Everyone on social media — especially Facebook — needs to stop blaming 2016 every time something bad happens, or someone dies. It’s not original. Everyone is doing it. It’s annoying.
In our final days of 2016, let’s resolve to get creative and stop cluttering each other’s news feeds with “Damn you, 2016! You had to take George Michael!! Who else?!”.
Another fine musical talent gone–RIP, George Michael. Spent Christmas evening dancing around to “Before You Go-Go.” Damn you, 2016.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) December 26, 2016
If you like music, art, positivity, creativity, democracy, or justice, 2016 has been a kick in the damn nuts.
— Grace Parra (@GraceParra360) December 25, 2016
Damn you 2016! You took Bowie, Prince, Ali, Wilder, Cohen & now George Michael. You really have to take Trump now to partly make up for it. pic.twitter.com/CtpiB5kNXW
— Laura (@SheWhoVotes) December 25, 2016
RIP George Michael. Damn 2016. You ain’t shit…
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) December 25, 2016
We risk alienating most of our audience — because almost everyone has done this. So, if you have, don’t feel bad. Just go back, delete the post, and we can move on with 2017 in good standing.
Just for the record:
-It wasn’t 2016’s fault Donald Trump won. That was primary voters’ fault for picking these nominees, and many are actually pretty excited for Trump — even if he’s orange and vulgar. He’s going to get rid of Obamacare, appoint better justices, and negotiate better federal contracts (he already has).
-It wasn’t 2016’s fault that George Michael died. Death happens in this existence, sorry.
-It wasn’t 2016’s fault that Prince, Muhammad Ali, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Pat Harrington, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Anton Yelchin, Noel Neill, Gary Marshall, Gene Wilder, Hugh O’Brian, Arnold Palmer, Florence Henderson, Fidel Castro, Ron Glass, John Glenn, Alan Thicke, Bernard Fox, and many others died.
-Tons of celebrities die every year — I can show you all the posts blaming 2015 for killing Natalie Cole, Wayne Rogers, Anne Meara, Gene Saks, Bob Simon, Maureen O’Hara, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Leonard Nimoy, and much more.
So, it’s resolved that we will not blame 2016 for anything bad that happens this year. And, therefore be it further resolved that we will not blame 2017 for our problems or celebrity deaths.
