Honestly, the year 2016 just needs to pack up its shenanigans and go away for good. I’m not sure if there is much from this year that we could say that we would want to stick around. Yes, I know there were some great things that happened throughout the months but it seems as though the bad out weighed most of the good. And although it would be interesting, maybe even redundant, to make a list of all these dumpster fires that kept happening through this hell-ish year, I decided to make a list of happenings that were a bit ridiculous and that just need to not follow us into the new year. It’s mostly all for a laugh, or a scoff, but also a reminder of how big of a joke 2016 actually was to us.

Harambe

Oh yes, it was quite sad that this gorilla was shot and the uproar that it caused was probably needed. But then somewhere out of the blue, the death of this gorilla became a ridiculous meme that spread like wildfire. I honestly can’t even tell you where it originated and why people thought it would be great to whip out their dicks for some animal. Sounds pretty grotesque and asinine, right? For the first week, this joke seemed kind of funny -but not really- and most of us sat around wondering why it kept existing for months to come. It just seemed to keep going and more people found it funny, but it seemed to kind of diminish the whole uproar that the world had created for what they saw as an unneeded shooting of an animal. So, it would be real great if the jokesters could keep their genitalia in their pants and just let Harambe rest in peace.

Mass Celebrity Death

Where even to begin on this one. The world lost some of the greatest artists that ever lived. These icons changed everything in music, literature, movies/theater, sports, space, and life in general. We all looked up to these celebrities because they had been a part of our childhood and even livelihood. David Bowie, Prince, Alan Rickman, Lemmy, Harper Lee, Leonard Cohen, Gene Wilder, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, John Glenn, Carrie Fisher -just to name a few. It was the year of the reaper and it broke our hearts many times over. I’m not really sure if we could handle another year of major celebrity death so, hey reaper just take a backseat for a little while, aye?

"Here Comes Dat Boi" Meme

This meme…I don’t get this meme. Just like the Harambe meme, I don’t know where it came from or why it even started. I’m not even sure how it caused most of us to giggle because it absolutely makes no sense. A frog on a bike? *laughs* It’s so dumb it’s funny. But there are so many memes that need to stay going -like dabbing and any Kermit the frog meme- and to keep living and making us laugh in 2017.

#KickHobiOutOfBTS #KickJinOutOfBTS

There is a lot of heavy sighing with this one. Just the thought of it is a bit ridiculous and although it speaks to one particular band, it can also be used to speak up for other groups. For some time, there have been some “fans” of BTS that think that the group would be better if they kicked out one of the members. Somehow, they decided it was a good idea to take up to Twitter and create a hashtag to show how much they do not want this certain member in the group. Why they thought this was a good idea? I don’t have an answer and I don’t agree with any of it. If someone was a true fan, then they would love and respect every member of the group and understand how important they are to make the band whole. Every group needs all of its members to thrive and if people who say they love the band but want one or more gone, then they really can’t call themselves true fans. This type of negativity needs to pack up, leave, and not even step foot into next year or even the fandom itself.

Over-Sexualizing Artists

Listen, they aren’t here to be considered sex objects or some kind of item to just ogle solely on appearances. Just like the above point, we must respect the artists for what they do and love them whenever they are themselves. If they decide to show some skin or not any at all then they shouldn’t be ridiculed. Yeah, it’s a great plus for liking them and they be good looking, but that shouldn’t be the first thing that should draw you towards them. It is ridiculous to think that we as a society have focused so hard this year on appearances and not the hearts and souls of those that we look up to. Let’s try to be better at it in the future, not just for making society but also for the respect and love that the artists deserve.

Anything Political

You're John Watson, none of it was okay. All around the world politics had many high roads and many, many low roads. No matter if it was the American Presidential Election or Brexit, anything political rocked the world and everyone knew what was happening. We were all ashamed and concerned for one another. We all wanted it to end and just be forgotten. Maybe we won’t have to worry about it so much next year or even the next four, but this year’s political snafus have really left an imprint in our minds and hearts. Honestly, all the campaigning and change seemed to go on for a decade not just a small window of time. And despite all of the jokes we created to make ourselves feel better about the results, let’s just let it all stay buried in the whirlwind that 2016 decided to grace us with.

Killer Clowns

Some have forgotten that this became an epidemic all over the world but those of us who are terrified of clowns will never forget these beings stalking the night. Again, not really sure why these people thought this was a good idea or what really sparked them to begin their tirades but it sure did make an impact on everyone. Either they were a part of the conspiracy theory of being connected to Donald Trump or they were trying to promote the remake of IT, they just need to not return. It was anxiously funny for a while but the terror that it left us in just isn’t needed for the future. Nobody wants to be a part of the crazy clown life.

So yeah, thanks for not really being the greatest of years 2016. From all of the dumpster fires you created and glorious highs that we tried to hold on to, we need you to just stay gone. I believe that I can speak for most people when saying that we can't wait to stay up and watch you die. Here is to you 2017 and the hopes that you will be the year that things get better and we all rise to greatness.