Sometimes, it can be amazing how fast the news cycle moves. Something can be a massive story one day and literally old news by the next day. Add in social media, a million different streaming services, and a rising new generation of celebs/influencers, and it can feel challenging to keep up with everything that is happening in pop culture. There is always some amazing show we haven't seen yet, some new TikTok star we don't know, some celebrity gossip we totally missed.
That's why we love the pop culture moments that are so major that they seem to briefly stop time and give everybody a chance to talk about them. The moments when something happens that gets Twitter buzzing and the group text lit up totally give us life, especially in 2022 (we sure deserved all the fun we could get after 2020 and 2021). As we get ready to wind down the year, we're pausing to remember some of the pop culture moments that gave us life in 2022.
Now, we should note that "give us life" doesn't mean that we approve or celebrate the moment. We don't think people should go around slapping folks, for example. That said, if one celebrity slaps another during an awards show, we are going to talk about it for days and that will give us some gossip life.
The Best Awards Show Speech
We still get goose bumps when we watch the iconic Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph's dramatic, songful, and inspiring 2022 Emmys speech. After decades of acting, this was the 65-year-old actress' first nomination and proof that it's never too late for a big dream to come true.
The Slap Heard Around the World
The Academy Awards ceremony has been accused of being too long and awfully boring in some years — but not 2022! The moment when Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock on the face instantly became the most memorable Oscars moment of all time (at least we think it probably will be). It was one of those pop culture moments that blew up Twitter and that we knew everyone would be talking about for weeks and weeks to come.
Best Halftime Show Ever
We absolutely can't recall what the final score of the game was or — let's be honest — which teams played in the 2022 Super Bowl. But we for sure remember the sheer joy and nostalgia of seeing some of our favorite OG hip-hop artists on stage together. Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg?! Our kids may never stop being embarrassed by our living room dancing.
The One-Man Baby Boom
If having a baby is a blessing, then Nick Cannon was blessed this year. It was hard not to be a little fascinated (and maybe a little judgmental, if we're being honest) about the fact that Nick had four kids by four different women in 2022. He still has another one on the way (bringing his total to 12 kids), and we're sure the internet is already standing by with even more memes about this prolific baby daddy.
The Return of 'Top Gun'
For some of us, the beach volleyball scene in the original Top Gun movie was a pivotal moment in the development of our first celebrity crush. The return of Tom Cruise's iconic movie franchise this year — and the inclusion of a beach football scene — let us know that we can still appreciate some sweaty, sporty beefcake action!
Taylor's Teases
We were always going to be excited to get a new Taylor Swift album (no shame in our Swiftie game), but her two weeks of teasing us with little bits of info about the album ahead of its midnight release on October 21 was such smart marketing. We were so obsessed that Midnights ended up breaking streaming records even before the end of the first day that it was out. Taylor got people talking (and dancing and singing) as she always does, and it gave us life.
'Don't Worry Darling' Drama
Don't Worry Darling may have been the most buzzed-about movie this year, but most of the talk was about the almost endless rumors about what really happened behind the scenes with the cast. Do Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde hate each other? Did they both make out with Harry Styles? We still don't fully know, and it makes us crazy!
The Spit Debate
Another part of the whole Don't Worry Darling drama is so weird that we have to talk about it specifically. Did anyone imagine that one of the most heated debates on social media this year would be whether or not Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine? Like, what? How is that even a possibility? But #spitgate was trending for days as people tried to dissect every frame of the video to figure out what really happened at the Venice Film Festival.
Lizzo Rocks a Very Old Flute
Listen, Lizzo always gives us life. She killed it in 2022: hosting SNL, having a massive hit album, winning an Emmy for her delightful reality show, and dropping her popular clothing line, Yitty. We were still in awe, however, when the Library of Congress lent her a 200-year-old crystal flute (that once belonged to the fourth US president, Thomas Madison) and let her play it on stage. Even the Library of Congress is obsessed with Lizzo!
Pete Davidson's Prolific Love Life
Pete Davidson started the year dating freshly divorced Kim Kardashian and is rumored to be ending the year dating freshly divorced Emily Ratajkowski. In 2022 he was in endless memes for being the rebound guy for the hottest women in Hollywood. Will he ever settle down? We can't guess, but we certainly have fun speculating about who he'll be hooking up with next!
Kim Kardashian Gets Called Out
Kim Kardashian raised some eyebrows and irritated a lot of people in March when she shared her belief that more women need to "get [their] f—ing a– up and work." The backlash to this statement, coming from a woman who has always had a life of tremendous wealth and privilege, was swift, and Kim ended up having to issue an apology. We'd still love to see her work a minimum wage job for a week before she talks about hard work again, though.
Harry & Meghan Prompt Debate
The Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan was one of the most watched shows on the streaming platform this year, and it has inspired the kind of fierce pop culture debate that even the most casual royal watchers couldn't help but dive into. Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle publicity-seeking narcissists trying to destroy the monarchy? Are they a lovestruck couple trying to defend themselves against obviously racist attacks and a lack of family support? Everyone is taking sides, and it is kind of wild how two people can watch the same show and come away with such different impressions of the pair.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
The Trial of the Year
The riveting courtroom showdown between warring exes Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was one of the biggest pop culture stories of the year. It might also have been one of the most depressing. There was so much ugliness between these two stars that we don't think we'll ever be able to see them the same way again.
Chrissy Teigen's Good News
While there were plenty of stars who had baby news in 2022, there was no celebrity pregnancy announcement that we were more excited about than Chrissy Teigen's. After she and husband John Legend suffered a heartbreaking pregnancy loss in 2020, we are just so happy for them. Their new little life gave us life this year!
Ye's Downfall
It's starting to get harder and harder to remember that Kanye West used to be considered one of the most creative, charismatic, and interesting people in the music and fashion spheres. Now Ye's mostly known for being horribly antisemitic and for likely having significant mental health challenges that make him wildly unpredictable and erratic. We would never cheer for someone's life to fall apart like this (although we certainly think he should be called out for the antisemitism), but we also can't ignore that this story gave celeb gossip lovers so much material to work with in 2022.
