The Bright Spots to a Dark Year
Jay’s List of things that were actually good about 2020
Okay, we’ve spent months talking about how bad the year 2020 was for mankind. And there’s no doubt, it really was a terrible year! Lives were lost, people around the world suffered, and people weren’t able to cope through their normal outlets because we couldn’t go anywhere. However, even when things seemed at their bleakest, 2020 still had a few things to offer people.
I’m not joking. If you know where to look, then you’ll find a few positive things happened to us in 2020. Now, in the spirit of the New Year, and to lift everyone else’s spirits, I’d like to remind everyone of a few good things that happened in 2020.
Mother Nature Got a Breather
Even though it feels like humanity’s on the verge of permanently wrecking planet Earth, many people seem to forget how resilient Mother Nature really is. For those who want proof, they need only look at what happened this year. With the majority of humanity forced to restrict travel and industry due to COVID-19, nature got free reign to do as it wanted. And the results were breathaking.
Within months, scientists saw pollution and carbon emission levels take a nosedive, and remain down for a significant amount of time. In China, the area where COVID-19 emerged saw a massive drop in pollution. For the first time in years, the canals of Venice, Italy were clear enough to see to the bottom!
While it’s likely that carbon emissions will begin to pick up in 2021, this pause makes me hopeful that we can still save our planet. As long as we build on this breathing room, that is.
Great Year for TV
From left to right, we have Yumyulack, Terry, Korvo, and Jesse 
This was actually a great year for TV. From my perspective, at least. Let’s recap:
- The Owl House premiered in January, and then made history with Disney’s first Bisexual lead, Luz Noceda
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars got its grand finale at last
- The Mandalorian returned for a second season that blew everyone’s minds!
- First half of Season Two of Amphibia
- DuckTales! returned for its third and final season, and also provided a backdoor pilot to a Darkwing Duck reboot.
- The Animaniacs reboot on Hulu
- Solar Opposites on Hulu
- Avatar: the Last Airbender returned to Netflix and proceeded to dominate for months.
- The Boys Season Two!
- Close Enough on HBO Max
- Rick and Morty
- Harley Quinn Season 2
- Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
- Adventure Time: Distant Lands
So much entertainment this year.
Trump Is Fired
I think I have made my dislike for Donald Trump no secret. I even wrote an entire post on the reasons why I feel like he lost the 2020 Presidential Election. Since he was elected President in 2016, I have seen Donald Trump prove to be a toxic influence on American Politics and shaken up America’s image on a global scale. Admiteddly, though, he seemed to do a good job with running our economy. Had many of the events of 2020 not occurred when they did, then the 2020 Election results could have turned out differently.
Yet they didn’t. 2020 saw Trump take a downward spiral in terms of his leadership. First, we had his government’s failure to blunt the effects of COVID-19. Then, we saw how aggressive he was in handling the protests after the death of George Floyd. And last, but not least, we saw his behavior in the lead-up and aftermath of Election Day: he acted like a bully in an attempt to win re-election. However, that seemed to backfire on him, as enough Americans decided they were done with Trump in the White House. Including myself.
NASA Returns to Space
After years of having to relying on Russia’s Soyuz craft to launch into space, NASA is finally ready to return to the stars on its own vehicles. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment!
Streaming Services Explodes in Popularity
If there was any doubt before, than let it be silenced now: streaming services are the future of entertainment. In November of 2019, Disney became the latest to join the streaming business with its new service, Disney+. Disney+ has since gone on to gain tens of millions of subscribers, drawn to it by its combination of original programming, and Disney’s extensive library of films and shows.
In May, Warner Bros joined the streaming wars with the release of their service, HBO Max. With just as many films, shows, and original programming as its rival, HBO Max may be able to match Disney+ blow for blow.
Of course, Netflix hasn’t been idle, either. They’ve come out with new shows and films, but that’s not their biggest win. Their biggest win is bringing Avatar: the Last Airbender back. As a result, A:TLA proceeded to be most popular show on Netflix for several months, proving how enduring the show’s popularity really is.
Video Games More Popular Than Ever
When people around the world were told to stay home due to the Pandemic, many cringed at the prospect. You want to know how gamers reacted to that?
Rather than complain, many gamers decided to make the most of our involuntary staycations and brush up on any games we had yet to finish. As a result, gamers ended up helping lead the charge against COVID-19, encouraging others to stay at home and help fight the Pandemic.
This went beyond gamers pulling their weight, though. With so much free time on our hands, people started playing video games more than ever. As a result, gaming has reached new levels of popularity and mainstream acceptance. In addition, the Pandemic helped to popularize certain existing games, most notably Among Us.
Some Good From This Year
As we approach the New Year, I hope that some of these examples will help you remember something important. That being, even when things are at their bleakest, there’s always something positive to be found. You just have to know where to look.
