This has been a terrible year for news, from the heavy of bombing of Palestine and further loss of life in the Middle East, to the murder of Mike Brown, Eric Handler and so many other POC in our nation that are just now being recognized in a growing awareness of police brutality, racism, and militarization.
Amidst all this oppressive violence and grief, there have been a few bright spots in popular culture and here are a few I particularly loved.
5. Never Alone
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of “Never Alone” and it finally arrived in mid- November. The game proved as challenging and interesting as I hoped. But more than that, it moved me to tears.
Built into the game is the underlining belief that we must receive aid from the natural world and also aid it in return. An example of this is the white fox. To play the game at all, you must work together with your fox companion. One is not more important than the other and working together is tantamount. Even more moving than this were the Inuit drawings of animal spirits that appeared during jumping and obstacle sections. These spirits move and turn and assist the player to overcome obstacles and continue on with the game. I’m not ashamed to admit it but I got teary a few times from the spirits’ beauty and they’re willingness to aid a little girl and her fox.
4. Downton Abbey
This last season saw Downtown Abbey crawling out of the abyssal trench it had dug for itself with the last few seasons of eye-rolling dialogues, unconvincing dramas, and Matthew inopportune bailing (errrr, I mean dying). This year, the dramas got snappier (or was that just Mary coming out of mourning and biting off everyone’s head), more controversial and a bit more believable.
The costumes continued to be gorgeous and the star talent felt more invested in their roles- perhaps they were interested in their scripts this time around. The last episode ended on a strong note with the housekeeper Mrs. Hughes and the butler, Mr. Carson holding hands by the seaside. It was a good year for the beloved upstairs-downstairs series. http://d2buyft38glmwk.cloudfront.net/media/images/canonical/mast-downton-s4-series-icon-hires.jpg
3. Beyoncé’s Feminism
When the word “Feminist” appears in glowing letters on a huge screen while one of the most powerful and popular woman of our time performs during the VMAs and everyone goes wild, it’s a magnificent moment. And of course, this isn’t a one-time mention of a controversial word by Queen Bey.
She has spoken publically about her belief in feminism and what it means to her—namely her belief in equality. She has written about it and spoken about it in interviews. Beyoncé continues to challenge viewers (feminist and otherwise) by her sheer presence and choices. She continues to be a fabulous force to listen, watch and admire.
2. Gilmore Girls
Netflix released Gilmore Girls on October 1st. I hadn’t seen the show before and after the first few episodes, I was taken aback. Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter eat Chinese take-out, go on road trips, navigate schooling, try to figure out dating, love their friends and that’s pretty much the show. But despite how very little happens in each segment, it’s addictive to watch.
TV is currently replete in sweeping dramas where people die or are threatened in horrible ways and Gilmore Girls is the perfect respite to this over-saturation of violence and drama. Lorelai and Rory are a plucky team to watch as they sort and manage their lives. Every time I turn Gilmore Girls on, I heave a sigh of relief. Things are likely work out, one way or the other.
1. Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow’s success has been a bright gem during a terrible year. On May 28th, they launched a Kickstarter to fund the Reading Rainbow literacy app. The app would be available on the web, game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and virtual classroom use. The hope was that with enough financial support, the company would be able to waive fees and bring the virtual classroom app to 13,000 disadvantaged classrooms. Within hours of the Kickstarter launching, the goal of one million dollars was met. The campaign has currently exceeded five million and is open till July for donations. This sweet video of Lavar Burton crying in joy was one the sweet highlights of this year.
Catherine Eaton is a contributor to The Stake. Catherine is a writer living in a western suburb of Chicago. She blogs over at sparrowpost.com and enjoys foraging around the neighborhood in her spare time.
