When it comes to pop culture, 2025 was the Year of Feeling. <\/p>\n
I laughed so much. I cried more than I care to admit. I swooned so hard that I question if I\u2019m actually a 12-year-old girl with a Tiger Beat <\/i>subscription. (Your fault, Jonathan Bailey.)<\/p>\n Truly, when I look back on the year, I\u2019m struck by how much I needed these TV shows, movies, and ridiculous celebrities to help me navigate an increasingly unrecognizable world around me. Providing me with an outlet to feel So Much helped me feel normal in my life while facing the new abnormal of reality. And, as it happens, there was so much that was good this year, from some of the most exciting series and films I\u2019ve seen in a long time, to little cultural curiosities that simply provided much-needed delight. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n So without further ado, here are, in chronological order, the 25 Best Pop Culture Moments of 2025. Or, I should say, the 25 pop culture moments that mattered the most to me<\/i>. <\/p>\n It\u2019s one thing to win a Golden Globe for your acting, or whatever. It\u2019s another to win, more broadly speaking, \u201cThe Golden Globes\u201d for simply being hot<\/a>. Congratulations, then, to Andrew Garfield, who turned everyone viewing the awards feral with his barely buttoned dress shirt, seductive gesturing with his glasses, and aggressive, there\u2019s no other way to put it, eye-f—ing of the camera. If you listened hard, you could hear an entire nation of TV viewers collectively moan. <\/p>\n Andrew Garfield seduced the camera on Jan. 6<\/p>\n I learned so much watching The Pitt<\/i>. First, anyone who works in an emergency room deserves all the money in the world and a hug any time you see them. Second, if I ever have a medical emergency, I will end up naked for an entire hospital to see. Don\u2019t love that. The Pitt<\/i> is universally considered the best TV drama of the year, and rightfully so. It\u2019s a major feat to, in 2025, manage to reinvent, raise the stakes, and find new ambition in the medical TV series genre. And, man, is Noah Wyle aging like a fine wine. <\/p>\n The Pitt <\/i>premiered Jan. 9 on HBO Max<\/p>\n I truly believe that Gabby Windey<\/a> is the voice of a generation. The former Bachelor <\/i>and Bachelorette <\/i>star had a breakout year on the latest season of The Traitors<\/i>, which skyrocketed in popularity. The attention from the show redirected people to her already popular podcast Long Winded<\/i>, which features her monologuing, with a captivating freeflow, about things that kind of bother her. It turns out that most of us could relate to those annoyances. Her \u201cI\u2019m not saying I\u2019m dumb\u201d monologue on The Traitors<\/i> will live on in reality TV history, but Gabby just being herself is iconic on its own.<\/p>\n The Traitors <\/i>premiered Jan. 12 on Peacock<\/p>\n The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City<\/i> is masterful television. Every other comedy, any drama, silly little limited series\u2026they all wish they could be this good. If you\u2019re not watching because of boring prejudices against reality TV, I don\u2019t know what to say. Grow up? In any case, beyond the fights, lunacy, rumors<\/i>, and the nastiness<\/i> that define any given episode, the highlight has been the unlikely bond forged between Mary Cosby and Angie Katsanevas. Their friendship, which seemingly came out of nowhere, has become so profound that it\u2019s a teaching moment for all of the show\u2019s viewers on how to show up and stick with each other, even when it\u2019s so hard. The Season 5 finale dinner scene in Puerto Vallarta? I wept. <\/p>\n The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City <\/i>Season 5 finale aired Jan. 15 on Bravo<\/p>\n It\u2019s outrageous, but it\u2019s true: 2025 began with a singalong. American Idol<\/i> winner Carrie Underwood was booked to perform \u201cAmerica the Beautiful\u201d at Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration\u2014a move that alienated many of her fans\u2014but a sound snafu led to an awkward moment, and an auspicious start to the new administration. When the planned background music never kicked in, Underwood resorted