In 8,760 hours or 525,600 minutes that make up 2023, post-pandemic life on Earth
seems to have taken on a peculiar shape. These were important enough to capture the
attention economy of this generation and become another fleeting addition to the
zeitgeist.
1. Elon Musk and Twitter to X: Throughout the year, Musk has remained in the
news. SpaceX, test-launched the most powerful rocket ever built. Musk even
challenged Mark Zuckerberg to a cage fight, though it amounted to little. Elon
Musk made headlines with the acquisition of Twitter for 44 billion dollars;
following a rebrand, Twitter is now known as X, a change that has been widely
memed and discussed.
2. Henry Kissinger: Henry Kissinger, the American diplomat, politician, and
political scientist, passed away on November 29, 2023, at the age of 100. Serving
as the United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor from 1969
to 1977. He was a Nobel Prize-winning academic, who escaped Nazi Germany to
America as a child.
3. The Titan that Sank: A private submersible named the Titan exploring the
Titanic wreckage made by Ocean Gate carried five millionaires as a thrill-seeking
one-of-a-kind experience that turned out way more than what they bargained
for. The Titan submersible imploded, killing all five people on board. The biased
media coverage also drew a lot of criticism because the media was worried about
five rich people while the capsizing of a fishing boat carrying 750 desperate
refugees in the Mediterranean Sea killed over 200 people.
4. The coronation of King Charles: Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom
passed away after a long 70-year rule. Over eight months later, her eldest son
Prince Charles III became the king of the United Kingdom at the ripe old age of
75. Discussions ranged from his regal outfit to the reactions the coronation had
in Britain because the cost of the coronation came from taxpayer’s money and
many were unhappy about it. Also, we can’t forget the memes.
5. Red Boots by MSCHF: MSCHF unveiled their red boots, sparking confusion
about how to integrate them into everyday wear or ensure comfort. Despite
these concerns, the internet buzz surrounding the boots was substantial, with
influencers and content creators worldwide discussing them. For those intrigued,
these avant-garde boots are available in India for INR 60K.
6. The Liver, The Witch and The Wow: In 2023, three unlikely internet gems,
Ganji Chudail (Bald witch), the 'Just looking like a wow' -Jasmeen Kaur from Delhi, and Orry with "I live. I work on myself. I am a liver," gained immense
popularity, capturing the fleeting attention of Indian netizens like wildfire.
7. The SAG-AFTRA Strikes in Hollywood: The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, lasting
118 days, became the longest protest against Hollywood studios and the second-
longest actors strike in history.
8. MrBeast and YouTube: MrBeast, or Jimmy Donaldson, stands as the most
prominent creator on YouTube, boasting a massive following of over 342
million subscribers spread across five channels. His videos consistently
amass tens of millions of views. One video, titled “1,000 Blind People See For
the First Time” stirred widespread discourse. The video showcased MrBeast
funding a purported "10-minute surgery" for 1,000 individuals to restore
their eyesight.
9. Barbenheimer: The era of monoculture has faded away, and the simultaneous
release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21 brought a unique excitement,
colloquially termed as ‘Barbenheimer’. Barbenheimer sparked a cultural
phenomenon, inspiring memes, movie-related costumes, and Halloween attire.
10. "Real" Alien Mummies in Mexico: The most unconventional unboxing video
emerged from Mexico as alien enthusiasts presented mummified 'alien' bodies to
the country's Congress, asserting new evidence of their extraterrestrial origin.
11. Bangalore is expensive: 'Namma Ooru, Bengaluru!' is a rallying cry for many
people living in the city. In April 2023, a man went viral for holding a poster that
read "Looking for 2 BHK in Indiranagar" at an IPL match at the Chinnaswamy
stadium. The X user Atin Bose shared the photo. Some called it a "peak
Bengaluru moment" because everyone knows the surreal lengths one has to go
to find an affordable housing.
12. RRR and The Elephant Whisperers: The 95th Academy Awards were not ready
for RRR and The Elephant Whisperers. The latter was a short documentary
directed by Karitiki Gonsalves about an indigenous couple from South India who
care for orphaned baby elephants. The song "Naatu Naatu" from the film was an
internet sensation. After the film's release in the US, the song became a global
sensation, inspiring dance trends and Instagram reels. It won the Academy
Award for Best Original Song.
13. Donald Trump’s arrest and mugshot: The headlines across the interwebs read,
"Former President of the USA surrenders at Fulton County Jail." History was
made online and offline when Fulton County Jail released Trump’s mugshot
making it the first ever mugshot of a president. It created a media frenzy and was
widely memed on social media.
14. Narayan Murthy: Murthy's recent statement suggesting that young folks should
commit to a 70-hour work week for India to compete globally sparked
controversy. Emphasizing India's comparatively low work productivity, Murthy's
call for increased working hours triggered a heated debate on social media.
15. Taylor Swift was named Time magazine Person of the Year. Time says that
Swift's success in 2023 was a result of her "embracing what she does better than
anyone, entertaining and writing songs that connect with people".
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