Top 10 Cultural Moments of 2024
The Crimson’s Arts Board presents its favorite cultural moments of 2024, from “Brat Summer” to the “Jojo Siwa Rebrand.”
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10. JoJo Siwa Rebrand
JoJo Siwa has broken free from “Dance Moms” fame to carve out a never-before-seen niche in LGBTQ+ pop culture. After swapping massive bows and glitter rainbows for Kiss-inspired punk bodysuits in the risqué music video for her single “Karma,” the 21-year-old queer icon suffered many online attacks for declaring herself the inventor of “gay pop” (by the way, she’s now humbly clarified she “might be the CEO, or CMO” instead of the inventor) and after the original version of “Karma” by Brit Smith resurfaced. It was almost hard to believe the head-shaking, boot-stomping choreography of “Karma” was real as it populated the internet, although no one ever seemed to match Siwa’s intensity of movement: a reflection of her admirable yet comical fearlessness. She’s sent the internet into another frenzy as of late, with the questionably successful erotic lyric “Like the way you’re grindin’ my bean” from her new song “Iced Coffee.” Whether or not her fans like it, she will not let the detractors get her down. Perhaps in that manner, she’s stayed true to the 12-year-old Siwa who once declared that she would “come back like a boomerang.” Here’s to gay pop — whatever that meant before, it definitely means something now. —Isabelle A. Lu and Ria S. Cuéllar-Koh
9. Moo Deng
Born on July 10 of this year, Moo Deng instantly became a crowd favorite and one of the most sought-after celebrity animals of 2024. The baby pygmy hippo, a resident of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, captured the hearts of many, featuring in Google’s 2024 Year in Search video and gathering over 10,000 visitors on weekends. With her short legs and chubby, circular body, Moo Deng’s playful personality and her interactions with her zookeeper had people fawning everywhere. Not only did she help advertise skincare products — targeted at the ones wanting to achieve her always-moisturized, glowy skin — but also brought awareness to the pygmy hippo species, critically endangered with fewer than 2,500 left in the wild. But like all good things, Moo Deng’s adorable little frame may not last forever. The hippo is growing and, already at five months old, may stop bouncing as she gets larger. Still, Moo Deng will always have a place in everybody’s hearts, with her sparkly eyes and feisty personality making her undoubtedly a memorable cultural persona of 2024. —Erlisa Demneri
8. The Solar Eclipse
At 3:30 p.m. on April 8, the shadow of the Moon made its closest pass to Cambridge, Mass. Farther north in New Hampshire and Canada, birds went quiet, stars shone in the sky, and the solar corona flared like a ring of fire around the dark spot of the Moon. Viewers were promptly greeted with some of the worst traffic on record on their way home. Farther south in Cambridge, classes let out, eclipse glasses were passed around, and hundreds gathered throughout Harvard, from the Science Center plaza to the balcony of The Crimson itself, to watch the astronomical event take place. Though only partial in Massachusetts, the eclipse nevertheless provided a welcome relief from the monotony of classes and psets, and marked the last solar eclipse with totality visible from the contiguous United States until 2044. All in all, a pretty stellar day. —Alessandro M. M. Drake
7. Andrew Garfield on ‘Chicken Shop Date’
When Amelia Dimoldenberg, the creator and host of “Chicken Shop Date,” posted a teaser photo of her and Andrew Garfield, the internet exploded. It’s rare that press tours come with the kind of history that precedes Dimoldenberg and Garfield, who went viral for their red carpet interactions that felt straight out of a romance movie. (In one of their meetings, Garfield tells Dimoldenberg that he’s “scared of what [their relationship] could turn into.”) The resulting 11 minute and 39 seconds-long date is a short video, but it’s as entertaining as a feature film, particularly as Garfield visibly flusters the usually insouciant Dimoldenberg as he asks about going on an actual — off-camera — date with her. The video’s real cultural relevance, however, lies in the hordes of internet sleuths dissecting every tiny moment to determine if Garfield truly likes Dimoldenberg, if Dimoldenberg likes Garfield, or if they’re both playing up the romance for the bit. —Angelina X. Ng
6. The ‘Wicked’ Marketing
Think of any brand. Chances are that they have pink and green merchandise, courtesy of the astronomical marketing budget of “Wicked.” The products that fans of the musical movie could buy ranged from the reasonable (Elphaba and Glinda Funko Pops) to the bizarre (rhinestone-encrusted dress shoes) to the downright unexplainable (color-changing instant mac and cheese). But far more valuable than the intellectual property was its cast, who provided viral moment after moment on a press tour that never seemed to end. The film’s stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, were unafraid of shedding tears throughout an incredibly emotional press tour that a reporter called a “surrealist fever dream,” even as their fellow cast members Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum seemed to be workshopping a buddy comedy in the next interview. The good news for those impatiently awaiting Part Two of “Wicked” next year? More time to hold space for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.” —Angelina X. Ng
5. The Olympics
The Olympics began with Parisians threatening to poop in the Seine as a form of protest, and from that moment on, it never looked back. From the Olympic muffin man to pommel horse guy to two separate Olympic shooters with unbeatable aura, the Paris Olympics truly were the Games that launched a thousand memes. On the sporting front, new heroes emerged and legends cemented their place in history, as Armand Duplantis leapt to his ninth world record in the pole vault, Simone Biles made a triumphant, gold-studded return, and Léon Marchand was crowned a king in his hometown. New sports were added into the mix, with varying results: Though the chaotic sport of Kayak Cross was met with an entertained, albeit confused, audience, the kangaroo hops of Australia’s Raygun perhaps torpedoed any hope breakdancing had of surviving another Olympic cycle. Through the ups and downs of the Games, one thing was for sure: Snoop Dogg was, bizarrely, always there to provide the perfect reaction. —Angelina X. Ng
We interviewed Olympic gymnast Fred Richard here.