to singing a capella, which, even more awkwardly, led to the likes of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton joining in as her reluctant background vocalists. It was a disaster I\u2019ll cherish forever. <\/p>\n Carrie Underwood led a bipartisan singalong on Jan. 20<\/p>\n It was an unmooring experience. For months, a Netflix musical called Emilia P\u00e9rez<\/i> had been racking up raves at film festivals and major awards leading up to the Oscars. Then I watched the movie, which is easily one of the most egregious abominations of cinema I\u2019ve ever witnessed in my lifetime. Yet it took its star, the first openly trans performer to be nominated for an acting Oscar, to be caught for her deplorably bigoted tweets for people to finally be like, \u201coh yeah, this movie is poopoo.\u201d Award seasons can be so boring. This ludicrous scandal\u2014both the movie\u2019s heinousness and the controversy\u2014finally made things exciting again.<\/p>\n Karla Sofia Gasc\u00f3n\u2019s bad tweets surfaced Jan. 30<\/p>\n If there were an Emmy Award for Best Singular Facial Expression in a TV Series, Leslie Bibb<\/a> would have the category sewn up for her pained smile during what\u2019s become known as the \u201cRich White Lady MAGA Conversation\u201d scene in The White Lotus<\/i>. In a matter of seconds, Bibb\u2019s face telegraphs about a dozen emotions after her liberal friends ask if she voted for Trump. This season of The White Lotus <\/i>was highlighted by its Big Moments, and this was the top one for me.<\/p>\n The White Lotus <\/i>Season 3 premiered Feb. 16 on HBO<\/p>\n There are celebrity mantras I live my life by. Kim Cattrall: \u201cI don\u2019t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I\u2019m not enjoying myself.\u201d Whoopi Goldberg, on not getting married again: \u201cI don\u2019t want somebody in my house.\u201d Joining the Mount Rushmore of self-care guidance is Scarlett Johansson, who explained<\/a> why she doesn\u2019t take selfies with fans, and which I will use as an excuse to not do, well, anything: \u201cI don\u2019t want to be identified as being in this time and place with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Scarlett Johansson changed my life on Mar. 12<\/p>\n I\u2019m grateful that Adolescence<\/i><\/a> only had four episodes, because my blood pressure spiked to such dangerous levels while watching them that I may not be here right now typing this caption had it gone on any longer. The miracle of the show, besides its riveting plotting and acting, is that the one-take shot that defined each episode transcended mere gimmickry\u2014it was a truly astonishing piece of entertainment. <\/p>\n Adolescence <\/i>premiered Mar. 13 on Netflix<\/p>\n Mid-Century Modern<\/i> was cheekily described as \u201cThe Gay Golden Girls<\/i>\u201d (don\u2019t mention that to Nathan Lane<\/a>), and while nothing can possibly live up to the original series, this sitcom certainly deserved a consolation cheesecake. It was unapologetically gay, sneakily profound, and packed with surprisingly ribald jokes. The highlight of the season, however, was also a tragic point. Midway through shooting, entertainment legend Linda Lavin, who played Lane\u2019s mother on the show, died. Her death was incorporated into the series, leading to a touching episode<\/a> that was equal parts weepy and witty, fitting the spirit of the irascible, late star. <\/p>\n Mid-Century Modern <\/i>premiered Mar. 28 on Hulu<\/p>\n This year has been such a topsy-turvy tornado of nonsense that it\u2019s easy to forget that we sent one of the biggest pop stars of her generation to space. Was the exercise a billion-dollar waste solely to feed the egos of some of the most insufferable people back here on terrestrial Earth? No comment. Was it so much fun<\/i> to spend weeks joking about the 11 minutes Katy Perry and her eye-roll of a girl squad spent in sort-of-outer-space? Absolutely. <\/p>\n Katy Perry went to \u201cspace\u201d on Apr. 14<\/p>\n I love Beyonc\u00e9 so much that I traveled to [heavily sighs] New Jersey<\/i> to see her. The Cowboy Carter tour<\/a> was that worth it. Witnessing Beyonc\u00e9 reach such stratospheric levels of talent, energy, and charisma\u2014I imagine