Here at Hypable we have a lot to be thankful for, from Hamilton showtunes, to J.K. Rowling surprise sequels.
We’re thankful for superheroes and Star Wars, Sailor Moon fanfiction and super short Hall H Comic-Con lines. It’s all a little much, if we’re honest. Our gratitude is simply too great, but on this day, we’ll attempt to put it into words.
So, without further ado, here are eight things that the staff at Hypable is most thankful for this year.
Television shedding the spotlight on women of color — Ariana Quiñónez
I’ve waxed on before about the importance of diversity in the media, and within the last year alone, shows that are centered around families of color like Jane the Virgin, Black-ish, Fresh Off the Boat, and Empire have skyrocketed in ratings, proving that diversity isn’t a fad — it’s worth banking on. In my opinion though, the real stars of the year have been the gracious, beautiful women of color who have made groundbreaking strides in the entertainment industry by not only winning awards, but by using the opportunity to actively choose to become role models for young women across the country who are thirsty for the opportunity to prove their worth.
Gina Rodriguez’s winning speech at the Golden Globes laid out the facts about television’s dismal history in portraying Latinos when she held up her award and declared, “It represents a culture that wants to see themselves as heroes.” In the same speech, she also managed to inspire us to action with the simple words, “I can, and I will.” At the Emmys, Viola Davis had her own shining moment as the first African-American to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama series. The moment was historically important, made all the more groundbreaking by Viola Davis’ beautiful declaration of solidarity, as she chose to highlight the other black actresses who have empowered and shaped the way that we see women of color on the screen: “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.”
The resurgence of Harry Potter — Andrew Sims
As if J.K. Rowling’s presence on Twitter wasn’t enough to remind us that we all still love Harry Potter to death, the author made several reveals in 2015 that assured us we have a lot to look forward to in 2016 and beyond. From The Cursed Child (“the eighth story!”) to Fantastic Beasts to the first ever Illustrated Edition, 2015 served a platter full of exciting Harry Potter announcements. How will she ever be able to top a year like this one? Well, we wouldn’t mind seeing that Harry Potter Encyclopedia.
Ms. Marvel — Karen Rought
I’m most thankful for Ms. Marvel — both the character and the current series starring Kamala Khan. She’s everything I could ever want in a character or a superhero. She’s just like us, writing fanfiction about the Avengers and freaking out over meeting Wolverine. She takes selfies and spends way too much time on her computer. But she’s also been given this gift, and while she never asked for such responsibility, she decided to do something with her newfound powers. This life hasn’t been easy for her, but she hasn’t given up because she knows she can make a real difference in the world. It’s so refreshing to see a female superhero who has to deal with the struggles of a traditional family and a modern society, who is strong and yet vulnerable, and who doesn’t always know what to do but will find a way to do the right thing anyway.
Female characters who inspire confidence — Danielle Zimmerman
Until this year, I never knew how good it could feel to have characters inspire me so much that they leave me in tears. I knew that I wanted characters that I could relate to, but I had no idea the sort of self-assurance and confidence that female characters like Peggy Carter, Kimmy Schmidt, Jessica Jones, and Trish Walker could inspire. Watching these ladies on screen made me feel like I wasn’t alone. That the things I feel and the way I see the world isn’t just an isolated view. Peggy Carter’s “I know my value” line makes me burst into tears whenever I hear her say it because it feels like she’s talking to me. These complex women believe in themselves and give me the confidence to do the same. I’m so grateful that there’s finally a surge of women like them in media because I need them. We all do.
Jurassic World — Kristen Kranz
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m immensely grateful for Jurassic World. In addition to giving us an incredible new adventure to add to the Jurassic Park trilogy, it forced us all to have a conversation about a woman and her heels. It may seem trivial to some, but to those that have been aching for female representation to step forward and embody the integrity of the women of this generation, it was long overdue. Yes, Claire outran a T-Rex in heels, and I know many find that more unrealistic than the fact that dinosaurs are alive and eating people in this movie. If you do, maybe take a moment to think long and hard about that. I know, Jurassic World was just supposed to be a fun dinosaur movie, and it totally is, but it’s also nice to know that we can get a little bit of substance from even the butteriest of popcorn movies.
Meryl Streep — Selina Wilken
I’m thankful for Meryl Streep. Not that this is specific to 2015, but this year, the Once and Future Queen of Hollywood has been a particularly remarkable tour-de-force.
Not only did Meryl star in two of my favorite films this year, Ricki and the Flash and Suffragette, but she has done so much for women’s rights, it’s hard to even keep track.
Meryl’s year of empowerment started at the Oscars, where she and J.Lo (nope, not J.Law, though she’s also been awesome) stood up and cheered for Patricia Arquette, who used her acceptance speech to highlight the wage gap between men and women. This fight has been taken up by many celebs, but Meryl Streep has gone above and beyond. She launched a screenwriting lab for women over 40, wrote to Congress about inequality, and called out the entertainment journalism industry for not balancing the male-female movie reviewer ratio.
I want you to always be you, Meryl Streep. Thank you for lending your intelligent, well-spoken voice to these important issues.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Reunions — Brittany Lovely
I am thankful that the Gilmore Girls cast loves us enough to reunite
Flashback to June 6, 2015 when fellow Hypable staff writer, Kristina and I stood in the 104 degree sun on a sidewalk in Austin, TX interviewing the cast of Gilmore Girls at the ATX Festival. Before my eyes were Zach, Brian, Lane, Paris, Doyle, the holy trinity of teenage boyfriends, Dean, Jess, and Logan, Emily Gilmore, Luke, Lorelai and Rory. They were all grown up and involved with many other successful projects, but each cast member spoke of their time in Stars Hollow with the greatest fondness and held each other up in high esteem. It was a dream come true for this Gilmore Girls superfan and just the tip of the iceberg for the year that Gilmore Girls fans had wished for every year since 2007.
I am extremely thankful for Amy Sherman-Palladino and the entire Gilmore Girls cast for loving and respecting the work they put into the world so much, that they are reuniting for a Netflix series. I am thankful that after meeting this cast the illusion of the perfect town, Stars Hollow, remains in tact. Maybe it was something in the Paramount lot water that made everyone fall in love with the series and each other. Whatever magic was at work from 2000-2008 I am thankful it is still working today!
Creators who’ve got our backs — Natalie Fisher
Bryan Fuller pulled off a magnificent feat with his Hannibal finale this year, and I’ll forever be grateful to him for proving that a queer relationship between two characters who weren’t introduced as queer can be done, with ease and grace. This shouldn’t be considered a bold move, but in a world of Sherlocks and Supernaturals, Fuller confirming onscreen that the bond Will and Hannibal shared was, in fact, romantic sets a precedent that other shows can no longer make weak excuses around. He also showed me his American Gods concept art on his phone at Comic-Con, so thanks for that too.
Discovering The Raven Cycle was a big deal for me this year: not only are they the best books I’ve read in about a decade, the author Maggie Stiefvater is exactly my type of lady — mouthy and irreverent on social media, with the finger on the pulse of her fandom. Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda is another great example of a creator who’s not only producing life-altering, game-changing work, but who also understands how to play in his own fandom and how to make the fan experience surrounding his work enriching and enduring.
And I can’t leave out the current heroes of the hour: the Russo brothers. After the bad joke that was Age of Ultron, I’ve been terrified that Civil War wouldn’t be what I so desperately needed it to be. Yesterday’s trailer blew my expectations out of the water, but I never should have doubted the vision of Joe and Anthony. The entire MCU is safe in their hands. THANK YOU.