4. Chappell Roan’s Rise to Fame
The world of pop music saw the rise of its very own Midwest Princess this year. Chappell Roan’s ascent to pop stardom was quick, with her opening performances on the ‘GUTS’ Tour exposing her to a wide audience and her multitude of late night television show appearances, festival sets, and her own Midwest Princess Tour bringing her around North America and Europe. Roan’s music, which incorporates themes of queer identity, romance, and embracing sexuality into catchy pop tunes with beautiful vocals and dynamic production, resonated with many audiences, especially Gen Z. Her commitment to bold looks — often inspired by drag queens and burlesque shows — cemented her as a true icon in pop culture. From dressing up as the Statue of Liberty at the Governors Ball festival to her swan look on “The Tonight Show,” Roan’s looks are big. As a performer, she’s not dedicated only to her craft but also to making sure that concertgoers are engaged and having fun. The “HOT TO GO!” dance is a staple in her set and connects her with her audience as they follow along with her “H-O-T-T-O-G-O” cheer. Roan’s concerts are a blend of quality music, stunning visuals, and a commitment to having fun with attendees, the perfect storm for the meteoric rise of a pop star. —Anna Moiseieva
3. Male Celebrity Lookalike Contests
This year, we witnessed a new level of rewarding the absolute bare minimum. An unassuming flyer announcing a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition quickly escalated as the event gained traction, drawing in superfans, bystanders, and, of course, lanky brunettes with existentialist, brooding airs. This culminated in an appearance from the man himself amidst frenzied crowds, sparking widespread media coverage and an influx of lookalike competitions across the map. Bens, Williams, and Andrews everywhere who vaguely resemble men in the mainstream have now been given the opportunity to inflate their egos and sate our curious amusement for a few hours. However, what started as an earnest attempt at finding our favorite celebrities doppelgangers has morphed into something far more peculiar. This includes not only the lighthearted Ethan Slater hate-impressions, but also the bizarre costumes of the, at the time, mysterious United Healthcare CEO’s assassin. I guess they do say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. —Melina Fonseca
2. The Kendrick/Drake Beef
In “First Person Shooter” on his 2023 album “For All The Dogs,” Drake named Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and himself the “big three” of rap music. This was his first mistake. In March, Lamar responded on a song with Future titled “Like That,” saying “Motherfuck the big three, nigga, it’s just big me.” Over the next few months, the rappers would go back and forth releasing diss tracks against one another. Unfortunately for Drake, the overwhelming description of the beef would be “one-sided.” He had a few creative bars on “Push Ups,” but Kendrick’s “euphoria” immediately set the balance of power straight — his calm delivery of vicious couplets streamed about three times that of “Push Ups.” The battle got ugly once family got involved, and apart from a few surprise songs being released back-to-back by both artists, easily the most memorable moment was Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which dropped in May and has gone insanely viral since, with almost one billion streams on Spotify as of writing. In all, a clear-cut sweep for K.Dot. —Najya S. Gause and Alessandro M. M. Drake
1. Brat Summer
Long live excess! After “clean girl” and “quiet luxury” aesthetics dominated 2023, Charli XCX put her definitive tramp stamp on the year with the release of the album “Brat,” which celebrates the exact opposite. Brat summer occupied an outsized place in popular culture, with millions and millions of social media posts referencing the movement. Copious thinkpieces analyzed what it means to have a “brat summer” or to act in a “brat” manner — which seems only questionably “brat.” With as little overthinking as possible, brat summer represents trashiness, hedonism, and partying. From the viral “Apple” TikTok dance to countless memes created using bratgenerator.com, brat summer extended far beyond just listening to the album. Duolingo, H&M, and even Kamala Harris got in on the action, for better or worse. Like a truly experienced party girl, Charli XCX knew when to put an end to the festivities, wishing a “goodbye forever brat summer” to her social media accounts in September. By killing the trend before brands cashing in and plain old oversaturation soiled its chicness, Charli XCX cemented the trend as one of the most exciting and fun in recent memory. Brat summer represented a glorious, ephemeral moment of not taking things very seriously — and we’ll remember it very fondly. —Ria S. Cuéllar-Koh