My favorite pop culture moments of the 21st century

Those who know me know my life goal, my mission of the past few months, the task that has consumed my every waking moment is my growing list of the best pop culture moments of the past two decades. Luckily, I am surrounded by an abundance of information on this topic. My friends, my family, reels, the Wall Street journal.

Ady gave me the wonderful idea of posting an edited version of this list on here, so this may be the first of a few editions. If revenge is a dish best served cold, knowledge is one meant to be shared.

“Imagine” Gal Gadot et al. I think my life was forever changed when I first watched Gal Gadot’s creation at the beginning of quarantine.

Sometimes I think to myself, if this video was created in the 60s, the US wouldn’t have ever landed on the moon. It’s been explained to me that the government pushed so hard for a moon landing to unite the country and prove to others (Russia) that the US had delicious tech worth all sorts of envy. If Gal Gadot’s video had been spread around, I think the US would have shoved that in Russia’s face instead, and all the money spent on NASA just wouldn’t have been necessary. Also, talk about uniting the nation.

I can’t see images in my mind when I close my eyes; I think this is because the loop of the celebrities faces would be playing constantly. I would be too distracted to live a normal life, and disaster would ensue. Whenever I’m having a bad day, I find myself going into the “watch later” section of YouTube and pulling it up. At this point, I don’t even realize I’m doing it. Muscle memory, what can I say?

Kelly Osbourne. I love this video. She is so confident in her answer, pausing as if she's waiting for a standing ovation. Immediately as she sees the other judges reactions, all life leaves her eyes.

I first learned of Kelly Osborne when watching Project Runway Junior. I never heard much else about her, and I still don’t know or care who Ozzy Osborne is. I saw online it's Osbourne maybe but maybe not. I know she’s famous, I’m not sure for what, and I guess that should have told me all I needed to know. There was a Mr. Osborne at my middle school, and I always imagine them to be related, although I think this is a reach.

Anyways, she had fallen to the back of my mind until one day this spring, when I saw her distinctive purple hair on reels. I do wonder what she’s up to now, and if she ever lies awake at night replaying this moment.

(27:00-27:22) No pop culture list would be complete without THE James Charles and Tati feud. This was one of the most pivotal moments of my life. For more on this, I suggest reading Maddy’s guest post “My Lord And Savior JC (James Charles)” if you haven’t already. If you’re lucky enough to get to see me in person, you might even be able to spot a pin on my back back made by the very same Maddy. What’s on it? Tati's face, in addition to her words of wisdom “and you did it at my birthday dinner.” I am still working on having that part of her YouTube video memorized (slowly but surely). I’ll get there eventually.

I like that laugh. This video is on here more for the effect it had on me personally than the cultural impact. I don’t remember when I first watched this video, or the reason why it drew me in so intensely, but for a short period of my life I found myself returning to it over and over. If I wasn’t rewatching the fifteen second clip, I was thinking about it. I was, at this point, heavily addicted to TikTok, and it was very prominently featured on my fyp.

As one does, I began to make references to it in my every day life, imitating both Justin Bieber and the interviewer. You know when, as a child, people tell you not to make faces so much or they’ll stick? Well, I learned my lesson. The laugh? It stuck. For a few weeks, uncontrollably and before I could even notice, my laughter morphed into none other than this very journalist’s. I’m not going to sit here and tell you this pissed me off, I was actually very pleased with myself. Still, though, it was a lot.

Awesome by Spose Dixie Charlie. I quote this video all the time. All the time. It seems to come up naturally in most conversations. I never was that into the Hype House drama, but this one sticks with me nonetheless.

https://www.usmagazine.com/food/pictures/demi-lovatos-yogurt-controversy-what-to-know/amp/

Demi Lovato yogurt shop feud. I forget about this often, but I think its impact should not be forgotten. This feud showed the blind mentality of cancel culture like no other, as Demi Lovato called out a FroYo shop on their story for having sugar free flavors. Quickly, the shop replied those flavors were in fact for people with diabetes and not to promote EDs like Lovato was suggesting. I guess I have to respect Demi Lovato for feeling so strongly about this FroYo that they started a days long public feud - more than that I just wish I could have sent my love to their entire PR team. No press is bad press, I suppose! Got them back on the books for a while. I also love FroYo so this made it on the list.

Joe Biden falling off his bike. I don’t think this video changed the world in the same way as the others but it definitely changed my world. It reminded me of seeing Bill Clinton in Velcro shoes. Celebrities, they’re just like us!

I recently have been thinking a lot about how time travel would crush me. While, like anyone, I have many things I would love to do, the idea that  no one in the world would know who any of these people are might be a burden too heavy for me to bear. I have a wealth of knowledge on this stuff, which grows every day. All this, useless in a matter of seconds. It has been suggested to me that I could become James Charles, even asking my suitors for IDs before I begin a conversation with them - but I’ve decided to skip that idea (mainly for the pedo sexting teens part). Also, as I read on an inspirational psoter in middle school “be who you are, everyone else is already taken.” In my specific case, if I time traveled to before these people were born this would be untrue, but I think the message still stands. Plus, if I learned anything from the movie Yesterday, pretending gets you nowhere good in the end.

I am only so strong, at times I think of all the magical parts of time travel and daydream, but eventually I remind myself of the neon sign decorating the apartment wall of my downstairs neighbors. “This is my land.” This is my era, these are the celebrities of my time and no one can take that away from me. The internet, what a beautiful thing.

P.S. Let me know your favorites, and I'll add them to the master list. Open source!

FULL LIST

Pop culture moments

• James Charles getting swatted

• Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad

• Gal gadot imagine

• Kelly Osborne immigrants

• I like that laugh

• Awesome by Spose Dixie Charlie

• Bella hadid not being allowed to have designer until she was older

• James Charles and Tati feud (Like, sucking dick and cock. Like, I'm just like, oh my god, time and place. And you did it at my birthday dinner.)

• Steve Harvey announcing wrong miss universe

• Kendall cutting a cucumber

• All of mannequin challenge

• Homeboys gonna like get it Bella hadid

• Ooo lil Wayne ooo ooo mmm just too good

• Charli let me in please

• Natalie Portman Johnny depp asl video

• The blue gold dress

• Laurel yanny

• Team 10

• Justin Bieber Anne frank

• Logan Paul suicide

• Bella hadid switching accents

• Jake Paul diss tracks

• Noah beck vinnie hacker

• Just working hard so I can please you

• Nick Jonas huge nipples

• Justin Bieber being kicked out of club for joint

• Justin Bieber throw up on stage

• Ice bucket challenge

• Poot lavato

• Demi lavato yogurt shop feud

• Cash me ousside

• Dula peep

• Joe Biden falling off his bike

• Sia autism movie

• Armie hammer cannibalism

• I’m Kendall Jenner I have a vagina I’m gonna explore that right now

• They’re trying to cancel who? Gen z is trying to cancel who?

• Fergie cartwheel

• Fergie anthem

• Kamala wheels on the bus and Venn diagrams

• freaks like me todrick hall

• Trisha paytas masturbation hoodie

• Grimes reading communist manifesto

• Scott disick shaving kourtneys vagina

• Demi lavato singing skyscraper to et

• Coleen ballinger ukulele pedo apology

• James Charles singing hate comments