Entertainment

37 Best (and Worst) 2013 Pop Culture Moments Worth Revisiting

The year of Y2K+13 was a strange year, but it had its moments. You know who loved 2013? Robin Thicke. Robin Thicke had a great year. He was no longer just "Alan Thicke's son who sings... I think?" He was "the guy who danced with the naked girls in the music video" and "the guy who danced around with Miley Cyrus at the VMAs." What a difference a year can make.

Now, you may ask, "Kristie, did anything else happen during 2013? The only thing I can remember is the Miley Cyrus/Robin Thicke VMA performance." SERIOUSLY? That's all you took from the year?! You have a terrible memory. You might want to get your brain scanned. Ack, I'm sorry. What I meant to say was: YOU'RE IN LUCK! Because I've assembled a list of important pop culture events just for you. It's only for the year 2013. I'm not an Encarta CD-ROM. I have limits.

This isn't a "best of" list, per se. This is a "these are things that a) happened and b) are worth revisiting" list. Some of these things were awful. And some of them were awesome. But all of them were little fabric squares that were stitched together to make the 2013 quilt. How cozy!

by Kristie Rohwedder

People Loved to Hate Anne Hathaway

I don't have any issues with Anne Hathaway. She's a successful, beautiful, crazy-talented woman. I don't care if she's "too eager" or whatever. She doesn't bother me. Regardless, people hated on Hathaway HARD this year.

(January, 2013)

Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'30 Rock' Ended

After seven seasons, Tina Fey and co. wrapped up the beloved series. May we never forget the joy this show brought us. Oh, and may we never forget about Cheesy Blasters.

(January, 2013)

Image: NBCUniversal

Beyoncé at the Super Bowl

Beyoncé's Super Bowl Halftime Extravaganza was so good that the Super Bowl couldn't pull itself together afterward. There was a blackout. The stadium needed time to regroup. I mean, can you blame the stadium? After all, Beyoncé was joined by Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for a Destiny's Child reunion. It would be rude of the stadium to continue on its merry way like something perfect didn't just happen.

(February, 2013)

Al Bello/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

Miguel Mayhem

During a concert, Miguel had airsex onstage (NSFW). Then, he dropkicked a fan in the head at the Billboard Music Awards. Note to everyone: if you go to a Miguel concert, be prepared for ANYTHING.

(February, 2013 & May, 2013)

Patrick R. Murphy/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'The Harlem Shake'

I never understood why Baauer's song was a thing, but it was a thing.

(February, 2013)

Mark Davis/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

J. Law Fell at the Oscars

As if we didn't love Jennifer Lawrence already, the coolest girl ever continued to endear herself to the masses when she tripped up the stairs on her way to accept the Academy Award for Best Actress. I trip up the stairs on the regular, but I'm never wearing a Dior Haute Couture gown, nor am I accepting an Oscar. She wins at everything. And then Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman rushed to her aid. Like I said, she wins at everything.

(February, 2013)

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Little Edie on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Jinkx Monsoon crushed the competition with her impression of Edie Beale. CRUSHED 'EM.

(February, 2013)

Image: Logo/NewNowNext

Oh, Bieber

Justin Bieber Monkeygate. Justin Bieber pissed in a bucket. Justin Bieber was carried to the top of the Great Wall of China. I can't feel my face.

(March, 2013; July, 2013; September, 2013)

Nicky Loh/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Actresses without Teeth

Bone-chilling. The stuff nightmares have nightmares about.

(March, 2013)

Image: actresseswithoutteeth

"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke

This song was everywhere. EVERYWHERE. You open up your fridge, and "Blurred Lines" is chilling in the crisper drawer. You drive over something that pops your tire, but it wasn't glass or a nail, it was "Blurred Lines." Is that gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe? Nah. It's "Blurred Lines."

(March, 2013)

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Hadoukening

I was obsessed with any and all hadoukening photos. This meme never got old.

(March, 2013)

Image: hadoukening.net

"I Hit It First"

Ray J's song about Kim Kardashian is hot garbage. However, something possessed me to listen to it approximately 75,000 times. Fear not! The song never stopped being hot garbage.

(April, 2013)

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'Behind the Candelabra'

The movie was an EVENT. All of the performances were off the charts. The sets and costumes simultaneously burned and soothed my eyes. Like an IcyHot Patch.

(May, 2013)

Image: Claudette Barius/HBO

'Happy Endings' Was Cancelled

UGH. Breaks my heart. I guess the world couldn't handle the show's greatness.

(May, 2013)

Image: ABC

Kimye! Kimye! Kimye!

Kim Kardashian had a baby! Kanye West proposed! Kimye forever!

