OPINION: ‘From 2020 On’: Pandemic years in review

“From 2020 On” is an unprecedented mess with some unexpected twists and turns, making for a unique watch with a phenomenal cast of cultural moments. Join OU’s Bad Movie Club in reviewing some of the best and worst pop culture events of the new decade.

Marvel shows: 8/10

“Avengers: Endgame,” which made almost $3 billion in box office sales, was a great ending to the “Infinity” saga. But, after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters where Marvel action scenes came to life, many wondered what the future would hold for the franchise. Marvel showed no signs of slowing down and continued to pump out content. “WandaVision” provided some big-budget entertainment in 2021 that can be watched from the comfort of home, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” broke the box office again nine months later with three generations of spider-men. The franchise adapted well, and Marvel Studios is promising a great lineup of shows in years to come. 

Imagine all the people: 2/10

Gal Godot posted a montage of her and other celebrities singing “Imagine” by John Lennon when the pandemic began to soothe the worrying masses. It was one of the funniest moments I’ve seen. They thought they were doing good but instead came across as singing about how awful life is as millionaires. Imagine if they knew the irony of the situation.

Politicians are comedians: 8/10

American politicians put on quite the comedy show. President Joe Biden had some standout dialogue, including a major highlight where he yelled, “Will you shut up, man” to Donald Trump. His falling down the stairs bit, Mike Pence’s fly-on-the-head trick and Bernie Sanders’ mitten moment proved that physical comedy is not dead. 

Imposter syndrome: 10/10

“Among Us,” a game that broke the internet, added the word “sus,” short for suspicious, to the Generation Z vernacular and had everyone becoming crewmates. The deception game is still widely revered and streamed. It's a triumph of summer blockbuster hits and one of the greatest achievements of humankind. 

“Squid Game”: 9/10

“Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk managed to pull off the unthinkable: a small-budget show that took the world by storm and made almost $1 billion in profits. The show is a streaming service’s dream come true. It delivered a fantastic story that is popular for good reason but strangely made viewers dream of playing in this brutal, fictional game show. Did anyone who watched “Squid Game” understand that the game was pure evil?

The children want pop-its: 7/10

It’s really not another year if we don’t get the next toy craze. Infinite bubble wrap, or “Pop Its,” was what the kids wanted. A lazy, but satisfying, sequel to fidget spinners and cubes. While I miss the days of Sillybandz and Pokémon cards, I’m always looking forward to the next fidget toy.

Five letters, six tries: 9/10

Creating a small internet game is no easy feat. But creating a game that would quickly be purchased by The New York Times and played by millions worldwide is quite the achievement. “Wordle” became the next big thing overnight, spawning many spin-offs like Worldle and Quordle. Josh Wardle created a masterpiece of his time without even knowing it. Except, he probably knew after being offered a huge sum and seeing everyone rage or celebrate their results online. 

Harry spit on who?: 3/10

It’s one of the greatest mysteries of our time. “Don’t Worry Darling” had everyone scratching their heads. The whole movie seemed doomed to fail, as controversy started to rise. Actor Shia LaBeouf was supposedly fired, director Olivia Wilde said some questionable things and lead actress Florence Pugh was oddly silent about the film’s release. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Harry Styles actually spit on Chris Pine or who was to blame for this mess of a movie. 

Verified for $8: 1/10

Baffling, funny and downright stupid. That’s the tweet. Elon Musk purchased Twitter, made an $8 subscription service and promised to ban every single parody account. Instead of donating $44 billion to a great cause, he ran the company into the ground. Mass layoffs were an awful twist, and everyone’s wondering what social media platform will serve as Twitter’s successor. 

Taylor Swift to the rescue: 9/10

Taylor Swift released a lot of great albums, including “folklore,” “evermore” and “Midnights,” along with some rereleases, like “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version).” Swift continues to smash charts and hearts. The era of music ended with a ticketing debacle for her long-awaited tour. It was a unique twist that many saw coming but weren’t too happy about. The aftermath was devastating, leaving many tired and ticketless fans. A heart-wrenching ending to a fantastic performance. 

Cooper Marshall is a journalism junior at Gaylord College and a culture reporter for OU Daily. He is also the co-president of OU Bad Movie Club.