This is the last day of 2011. Before we wrap things up and shift our focus to 2012, here are some of pop culture's best references of 2011.
1. Internet meme
It was planking, then Tebowing. Planking is where people lie face down in an unusual location, mimicking a wooden plank. The pose garnered international attention online, reaching its peak in the summer of 2011. In the autumn and winter, Tebowing, named after Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, also garnered international attention and was featured in news outlets not only in Denver, but globally. The pose, which means to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different, has its own website. You can check it out on tebowing.com.
2. The King's Speech Ruled the Oscars
The King's Speech won the 2011 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Writing - Original Screenplay (David Seidler), in total winning four awards. It was nominated for eight more. Inception also won four while being nominated for another four. Inception won the Oscars for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.
3. Lady Antebellum Ruled the Grammys, But Adele is the Artist of the Year
In the music industry, Lady Antebellum won the most Grammys, with five. The country group won Best Country Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best Country Song. This of course honors the best of 2010 when the awards were held on February 13, 2011. British singer Adele was named the top artist of 2011 by Billboard Magazine. Her album '21' was also named the album of the year, while topping the year-end Billboard 200 album charts. The single 'Rolling in the Deep' topped the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles charts.
4. The Emmys go to.......
In the Primetime Emmys, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart won the Emmy for outstanding variety, musical or comedy series. Survivor and the Amazing Race split the honors in the reality category, with Survivor host Jeff Probst winning outstanding reality or reality-competition program host, while The Amazing Race won outstanding reality-competition program honors. The Futurama episode 'The Late Philip J. Fry' won outstanding animated program for less than an hour honors, while Deadliest Catch won the Emmy for outstanding reality program. Modern Family won the most awards with five, winning outstanding comedy series, outstanding directing for a comedy series for the episode 'Halloween', outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for Ty Burrell in 'Good Cop, Bad Dog', outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for Julie Bowen in 'Strangers on a Treadmill', and outstanding writing in a comedy series for the episode 'Caught in the Act'.
5. The Golden Globe goes to....
The King's Speech was nominated for seven globies in the film category, while Glee was nominated for five in the TV category. But The Social Network walked away with four globies in the film category, winning Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director for David Fincher, Best Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin, and Best Original Score for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. In the TV category, Glee won three globies. It won Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Jane Lynch, and Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Chris Colfer.
6. Top-Rated of 2011
The highest grossing film in 2011 is Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Part II. There are 28 sequels released in 2011, more than any other film. American Idol once again topped the television category for most-watched TV program, topping the list for the eighth year in a row.
7. Reality Winners
Survivor: South Pacific saw Sophie Clarke win the title of ultimate survivor. Speaking of Survivor, Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca competed in the 19th season of The Amazing Race, won by Ernie Halvorsen and Cindy Chiang. Scotty McCreary won American Idol's 10th season, while Melanie Amaro won The X-Factor's first season. John Rhode won the 12th season of The Biggest Loser.
8. TV's Winds of Change
A lot of TV program cancellations occurred in 2011. The programs that didn't even last a season include: Bleep My Dad Says, Life Unexpected, Sarah Palin's Alaska, The Cape, The Paul Reiser Show, No Ordinary Family, America's Next Great Restaurant, The Chicago Code, The Playboy Club, and Charlie's Angels. Others, such as Hannah Montana, Smallville, The Oprah Winfrey Show, All My Children, among others, ended successful runs. Beavis and Butt-head, WWE Tough Enough, and Fear Factor were among the notable programs reviving in 2011. New programs worth watching in 2011 include: Bob's Burgers, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, The Glee Project, Falling Skies, Anderson, Rock Center with Brian Williams, and The X-Factor.
9. We'll Miss You
Pop culture lost icons such as Steve Jobs, Amy Winehouse, Jack LaLanne, Andy Rooney, Harry Morgan, Heavy D, Frances Bay, Peter Falk, Randy Savage, Nate Dogg, Elizabeth Taylor, John Barry, among others. For a more comprehensive look at the deaths in 2011, check out wikipedia.org.
10. Final Thoughts
In 2011, we thought Britney Spears' career was on the rocks. Then her 2011 release Femme Fatale topped the Billboard 200 and 'Hold It Against Me' topped the Billboard Hot 100. But in the music business, the universe continues to revolve around Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga among others, with Adele thrown in for good measure. Sadly the world saw bands like REM, Silverchair and The White Stripes disband. The film industry saw the Harry Potter franchise come to an end, while Transformers, Pirates of the Carribean, Twilight and Kung Fu Panda sequels continue to rack up millions for their franchise. The TV industry saw Smallville and Oprah finish successful runs, while new ones such as The Glee Project and The X-Factor fill the void for our TV viewing pleasure. While Steve Jobs is gone, the Apple lives on. 3D television is in its experimental stages and is expected to turn commercial in three years. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Blogspot changed the way we communicate. Expect a lot more of the same this coming 2012.
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