Last December, I wrote a piece encouraging everyone to make 2020 the best possible year for themselves. As you may have noticed, that turned out to be a little out of our collective hands. 2020 was brutal, but it was not without some joy. Not enough, certainly, but some. And, no I’m not just talking about Rudy Giuliani and Four Seasons Landscaping, or Giuliani and the Borat incident, Giuliani sweating engine oil, or the multiple times Giuliani seemed to soil himself on live TV. This isn’t going to be a Giuliani humiliation recap. No reasonable publication would allow that high a word count. Instead, I thought it might be nice to go back through some of the good things that happened this year, free of as much schadenfreude as I am capable.
So, in no particular order, here’s 14 actually good things that happened this year!
Sarah Cooper pretty much singlehandedly made twitter worth it again.
Tobe Nwigwe’s Pandemic Project is a great album with great songs and great videos. It’s daring and generous and I needed it more than I realized even after the third straight listen.
Zoom Fails… ok, look. A little schadenfreude never hurt no one.
Nathan Apodaca drinking cranberry juice, riding a skateboard, surprise-lip syncing Fleetwood Mac is really one of the best things ever, let alone in 2020.
Progressive election results, and I’m not talking about Biden. There were a bunch of great victories that happened all over the country, even in some of the reddest states!
The sourdough renaissance may have fallen off by now, but my breakfasts continue to be better than ever!
Sigh, Gone: Phuc Tran’s memoir is about a life you may not know, but you really should.
Nature reclaiming the Earth is just the reflection we needed to see the harm we do.
Mr. Soul! The Movie is a documentary about Ellis Haizlip, a singular figure presenting our singular beauty in reaction to a not-so-singular time in America, “Live and in Color!”
A whole lot of racist statues got torn down which, as usual, led to more racist statues being officially removed.
JLo and Shakira performing at the Super Bowl is no less incredible for seeming like it happened 35 years ago even though it was in February.
Lovecraft Country is great acting, some of the best small-screen genre writing out there, and the Blackest thing you’re allowed to see on TV.
Seth Meyers’ quarantine shows kept me steady more than I should probably admit.
Amber Ruffin has her own show now!
So, there you go: 14 actually good things that happened this terrible, terrible year. If you’re not familiar with any of them, consider yourself encouraged. And, of course if I missed any, lemme know in the comments!
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Thank you!!1
And another, and closer to home. 2020 was the year that Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, MA was renamed, “Plimoth Patuxet “. In honor of the native village that the English settlers found refuge in 1621. Initiated by the Mayflower 400 UK staff who sensing a great omission, invited these Wampanoag People to take their place in the four nation celebrations of the 400th landing of the Ship Mayflower .. https://www.mayflower400uk.org/commemoration-programme/.
Another one, Mississippi “suddenly ” voted to tear that old Confederate symbol down. The replacement flag is so beautiful. :https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/mississippi-approves-flag-magnolia-god-trust-74012541