it\u2019s what it must have been like to see Michael Jackson, Prince, or Tina Turner at their primes. The epic tour solidified unequivocally that she is the greatest performer of our time. <\/p>\n The Cowboy Carter tour launched Apr. 28<\/p>\n There are two eras of my life: the one before I saw Holmes act on the Prime Video comedy Overcompensating<\/i><\/a>, and the one after. The latter era is far superior. Holmes plays Hailee<\/a> on the series, about a millennial grappling with his sexuality at college, and is a force. And by force, I mean a whirling dervish of the most unusual line readings, wanton physical comedy, and fritzing screen presence I\u2019ve seen on TV in a long time. With one line of dialogue\u2014\u201cp—es me off!\u201d\u2014Holmes became a legend. <\/p>\n Overcompensating <\/i>premiered May 15 on Prime Video<\/p>\n For all of the impressive CGI and visual effects in Jurassic World Rebirth<\/i>, the thing that took audiences\u2019 breath away was quite simple: Jonathan Bailey in his, now iconic, sl*tty little glasses<\/a>. But the viral spectacles were just one step on the staircase to Bailey\u2019s superstardom this year. With the release of Wicked: For Good<\/i>, he became the highest-grossing actor at the box office. And, in a rare moment of taste, he was named People<\/i> magazine\u2019s Sexiest Man Alive. He\u2019s the first gay actor to receive that honor, and the first gay actor to be a bona fide blockbuster male lead. As in ever<\/i>. Yes, it took until 2025 for this to happen. I can\u2019t express how big a deal that is for the LGBT community.<\/p>\n Jurassic World Rebirth <\/i>premiered July 2 in theaters<\/p>\n It\u2019s a pertinent lesson for us all: Being a Coldplay fan can ruin your life. It\u2019s wild how viral<\/a> this silly little story went. A man and a woman who were cuddling at a Coldplay concert were put on camera, and, when they realized it, immediately ran away and hit, leading frontman Chris Martin to joke that they were having an affair. Digital sleuths saw their Bat Signal and immediately discovered that they were a CEO and HR director of a tech company, and seemingly both married\u2026to other people. An entire news cycle birthed from this, and enough jokes for them to travel the whole journey from being hilarious to lame and then hysterical again. <\/p>\n Coldplay exposed philanderers on July 17<\/p>\n I\u2019ve always hated the term \u201cguilty pleasure,\u201d because it implies we should feel bad about liking something. That said, we should all feel guilty for how obsessed we became with The Hunting Wives<\/i><\/a>. The utterly ridiculous TV show, a blatant attempt at making a red-state Big Little Lies<\/i>, was unabashedly terrible<\/i>\u2026which somehow made it so good? I\u2019ve never seen a series so un-self-conscious about anything\u2014nudity, plot coherence, crazy accents, horrific wigs\u2014which, by the end of the series, I found absolutely admirable. May the show go on forever\u2026and never improve.<\/p>\n The Hunting Wives<\/i> premiered July 21 on Netflix<\/p>\n As a Broadway obsessive, I know there are certain performances over the years that gift the ultimate bragging rights: I got to see that<\/i> person perform that <\/i>role. So I will be boasting forever that I got to see Audra MacDonald play Mama Rose in Gypsy<\/i>. MacDonald is an acting legend, yet she still exhumed yet-unseen talent with her take on the classic role. The only word for it is seismic. An earthquake happened every night at the Majestic Theater.<\/p>\n Gypsy<\/i> played its final performance Aug. 17 on Broadway<\/p>\n Never has a dog dying been so\u2026funny? For years, Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers played a bit, which is actually not a bit but true, about how much Samberg hated Meyers\u2019 dog, Frisbee. There was no truce when Meyers announced that Frisbee died. When People<\/i> reported<\/a> the dog\u2019s passing with the caveat, \u201cFamously Disliked by Andy Samberg,\u201d in its headline, Meyers responded candidly: \u201cShe also disliked him, FWIW.