The Best of 2023: Most Popular Media Trends of the Year
By Wugene Choi, Zoe Cloak, Tenzing Gyamokhang, & Christina Shorf
Barbenheimer: Pink, Sparkles, and… Bombs?
Two widely-anticipated movies from high-profile directors were released on July 21: Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
As the release date approached, fans online turned the excitement into a cultural phenomenon. While some participated in heated debates on which movie would be better, others embraced both films, sharing their excitement for a “Barbenheimer” double feature.
Substitute teacher Paul Stein believed Oppenheimer was informative and entertaining.
“It had very good drama and history,” he said. “There was a lot of knowledge built into it. I learned things from it, [and] the acting and directing was great.”
While many students agreed with Stein about Oppenheimer, others preferred Barbie for its feminist message.
“It was moving,” said freshman Sofia Pruyn. “They executed it in a way that appealed to both women and young girls.”
While both Barbie and Oppenheimer were box office successes and received widespread critical acclaim, the “Barbenheimer” excitement online was also notable, bringing two very different groups of fans together to celebrate cinema.
Women’s World Cup: Female Athletes Step into the Global Spotlight
The 2023 Women’s World Cup commenced July 20 with co-host New Zealand playing against Norway in the opening game. As the tournament unfolded, fans’ appreciation for the athletes and competition only grew.
“I was rooting for Japan, and it was very exciting when they beat Spain 4–0,” said sophomore Emiko Fernandez. “They didn’t have a lot of possession but they were really good on the counterattacks, and they scored a lot.”
Despite their dramatic loss against Japan, the World Cup ended with Spain taking the trophy after beating Costa Rica, Zambia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, and England. Their initial loss to Japan was a shock to many fans, but it was just one of many unexpected and exciting moments that unfolded during the global match-ups.
It wasn’t just Spain that had plot twists in their season. Although the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team were three-time champions and were favored to win, they unexpectedly lost to Sweden.
“The US team played really badly,” said freshman Julia Weible. “I think it may have been because of their coach, since it was his first World Cup. It was probably also a result of their lineup. Their offense was really bad: they just could not score.”
Overall, the 2023 Women’s World Cup kept soccer lovers all over the world invested and inspired.
Fortnite Season OG: Remaking Memories
Fortnite Season OG, released on November 3, created an uproar among the gaming community. The season brought back nostalgic memories for many long-time players of the multiplayer battle royale game with its incorporation of an old map and character designs.
“It’s pretty astonishing, inspirational you could say. You know, it’s just a breath of fresh air,” said freshman Will Gleason, referring to his passion for OG’s gameplay.
Fortnite is divided into chapters and shorter seasons, with each version offering a theme and new content like exclusive skins and gameplay. Fortnite OG was available for less than a month, and some AHS students were so passionate about the popular video game that they spent many hours playing each day.
“[I played] probably around 12 hours over the span of four days,” sophomore Lucca Zapata said when asked how much time he had spent gaming in the week since the season was released.
Fortnite Season OG ended December 2, with an in-game performance by rapper Eminem. Chapter 5, Season 1 kicked off Fortnite Worlds Collide the next day.
Taylor & Beyoncé’s Reign: The Year of the Divas
Many female artists went on tour in 2023, but the most groundbreaking performances were Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which has earned $4.3 billion so far, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, which made $579 million. Swift’s tour was extended through 2024 with international dates in Latin Ameria, Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Both tours additionally led to the release of concert movies, with Swift premiering Taylor Swift: Eras Tour in October, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé arriving in theaters in early December.
“I thought the movie was great,” said social studies teacher Hojoon Hwang, expressing his appreciation for Swift’s film. “I was there to watch the concert, and the production really showed it. I was very, very impressed.”
The two artists held their US tours within the same time frame, and many expected fans to compare their successes.
But the divas have instead supported one another’s work, with Beyoncé appearing at Swift’s movie premiere and Swift praising Beyoncé at the Renaissance film release.
“Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are both amazing individual artists,” said senior Adrian Chuang, “with each of them carving their distinct legacies that influence millions of people worldwide.”
