Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Well, that’s it, folks. In five days’ time, the 2010s will be over, and we’ll finally be in a decade that’s easy to name again.
But before we look forward to the ’20s, let’s take some time to reflect on the ’10s. There was a lot of good, a lot of bad, a lot of mediocre, but most importantly, a whole lot of pop culture. It was the decade of social media and the decade of streaming, and that’s a formula for a heck of a lot of content.
We here at Decider have done our best to narrow down and highlight the very best of that content this decade (check out our list for the Top 20 shows of the decade!) both as a team and as individuals. When it came to my personal favorites of the last 10 years, I listened to the advice of ’80s Swedish pop music duo Roxette, which is to say, I listened to my heart.
Obviously, there is no way to pay tribute to every great character, film, director, or piece of art from the last decade with just one list. So I just went with 10 things from the last decade that made me really, really happy. If you’re looking for rhyme or reason on this list—don’t. It’s a hodgepodge of actors, directors, characters, social media platforms and more. This probably the only list you’ll read that features The Lonely Island next to Greta Gerwig. Just go with it. This is real. This is me. This is my top 10 of the decade.
Broad City, Season 1, Episode 2, "Pu$$y Weed"
I love every episode of Broad City so much. But it doesn’t get better than classic Abbi and Ilana in their second episode ever, “Pu$$y Weed.” I can practically quote every line, and I continue to do so to this day. “Who yells?”
The Lonely Island
Do you even realize how many gifts this comedy trio bestowed on us this decade? Their debut album, Incredibad, dropped in 2009, and since then we’ve gotten genius parody songs like “I Just Had Sex,” “3-way,” “Threw It On the Ground,” and, course, the entire soundtrack of their masterpiece, the criminally underrated 2016 mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. And let’s not forget their overlooked but hilariously weird Netflix special this year, The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience. It really was their decade.
Greta Gerwig
As we come to the end of the decade, Greta Gerwig has made and been in some of my very favorite films, including Frances Ha, 20th Century Women, and Lady Bird. (I plan to force my family to take me to see Little Women on Christmas day.) She’s the breakout director of the decade, and I can’t wait to see where the next 10 years take her.
Melissa McCarthy
Not every Melissa McCarthy movie this decade was a good one, but the ones that were good ones—like Spy and Can You Ever Forgive Me?—left me in awe of her talent. She’s proven herself to be one of the greatest actors of our time, and I’ll never not love her.
Katie Dippold's Babadook tweet
I cannot deny that this was the decade of Twitter, but Twitter has not brought me joy recently. However, this tweet from writer Katie Dippold—who wrote The Heat and some of your favorite Parks and Recreation episodes—will always bring me joy. It is a perfect tweet, from the spot-on “grown ups drinking wine vibe” description to the demonic gleam in her eye from the camera’s flash. This, my friends, is the best tweet of the decade.
Paul Feig movies
I loved every single film Paul Feig put out this decade, and yes, that definitely includes the 2016 Ghostbusters (it’s a good and funny movie, and I’m not afraid to say so) and Last Christmas (it’s a flawed but charming romantic comedy with an important message about humanity!). Paul Feig said, “Hell yeah, women belong in big, broad comedies,” and then proved it with that Bridesmaids box office. He then proceeded to make women-led comedies his new career path, and I love him for it. Spy, in my opinion, was even better than Bridesmaids. And don’t forget that the director closed off the decade with the deeply underrated A Simple Favor. All hail Feig.
Tumblr
Nearly every pop culture thing I have loved this decade has been fueled, or at least enhanced, by Tumblr. The first thing I do after I see a movie or TV show I love? Look up the GIFs on Tumblr. (And they are always there, even mere hours after the premiere.) Yes, the interface is confusing for the uninitiated, but no other social media website archives and tags like Tumblr does, and I couldn’t be happier to have the last decade of my pop culture life preserved there. Its heyday may be over, there is still a small but active Tumblr community still going strong.
'Hamilton'
Remember when Hamilton—a hip-hop musical about the old stuffy white American founding fathers starring all people of color—opened in 2015, and broke Broadway box office records? Rember when it became one of the most successful musicals in recent history? Remember when it made musicals, history, and—for one fleeting moment—America, cool again? Remember that? Because I do. And if you suspect Hamilton fever was overrated, I urge you to relisten to the cast recording. I assure you, it’s still genius.
'Moonlight' wins Best Picture
We thought all hope was lost. We thought La La Land was going home with the Oscar. Then producer Jordan Horowitz stepped up to the mic. “Sorry, no. There’s a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won best picture. This is not a joke. Come up here. This is not a joke. Moonlight has won best picture. Moonlight: Best Picture.” It’s iconic. It’s historic. It’s the best speech of the decade.
Leslie Freakin' Knope
My girl. My hero. My icon. My president. Thank you, Mike Schur and Amy Poehler, for this gift of a character. I’ll always have Leslie Knope.