\u201d Somehow, this is all quite beautiful? <\/p>\n Frisbee died on Aug. 19<\/p>\n The U.S. doesn\u2019t have a royal family to obsess over. So it somehow fits<\/a> that the closest thing we\u2019ve ever gotten to it is a country music supernova that everyone loves to argue about and her endearing oaf of a fianc\u00e9, who also happens to be the most popular football player in the NFL. This is Amurrica at its finest. May she wear a tiara of Stanley tumblers and he a crown of Chik-fil-A sandwiches at their wedding.<\/p>\n Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Aug. 26<\/p>\n I\u2019ve become a certified mountaineer this year, having summited every peak in the nation to shout about the surprising, spectacular movie Twinless<\/i><\/a>. The film, starring Dylan O\u2019Brien, is about a grieving twentysomething who joins a support group for people grieving the loss of their twin. There, he develops a deep friendship that helps him navigate a new life, leading to one of the year\u2019s best twists, which takes the movie in an entirely different, wild direction. It\u2019s funny and painful, and super sexy\u2014Dylan O\u2019Brien gay sex scenes, y\u2019all! <\/p>\n Twinless<\/i> premiered Sept. 5 in theaters<\/p>\n Without a doubt, the best TV episode of the year is the penultimate episode of Task<\/i>. The series, starring Mark Ruffalo as a FBI agent trying to locate a missing boy, was already living up to its shorthand as \u201cthe new Mare of Eastown<\/i>.\u201d But then this episode began with a 20-minute shootout<\/a> that redefined the phrase \u201cpulse-pounding.\u201d Do you know how long 20 minutes is? And how hard it is to pull off something like that cinematically? My hands may have been sore from white-knuckling my couch while watching it, but it was worth it; it was so, so good.<\/p>\n Task <\/i>premiered Sept. 7 on HBO<\/p>\n Somebody, Somewhere<\/i> is a television treasure that we were lucky to have for three seasons. Yet, because there\u2019s no accounting for taste, it was very under the radar throughout its run. That Jeff Hiller got nominated for an Emmy, then, seemed like a miracle. And when he won? Every single person who watched the show immediately burst into tears. It was reflexive. Making the moment sweeter was the reaction at the ceremony. In a watershed moment, there were four gay nominees in the category\u2014Colman Domingo, Hiller, Michael Urie, and Bowen Yang\u2014and they all lept to their feet<\/a> with unbridled joy in support of the veteran performer when he won. It was a gorgeous moment of community that still makes me teary just to type about.<\/p>\n Jeff Hiller made everyone cry on Sept. 14 <\/p>\n As we settle in for the next three months of One Battle After Another <\/i>winning every Best Picture award that Hollywood hands out (deserved!), it\u2019s prudent to revisit the sequence that sealed the distinction for me: that climactic desert car chase. My heart had leaped out of my throat and was hanging out on my coffee table by the time it concluded. The fact that there were still more surprises to come in the movie after<\/i> that happened? A genius film. <\/p>\n One Battle After Another <\/i>premiered Sept. 26 in theaters<\/p>\n If I were ever to continue believing that love is real, there are three couples that, in my mind, would need to be together forever: my mom and dad, Bert and Ernie, and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. So you can imagine how shattered I was when Kidman and Urban split. The grief was fleeting, however, when Kidman appeared to flourish post-breakup. She got bangs<\/a>! She went to a Sabrina Carpenter concert<\/a>! She booked, like, 100 jobs<\/a>! It\u2019s all quite inspirational, really.<\/p>\n Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban announced their split on Sept. 29 <\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/KF2CZ4SEVVGQLIN2EOPSTEDLEQ.jpg?auth=90e3059be666514c10e41b1e70563608394c3bfa8978737471f8d848a832f677&width=800&height=533\")
Andrew Garfield attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards <\/span>Jeff Kravitz\/FilmMagic <\/span><\/p>\nAndrew Garfield at the Golden Globes<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Pitt<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
![\"Taylor](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/QM4FW3FJMZHELNQMQVZEF7YGT4.jpg?auth=362dd308411513d594adf7e72c527bbb965a24e9fc546c160747c346f4213dda&width=800&height=533\")
