What was 2017 all about? Many things, of course. But not many of those things blew our minds quite as successfully as these tweets. Alyssa Milano tweet-started a hashtag tsunami that prompted women into speaking up about sexual harassment; POTUS invented a new word, unintentionally; Shashi Tharoor taught us some old ones; J K Rowling flexed some serious troll-diminishing muscle, no wand required; and in the insanity over Padmavati, there were some rare moments of clarity. So here is a recap of 2017, in 17 absolutely epic tweets.
1. It should be no surprise that Alyssa Milano's #metoo tops this list. It started a much-needed reckoning in the feminist movement, one that doesn't stop any time soon, we hope. Who could have thought that a simple tweet would turn into a global movement with an outpouring of anguish that went beyond race, religion, region... We can't think of a better 140-character missive to start this list with.
If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet. pic.twitter.com/k2oeCiUf9n
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 15, 2017
2. Only Shashi Tharoor could have the country scrambling for a dictionary, out of the blue. In the beautiful, un-understandable tradition of things going viral on the Internet, Tharoor's use of 'farrago' (meaning, a confused mixture) while berating a certain loud news anchor spawned innumerable memes and Internet jokes. We're all for anything that improves our vocabulary. He followed it up recently with 'rodomontade' but he had us at 'farrago.'
Exasperating farrago of distortions, misrepresentations&outright lies being broadcast by an unprincipled showman masquerading as a journalst
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 8, 2017
3. Gone are the days when women only sat at home and looked after the kids. Women are leading in every industry they choose to be a part of, and it's honestly a thing of pride when someone tells you that you do something 'like a girl'.
Today is the #InternationalGirlChildDay. Run like a girl, throw like a girl, fight like a girl. LEAD like a girl.
— Faye DSouza (@fayedsouza) October 11, 2017
4. If it means we're going to see more of the delicious Chris Hemsworth jamming, we're not complaining. Which woman in her right mind would, really?
RP #jackblack: This is a challenge! #SchoolofRagnarok.
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) November 11, 2017
Also @chrishemsworth he distinctly said THOR so I guess it's on you bro. pic.twitter.com/bbSJUdqLGH
5. We do love our writer jokes. This one is surprisingly (and annoyingly) relatable to every writer I've ever known. If you don't get it, you're one of the blessed self-assured few.
a cool thing about being a writer is it allows you to balance megalomaniacal resentment that your brilliance hasn't received its due against unrelenting certainty that you are absolutely worthless
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) November 21, 2017
6. This one really helped us put things in perspective. For all the little and big things we complaining about, Malvika Iyer showed us that nothing is impossible, once you tighten the belt and pull up the socks. Just the kind of thing we needed to read at the cusp of a new year.
Say hello to Dr. Malvika Iyer
— Malvika Iyer (@MalvikaIyer) December 13, 2017
PS: To everyone who's been curious as to how I type, do you see that bone protruding from my right hand? That's my one and only extraordinary finger. I even typed my Ph.D. thesis with it :) pic.twitter.com/aEI1jIsNOr
7. Trust Shashi Tharoor (yes, him again) to give us all a much-needed reality check. It's a really simple but definitely a reminder many of us need in today's day. Yes, our lives can often revolve around social media, but that doesn't make everything you read true.
New Hinglish 21st century dictionary:
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 25, 2017
*Webaqoof*: "one who believes every claim or allegation on the internet & social media must be true"
8. We fell in love with J K Rowling just a little bit more for straightening the record for a tiring number of men we've met -- in real life and the Internet. She sure knows how to shut people up. (Even in 140 characters.)
Happy #InternationalWomensDay
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 8, 2017
or, as it's often called on here, #WhyIsn'tThereAnInternationalMensDay
(There is: November 19th)
9. Followed by this perfect way to discuss International Men's Day on Twitter. I really can't emphasise how badly we need to stop asking men to 'man up' or 'stop behaving like a girl'.
76% of all suicides are by men, with suicide being the biggest cause of death for men under 35. Yet, men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women. We need to break the stigma and end the silence. Do not 'Man Up', it's time to talk. #InternationalMensDay
— Jodie (@JodieVolunteers) November 19, 2017
10. If you missed covfefe, we want the address of the sound-proof rock you were hiding under. Even though the original tweet by Donald Trump has since been deleted, the word was all the rage for a few days and the unwitting star on many memes about The Donald.
A 10-minute covfefe! Gasp! pic.twitter.com/vnJkz4ILJr
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) May 31, 2017
11. Can't even begin to tell you how much I relate to this sentiment. Me, and about 99.99% of the feminists in the world. Nope, make that 100%. We're all unequivocally fed up of the whining.
every time a man tells me to stop whining about feminism, i feel like saying "you first"
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) November 20, 2017
12. With all the brouhaha and pandemonium about the possibly fictional queen Padmavati and her possibly fictional honour, it was a relief to see a voice of sanity and reason in the ocean of nonsensical noise. This comparison between Padmavati and The Crown made a lot of sense to us.
The Crown on Netflix has been filmed while the queen is alive, with some unflattering, very private details scripted into it and no Briton has reacted.Rani Padmavati's existence is in itself questionable and death threats have been issued to actor.Well done India#padmavati
— shunali khullar shroff (@shunalishroff) November 20, 2017
13. Another one that put the idiosyncrasies and entirely pointless moral obsessions of our country - the latest among them being condom ads - into perspective.
According to the latest statistics in India, a child is sexually abused every 15 minutes, but, at least, we've saved them from the painful terror of having to watch condom ads from 6am-10pm, I am so relieved. Thank you.
— Priya Sometimes (@PriyaSometimes) December 12, 2017
14. This one truly warmed the cockles of our heart. When a woman who literally took a bullet in the pursuit of education heads to college for education, you can't help but feel your heart swell a little, even as it breaks at the realisation that the right and access to education is still such a distant dream for an overwhelming number of girls around the world.
5 years ago, I was shot in an attempt to stop me from speaking out for girls' education. Today, I attend my first lectures at Oxford. pic.twitter.com/sXGnpU1KWQ
— Malala (@Malala) October 9, 2017
15. This is insanely important. Margot Robbie, a role model for girls everywhere, was actually afraid to call herself a feminist at one point, and looking at this, we're not surprised. But looking at her today, we know if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen - one way or another.
a woman?? wanting equality?? using her platform to make a difference?? trying to educate people on something we all need to realise?? not just sitting there being a "pretty" face?? oh my god: the horror! pic.twitter.com/IQD4F3nfBM
— (@infamousmargot) November 18, 2017
16. Because, no matter what happens and how bleak the future looks, as long as there are people fighting to make things better, there will be hope for a brighter day. And if there is one thing the world needs today, it is optimism, in spades. Hope is humanity's last refuge, after all, isn't it?
We do activism because we are hopeful about a better future. Don't write us off as cynics. It is hope that keeps us going despite all odds.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) September 26, 2017
17. This is one of the most powerful passages we've read this year. It also goes to show: context means everything. It is hard to imagine a world, a civilisation, a people who would not think Hitler to be among the worst kind of monster that roamed the earth. Brings to light the horrors humanity has seen while we weren't paying attention.
Why Hitler is not the 'Worst Person Ever' from Trevor Noah's excellent book on growing up in apartheid South Africa. #BornACrime pic.twitter.com/YEznP6lrQO
— Lex Loca (@swasutra) October 30, 2017
Did we miss out on something? Let us know below.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
