Are we pregaming for the apocalypse or was 2016 just cursed? Was this year simply a losing game with no chance to win? Whatever the answer we survived it (knock on wood), but not without our losses. Here are 12 things we lost in 2016:
1. Vine
How many laughs did we get out of Vine? So so many. We wouldn’t have the term "on fleek" if it wasn’t for Vine. Still, Twitter decided to shut it down. Even though not many people used the app anymore, a lot are loath to see it go.
vine being deleted is like an old friend i havent rly talked to in a while dying & even tho we werent close anymore it hurts to see them go.
— daddy (@TheGabbieShow) October 27, 2016
2. An Oscar-less Leonardo DiCaprio
The internet lost a great meme that day. When Leo won an Oscar for The Revenant, we all cheered and cracked open a bottle of champagne. But we were secretly sad we couldn’t make fun of him anymore for not having one.
3. Harambe
When the Cincinnati Zoo had to kill a silverback gorilla because a child had fallen into its exhibit, the internet was outraged. While some had actual conversations about what could've been done to avoid the death of the gorilla, others would turn it into an internet meme that would become v relevant. More on that later.
4. Celebrities
So many amazing celebrities. David Bowie. George Michael. Prince. Leonard Cohen. John Glenn. Carrie Fisher. Debbie Reynolds. And many, many more.
5. Britain
Okay so we didn't lose it exactly, but the European Union sure did! In a surprise vote in June, Britain voted to leave the EU in the midst of the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Then Prime Minister David Cameron subsequently stepped down and Theresa May became the second female PM of Britain following Margaret Thatcher. Wow, that's a lot of change.
6. The magic of Disney
When a two-year-old boy got snatched up by an alligator while he and his family were on vacation at a Disney resort in Florida, shock was one of the first reactions we had when we heard the story. It was easily one of the more heartbreaking moments of 2016.
7. All confidence in our physical abilities thanks to the Olympics
The 2016 Olympics made us want to run to the gym and do a thousand pushups. It wasn’t hard to be inspired by Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, and the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt.
8. Faith in humanity courtesy the 2016 election
This election was literally the worst. Candidates attacked journalists and pretended they didn’t know understand the term "wiping the server." Some were called deplorables and others answered the call of “nasty woman.” Mostly we just tried to enjoy the SNL material. WikiLeaks documents were dredged up over and over again. Even after the election, pizzagate was actually a thing. Do yourself a solid and check out how crazy some people actually are. Immediate confidence booster. We are actually wondering if the madness was worth all the memes.
9. Common sense
We were totally cringing when we heard Harambe the gorilla had received 15,000 votes. I mean seriously? If it makes you feel any better, this totally isn't true and was fact checked by Politifact. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t make us lose faith in humanity for a while.
10. Trust in the media
With fake news spreading across the internet and a newfound ability to block whoever you disagree with, many felt the media was so biased and bought off that it wasn’t worth listening to anymore. A Gallup poll reports that only 32 percent say they have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of trust. The media will have a hard time earning back credibility.
11. Sense of safety
In light of the tragedies all over the world, it made it harder and harder to feel safe every day. From the bombing in Brussels to the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting, our hearts have gone out to the lost and their loved ones. The only way to fight this hate is with love for one another.
12. Princess Leia
Although we have had many celebrity deaths this year, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia from the Star Wars franchise) was in a league all her own. She passed away just days ago. Since the first episode of Star Wars in the 70s, Princess turned General Leia has inspired millions with a strong female presence on screen. And while we will all miss her and that amazing hair, her legacy will no doubt continue.
Oh 2016, we are glad to see you go!