Taylor Dearden, Noah Wyle, and Shawn Hatosy in “The Pitt.” <\/span>HBO <\/span><\/p>\nThe Traitors<\/b><\/i> and the Rise of Gabby Windey<\/b><\/h2>\n
Mary & Angie K.\u2019s Real Housewives Friendship<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Mary](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/3PAMAI7SBBECLCM73WZ7RSIVN4.jpg?auth=d7706087466526fe3ca338812f3f37f2aaaa3e4f1d359cdded970b1068990864&width=800&height=533\")
Mary Cosby and Angie Katsanevas. <\/span>Clifton Prescod\/Bravo <\/span><\/p>\nCarrie Underwood at Trump\u2019s Inauguration<\/b><\/h2>\n
The <\/b>Emilia P\u00e9rez <\/b><\/i>Flameout<\/b><\/h2>\n
Leslie Bibb\u2019s <\/b>The White Lotus <\/b><\/i>Smile<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Scene](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/WNATVURCC5A5BCIZF4KIXCHVXA.jpg?auth=567dcaa268d8f7de7c040fe877a98e5c5ec054273c25b25ea8bb85e2e2e2118d&width=800&height=450\")
Leslie Bibb in “The White Lotus.” <\/span>HBO <\/span><\/p>\nScarlett Johansson\u2019s Life Advice<\/b><\/h2>\n
Adolescence<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
![\"Owen](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JBWT676DQFHZ5PW4LVEOHFSGKM.jpg?auth=68601364cea1e449712e69148792167f95aee6746b9e83455e2856714557947e&width=800&height=450\")
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in “Adolescence.” <\/span>Netflix <\/span><\/p>\nMid-Century Modern<\/b><\/i>\u2019s Linda Lavin Tribute<\/b><\/h2>\n
Katy Perry Goes to Space<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/6WYBHMSX4FFGBPOMWNINP5SIKY.png?auth=31b86aa805ea173d2e03e8a0c288ad462cc4e3e034c40d78799e5a305d71410e&width=800&height=450\")
Pop star Katy Perry revealed her new tour\u2019s setlist while orbiting in space. <\/span>Blue Origin <\/span><\/p>\nBeyonc\u00e9\u2019s Cowboy Carter Tour<\/b><\/h2>\n
Holmes on <\/b>Overcompensating<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
Jonathan Bailey\u2019s Sl*tty Little Everything<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/U4LWE6WMYNBRRMQOMASTC7QRRE.jpg?auth=886f37ee6f28020754380e1df1cc9533f6dcbac214f12b767b8d4a63f660d222&width=800&height=450\")
Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson. <\/span>Jasin Boland\/Universal Pictures \/Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson <\/span><\/p>\nThe Coldplay Kiss Cam<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Hunting Wives<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
Audra MacDonald in <\/b>Gypsy<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
![\"Joy](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/LCWLTUVFDREIHOHQ7NKD37KQEI.jpg?auth=6ed15296c451bfe0981ff3d9204bb79662c374196a6c3069abf7f42786aec1c3&width=800&height=533\")
Joy Woods and Audra McDonald in Gypsy. <\/span>Julieta Cervantes <\/span><\/p>\nAndy Samberg vs. Seth Meyers\u2019 Dog<\/b><\/h2>\n
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Get Engaged<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Taylor](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/7B77Y4DOU5HWHH2A4JZKQRYYHA.jpeg?auth=63dda0af61caa53d79d57a25d82ba555877256823f1f9937c99e401ad2336195&width=800&height=449\")
Taylor Swift with Travis Kelce on New Heights podcast. <\/span>Screengrab <\/span><\/p>\nTwinless<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
The <\/b>Task <\/b><\/i>Shootout Scene<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/7LSI7NGI7FAUHE4PCZOKZTHRZA.png?auth=31daafb268867b39435d98bccc0bd0fee6e93b24f59b50462d6575049f9e4076&width=800&height=663\")
A post on X <\/span>X <\/span><\/p>\nJeff Hiller Wins an Emmy<\/b><\/h2>\n
The <\/b>One Battle After Another <\/b><\/i>Car Chase<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Leonardo](\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/GIEZ7H3ZXZEIREYEQ3HNOQQTIQ.jpg?auth=40f7b1066783b9910ef3ef697c4c1389bd648417d9493c0cfd138984b9cd410c&width=800&height=533\")
Leonardo DiCaprio in \u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d <\/span>Warner Bros. Pictures <\/span><\/p>\nNicole Kidman\u2019s Post-Breakup <\/b>Vavavoom<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n
Peter Hujar\u2019s Day<\/b><\/i><\/h2>\n