Of Kevin Hart, a man who stepped down from his one-time hosting gig after he was forced to take accountability for past homophobic remarks. There was also the unfortunate—then quickly rescinded—decision to remove the Best Cinematography, Film Editing, Live Action Short, and Makeup And Hairstyling categories from the live telecast in an effort to conserve time. But the big night came and went with all necessary categories intact, a ratings bump, a few cool wins for Black Panther, and an egregious Best Film trophy for Green Book, which nearly undid all the good will.
March: Two celebrities became the face of a corrupt educational system
A story about two privileged women gaming the system in order to get their kids into college wouldn’t normally hold our attention for so long. But when Full House’s Aunt Becky and Desperate Housewives’ Lynette Scavo got busted for their reported involvement in a large-scale college admissions scandal, along with 50 other parents, we couldn’t help but ask, “I’m sorry, what?” Emmy-winner Felicity Huffman and former Hallmark Channel staple Lori Loughlin became the faces of a winding scam that involved being brought up on a list of federal crimes, including racketeering, mail fraud, and bribery. Huffman pled guilty soon after and suffered a grueling 11-day prison sentence. Loughlin, who was summarily removed from Hallmark’s active programming, has maintained her innocence as the bribery charges have continued to pile up. The story was quickly fashioned into a slapped-together Lifetime movie, but the detail that continued to inspire subdued chuckles was the fact that “Aunt Becky” trended on Twitter nearly the entire day of the initial news break.
April: A disappointing decision by Billboard led to the rise of Lil Nas X
If you can believe it, there was a moment in 2019 when Lil Nas X was actually considered an underdog. When Billboard declared that “Old Town Road”—once a hit almost exclusively among TikTok-ing youths—did not display enough overt country influences to qualify for its country charts, the industry quickly rallied around the young meme machine in support and protest. Country icon Billy Ray Cyrus publicly offered to collaborate on what would ultimately be one of many, many, many high-profile remixes that would cement the tune’s residency on the charts for a record-breaking 19 weeks. Eight months, an EP, seven Grammy nominations, and one immensely ironic Country Music Award win later, Lil Nas X has asserted that he can ride with the best of them.
May: Millions said farewell to Westeros
After eight seasons, Game Of Thrones came to a polarizing end in May, leaving throngs of debating fans in its wake. The final, six-episode stretch was a touchy topic, and members of the cast still occasionally find themselves defending David Benioff and D. B. Weiss’ efforts. But the enduring legacy of one of HBO’s most successful series of all time cannot be tanked with a few last-minute, head-scratching artistic choices. Although HBO Max’s forthcoming spin-off will attempt to bottle some of the magic of its predecessor, Game Of Thrones will always soar among the dragons as an epic of world-building and political intrigue. And we were there, a full month before the finale, charting the show’s best and most memorable moments.