Top 10 Reasons Why 2017 Was the WORST
And you thought 2016 was bad. From questionable celebrity role models, to the Robert Mueller probe, to the North Korean nuclear test, these are the events and individuals who made 2017 the absolute worst. WatchMojo counts down ten reasons why 2017 was the WORST!
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Top 10 Reasons Why 2017 Was the WORST
And you thought 2016 was bad. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Reasons Why 2017 Was the WORST. For this list, we’re taking a look at the events, trends and tragedies that made 2017 an especially difficult year for us all to get through.
#10: Questionable Celebrity Role Models
Thanks to the Internet, anyone can get famous – and sometimes it’s for all the wrong reasons. Case in point: “It’s Everyday, Bro” became the fourth most disliked video in YouTube history, but creator Jake Paul still accumulated over 11 million followers. Danielle Bregoli, aka Bhad Bhabie, is perhaps an even more infamous social media personality. This rapper/car thief initially gained attention at age 13 during a 2016 “Dr. Phil” segment where she challenged the audience to a fight and spawned a notorious catchphrase: “Cash Me Ousside How About Dah.” Bregoli became a viral sensation over the following year, inspiring countless memes and even signing a record deal. Questionable celebrity role models like these epitomize the moral decay of society, bringing the bar to a new low.
#9: Robert Mueller Probe
We guess you could say President Donald Trump is the elephant in the room here – and not just because he’s a Republican. Trump’s presidential victory proved to be a controversial one, especially given the allegations that Russian president Vladimir Putin directly ordered an influence campaign against Hillary Clinton. The plot only thickened when President Trump fired FBI director James Comey during an investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In May 2017, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was tasked with leading a Special Counsel investigation concerning this conspiracy. No matter what the final outcome of this probe is, the fact that it’s taking place at all demonstrates that we live in truly uncertain, shady times.
#8: Immigration Ban
Although that wall he promised is still a work in progress, President Donald Trump wasted no time signing Executive Order 13769 shortly after his inauguration. Commonly called a travel ban or a Muslim ban, it prevented citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 3 months, and suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 4 months. Plus, over 700 travellers were detained while roughly 60,000 visas got “provisionally revoked.” This was later replaced with Executive Order 13780, which President Trump described as a “watered down, politically correct version.” These newer travel restrictions were still far from ideal, however, as many argued that making immigration harder for foreigners didn’t make America any safer.
#7: Fentanyl Overdoses
Whenever recreational drugs come up in conversation, fentanyl hasn’t always been the first opioid that comes to mind. However, it’s estimated that this painkiller is nearly 50x more powerful than heroin and almost 100x stronger than morphine. Musical legend Prince was just one of the thousands of Americans that died because of fentanyl in 2016 and the epidemic caused even more heartbreak throughout 2017. Across the border, between January and April, fentanyl amounted to 368 overdose deaths in British Columbia, Canada alone. In fact, it’s been reported that fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed 540% within the past three years. The war on drugs is like a bonfire that seemingly can’t be extinguished and fentanyl has only fanned the flames of tragedy.
#6: North Korean Nuclear Test
North Korea not only administered multiple missile tests throughout 2017; the country also commenced its sixth nuclear test in September. According to seismic readings, this might’ve been North Korea’s strongest nuclear test yet, as it caused an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3. While the idea of impending nuclear warfare is horrifying, what could be considered even more troubling is that the leaders in charge seemed to be treating this serious issue like a petty schoolyard feud. Following President Trump’s “fire and fury” warning, Kim Jong-un threatened to “tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard.” Trump fired back by calling the North Korean leader “Little Rocket Man.” Both talk big, but how long until somebody drops a literal bombshell?
#5: Mass Shootings in the United States
It seemed like nowhere was safe in 2017, with hospitals, libraries, baseball games, airports, nightclubs and more serving as the settings for mass shootings throughout the year. The Sutherland Springs church shooting resulted in 26 deaths and 20 injuries. However, the shooting that left the most significant impact occurred on the Las Vegas Strip in October. During the Route 91 Harvest music festival, Nevada resident Stephen Paddock armed himself with semi-automatic rifles and opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel. Paddock killed 59 people, himself included, and left 546 injured. As of 2017, this is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and we can only hope nothing ever comes close to surpassing it.
#4: Tragedy Struck the UK
Although it was a rough year for the United States, the United Kingdom endured just as much turmoil, if not more. The city of London and its environs were bombarded with tragedy after tragedy, as five innocent souls were killed in the Westminster attack, the London Bridge attack claimed eight victims, one pedestrian died during the Finsbury Park attack, and the Parsons Green bombing left thirty injured. Of course the terror attack that appeared to make the most headlines was the Manchester Arena bombing, which took place following an Ariana Grande concert. In addition to the bomber, Salman Ramadan Abedi, 22 people died in this attack while 512 were injured. Compared to these catastrophes, Brexit almost feels like an afterthought.
#3: Deadly Natural Disasters
Hurricanes were to 2017 what celebrity deaths were to 2016; whenever one was reported, another seemed to pop up almost immediately after. Between Harvey, Irma, Maria and various others, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in 464 fatalities and well over $300 billion in damages, making it the priciest tropical cyclone season ever reported. Hurricanes weren’t the only natural disasters that took a heavy toll on the planet, however; ironically taking place on the anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and less than two weeks after the deadly Chiapas earthquake, the Central Mexico earthquake left at least 40 buildings destroyed, 370 dead, and over 6000 injured. Are we any closer to creating that climate-changing satellite system from “Geostorm?”
#2: Sexual Assault Scandals
Sexual misconduct has been discussed at great length over the past few years, but many people failed to realize just how widespread the issue is until 2017. It was eye-opening when more than 80 women accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault, as well as rape in some cases. This scandal set off the quote unquote Weinstein effect, as several other high-profile celebrities were accused of sexual misconduct, including Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K. These devastating stories weren’t limited to the entertainment industry either; as the #MeToo hashtag spread across social media like wildfire, it became clear that we all likely know at least one individual who’s faced such abuse. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions: - Suicides of Chris Cornell & Chester Bennington - Airlines Were Jerks - Net Neutrality Is Still at Risk
#1: Racism
No matter how horrible things get, we still tell ourselves society’s come a long way. 2017 felt like a huge step backwards, however, as the U.S. – and, in fact, the entire world – grew increasingly divided by racial tensions. Some responded to racial inequality and police brutality through peaceful protests, like kneeling during the national anthem. Meanwhile, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia marked one of the ugliest hours in modern U.S. history. Bringing together white supremacists, neo-Nazis, Klansmen and other hate groups, this far-right rally quickly turned violent, leaving three dead and dozens injured. According to a Quinnipiac University national poll, 65% of voters say hatred and prejudice have increased since President Trump’s election. Considering his response to events like Charlottesville, that’s not that shocking.