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As 2016 comes to a close, a list of the trendiest topics and videos is imminent. From Chewbacca Mom’s contagious laughter to American and Brazilian politics, people have shown a great amount of interest in a variety of topics this year. However, Candace Payne, aka Chewbacca Mom, may well be the funniest, most innocent viral video of the year, the rest of the list being burdened with political and racial issues.
Facebook’s “year in review” video gathered the most pressing topics of 2016. The short video presents a small list of hot topics that went viral in the year that is now ending. Apparently, Chewbacca Mom is the most shared and talked about thing, Mss. Payne managing to stir more waters than the controversial United States presidential elections.
The clear, heartfelt laughter of Chewbacca Mom seems to offer catharsis to a year that has been deemed “the worst year in a long time.” From the US presidential elections that demonstrated just how powerful the voice of the people is, to the 2016 Olympics that brought out a corrupt Brazilian politics scene, to the death of music icon David Bowie, the yin seemed to have dominated the yang in 2016.
Looking at Facebook’s video, it is hard not to observe that the bad news far exceeds funny viral videos like Chewbacca Mom’s uncontrollable laughter. The short collage shows us the results of the presidential election, the Black Liver matter movement, Brexit, the death of Muhammad Ali and David Bowie, the Philippine presidential election, the Brazilian politics scandal, the Pokémon Go craze, and Chewbacca Mom.
This is the second consecutive year in which the US presidential election occupied the first place in the list of top subject of Facebook discussions. According to the social network, five out of ten conversation topics revolved around the issue of world politics. By comparison, in 2015, only three in ten conversations focused on political issues, and in 2014 a mere one in ten discussions dealt with the political scene.
Facebook is not the only network that observed the negativity that the past year has brought upon humanity. During his last show of the year, HBO’s John Oliver showed a lengthy video of people complaining about the negative parts of 2016, the clip ending with the show’s host blowing up a 2016 model.
Do you think Chewbacca Mom’s laughter is a fitting soundtrack for a year riddled with bad news and controversial politics?
Image source: Flickr
