2016 was a year that almost nobody liked. From the election to disappointing movies to horrible disasters and shootings, 2016 was not a year that many will look fondly on, beyond maybe those who were in childhood that year (3-10 is my definition and 3-12 is the most common definition, so probably those born from 2004-2013 or 2006-2013).
But let's look into the culture of 2016. I will not go in depth on politics, I think someone else can do that better.
Movies:
2016 was a disappointing year for movies. Suicide Squad, Batman Vs. Superman, and Rogue One didn't live up to the hype. Ghostbusters 2016 releases to positive reviews from critics but poor audience reaction. Norm of The North comes in at the beginning of the year to near-universal disdain. Zootopia, however, softens the blow, and Moana gets a lot of love at the end of the year. Deadpool was acclaimed, as well as La La Land. But beyond that, you won't find much.
Games:
2016 was nicer to games than it was to movies, but it was also a mixed bag. Overwatch and Battlefield 1 were well received, but it seems that for every good game, we get a disappointing, clunky mess. No Man's Sky, Mighty No. 9, Infinite Warfare, ReCore, and Street Fighter V are all notable let-downs. Forza Horizon 3 and DOOM 2016 get critical acclaim, and Titanfall 2 lives up to it's predecessor. Uncharted 4 is another game that manages to avoid being mediocre and underwhelming. Pokemon GO is probably the highlight of 2016 gaming, taking the world by storm. Overall, 2016 was okay for gaming, but compared to the rest of the year it wasn't too bad.
Music:
This year was... not good for music. Then again, pretty much every 2010s year has poor quality mainstream music but let's talk about the highlights. Can't Stop The Feeling was obnoxious and generic, and the constant overplay on the radio made me absolutely hate the song with a burning passion. Closer by Chainsmokers was generic garbage. Stitches was mediocre while 7 Years was corporate trash. 24k Magic was eh. Stressed Out and Heathens were absolutely awful. Probably two of the worst 2016 songs. What do I even say about the music? I hate hate hate 2016 music. It's all crap. I can't think of a single good song from this year. And yes I know music has been garbage for the last 5 or 6 years now, but 2016 was especially bad. It's not any better now, but this is about 2016 so....
Animated Shows:
Finally, something good all around in 2016: their animated series. Besides The Loud House, we got Voltron, Trollhunters, and Milo Murphy's Law. Let's go over the good. The Loud House is a fun show. Lincoln is very relatable and all of the sisters have a personality, and none of them seem like stereotypes. Milo Murphy's Law is interesting and creative, and Trollhunters was good as well. Voltron is also highly underrated. Plus cartoons such as Spongebob that are having good episodes help too.
Internet culture and social media
One word: memes. We Are Number One, The Nutshack, The Bee Movie, "I have crippling depression", Triggered, Shrek, Pepe, Roundabout, Corey In The House, among others. 2016 is the peak of meme culture. As for social media, this was the last year that Vine was still a thing. Musical.ly started to rise to popularity while YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are the dominant social media platforms. Memes are also made on the 2016 election (predictably).
2016 was not a good year, even outside culture. Alt Right and SJW drama, the Zika Virus, the Orlando nightclub shooting, the Dallas shooting, just.... turmoil. And what about the 2016 election? I don't even know what to say. I'm glad that Trump won. Clinton was a douche. The memes on it were funny though.
