5. Madonna’s fall from grace
Edna Mode, from The Incredibles, is probably one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Her legendary rule of “No Capes!” is something which is universally true, but Madonna thought she was the exception to the rule. It was the Brit Awards in February that saw Madonna suffer the same fate as so many superheros before her. Her giant Armani cape, while stunningly beautiful, proved to be her downfall as she struggled to remove the fastening and promptly got dragged down a flight of stairs by an unfortunate backing dancer. However, Madonna got up and carried on like an absolute pro, and now we can look back on this moment fondly and relive the clip again and again and again. Don’t lie, we’ve all seen the video and laughed a bit, even though we hate ourselves afterwards.
4. J.K. Rowling’s SSB invite
Thanks for the kind invitation! I’ve got a feeling I’m three decades too old to enjoy this, but you have fun! https://t.co/LVyfCezFXb
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 13, 2015
It was a moment akin to the bit in Mean Girls where Bethany Byrd says of Regina George: “one time, she punched me in the face. It was awesome”. Exeter students everywhere couldn’t believe it when we awoke in October to find that the legendary J.K. Rowling had tweeted about us. Granted, it was rejecting our invite to attend the infamous SSB as a guest of honour, but that’s not the point. We will treasure the memory forever, as we were metaphorically punched in the face as she tweeted: “Thanks for the kind invitation! I’ve got a feeling I’m three decades too old to enjoy this, buy you have fun!” Perhaps she was just too busy – maybe she was doing car commercials… in Japan.
3. The Left Shark
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t dance. That’s the advice we’d give the Left Shark who was throwing caution to the wind and dancing to the beat of his own drum during Katy Perry’s Super Bowl Halftime show in February. In the hilarious couple of minutes he was on stage, the adorable Left Shark threw off the shackles of conformity and just went for it, and it made for great TV viewing. You do you Left Shark- you’re an inspiration to us all!
2. Calendar Girls
Traditionally, the Pirelli Calendar is an exclusive collection of images that get sent to celebrities and select VIP clients across the world – it isn’t exactly something you can pick up at your local W.H. Smith – featuring the most beautiful woman in the world. It is traditionally a raunchy, nudity-filled calendar, but that latest version, shot by Annie Leibovitz takes the project in a completely different direction. Instead of models, the 2016 calendar features some of the most powerful women in the world,selected by Pirelli for their “outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment”. These women include Serena Williams, Patti Smith and Amy Schumer. The potential positive impact of the calendar definitely earns it a spot on our countdown – it’s just a shame not everyone will be able to see the pictures.
1. “Call Me Caitlyn”
And so, the best moment of the year is here. It was a moment in June that changed our social landscape forever. It was the moment that Caitlyn Jenner appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair for the first time after her transition and pushed the issues of trans people to the forefront of our discussions. As a symbol, Caitlyn’s cover made waves across the internet and stands as a statement that trans people will no longer be invisible in society. Awareness is growing as people become more educated about issues facing trans people, and the significance of how that cover furthered the discussion cannot be ignored. Growing and continuing discusiion is a sign that positive changes are underway, and Caitlyn’s cover is a symbol of these positive changes.