(June, 2013 & October, 2013)

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The Red Wedding

Ah, the Game of Thrones moment that launched one billion reaction videos.

(June, 2013)

Image: HBO

'Yeezus'

Kanye West's Yeezus was, in my humble opinion, the best, most important album of the year. Can it be challenging at times? Sure. But it's so damn good.

(June, 2013)

Ethan Miller/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

R. Kelly's Epic Medley

During the BET Awards, R. Kelly took us on a journey via a greatest hits medley. Was it one of the best award show performances of the year? Probably.

(June, 2013)

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

A Fan Went After Beyoncé

No, not a wild concertgoer. An actual wind-generating device grabbed Beyonce's weave. But because she is the embodiment of perfection, she didn't stop singing.

(July, 2013)

Buda Mendes/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'Orange Is The New Black'

Even if given the chance, I wouldn't take back the week I devoted to an Orange Is The New Black binge-watch marathon.

(July, 2013)

Image: Netflix

Amanda Bynes's Breakdown

Mental illness isn't funny, and it sucks that people laugh at her expense. Yes, her tweeting that she wants Drake to "murder" her lady bits made me cackle, but the driveway fire/5150 hold did not. Sending good vibes your way, A-Bynes!

(July, 2013)

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'Sharknado'

Sharks. Tornado. Tara Reid. Bye.

(July, 2013)

Image: Syfy

The Ladies of Pop Music

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Lorde took over the pop music airwaves. Who was the best? Eh, who cares? The only thing that matters is that Top 40 radio was awesome, and we have those women to thank.

(Summer, 2013-present)

Larry Busacca/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Oprah's Lindsay Lohan Interview

I was all about this interview. Lindsay Lohan seemed more lucid than she has in years, and I was happy for her. I'M ROOTING FOR YOU, LILO!

(August, 2013)

Image: OWN

'The Hills' Alternate Ending

MTV aired marathons of Laguna Beach and The Hills this summer. The marathon concluded with an alternate Hills ending. Everything is a lie.

(August, 2013)

Image: Jeff Lipsky/MTV

'N Sync Reunite at the VMAs

We all remember where we were when we heard that 'N Sync created a Twitter account. And we all knew that meant one thing: the 'N Sync reunion rumors were true. Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and JC Chasez joined Justin Timberlake onstage, and it was just like old times. Okay, okay. It was nothing like old times. But it was awesome, regardless.

(August, 2013)

Rick Diamond/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Miley at the VMAs

ALSKDFJALSDF. 'Nuf said.

(August, 2013)

Rick Diamond/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The 'Catfish' Slow Clap

That episode triggered a week's worth of cold sweats. For me, at least.

(August, 2013)

Image: MTV

Batfleck

When it was announced that Ben Affleck would play Batman, the those few sane people on the Internet were like, "everyone needs to CALM DOWN. Take a deep breath. Step away from the keyboard. Batfleck is. Not. The. End. Of. The. World."

(August, 2013)

Theo Wargo/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Eric Northman Went Sunbathing

Alexander Skarsgard went full frontal on True Blood . It took six seasons, but it happened.

(August, 2013)

Jason Kempin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'Ozymandias'

This wasn't the last episode of Breaking Bad, but it was arguably the most devastating. It's a brutal, albeit amazing hour of television.

(September, 2013)

Image: AMC

'GTA V'

Grand Theft Auto V earned $800 million in one day. Not impressed by that figure? The movie Man of Steel made less than 1/4 of that during its opening weekend. A video game owned the crap out of a blockbuster movie. GTA V was a big effin' deal.

(September, 2013)

Mario Tama/Getty Images News/Getty Images

'House of Versace'

There is a scene in this movie that changed the made-for-TV-biopic game. After Donatella Versace's first fashion show after Gianni Versace's murder, she encounters a white butterfly backstage. The white butterfly represents Gianni's spirit. I actually gasped with glee. And yeah, Gina Gershon is the DEAL in this movie.

(October, 2013)

Image: Lifetime

Bruce & Kris Jenner Head to Splitsville

Kris and Bruce revealed that they have been separated for a while. Suddenly, Bruce's getaway house in Malibu makes all of the sense.

(October, 2013)

David Livingston/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The Jonas Brothers Broke Up

It's the end of an era.

(October, 2013)

Mike Coppola/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Ronan Farrow Tweets It Real

When Mia Farrow told Vanity Fair that Frank Sinatra could "possibly" be Ronan Farrow's father, Ronan tweeted: "Listen, we're all *possibly* Frank Sinatra's son." And, scene.

(October, 2013)

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

'Gravity'

Holy crap, this MOVIE. No movie left a lasting impression quite like Gravity . That moment with the floating retainer? Who knew orthodontia could be so spooky!

(October, 2013)

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

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