PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s been a busy year, hasn’t it?
A former president’s house was raided, new viruses popped up before we could put COVID-19 in the rear-view mirror, war broke out in eastern Europe and a veggie tray became a talking point in a major election.
Fortunately, we had other things to distract us, like an unexpected hit song soundtracking an improbable Philadelphia Phillies playoff run, another unlikely Philly champion in the game show world, and a few Philly legends receiving much-deserved accolades.
Let’s take a look at the Philly-related pop-culture moments that brought us together, got us moving, and kept people talking.
The Fresh Prince loses his cool
Will Smith is called the “Fresh Prince” for a reason, and that’s the effortless cool he has projected for as long as he’s been a star. From his earliest days as a teenage rap prodigy to his long reign as a box office titan, Smith has never been anything less than smooth in front of the cameras.
That’s why his outburst at the Academy Awards shocked the world.
While presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature, Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith – specifically, about her bald head, which she shaved following an alopecia diagnosis in 2018.
As his wife shot Rock a withering gaze, Smith got out of his seat, walked up to the comedian, and slapped him across the face. Rock staggered back, taken aback as Smith returned to his seat, cursing and shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth!”
The incident cast a pall on the rest of the night, especially less than an hour later, when Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for “King Richard.” The actor accepted his long-sought prize with a strange, rambling speech that indirectly addressed the slap. Days later, he officially apologized to Rock. He also resigned from the Academy, which banned him from attending the awards for ten years.
Questlove shines no matter what
Most immediately, the slap overshadowed the actual award Rock was presenting, which went to Philly’s own Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, leader of the Roots. Questlove won Best Documentary Feature for his debut film, “Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”
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Despite the terrible timing, Questlove handled the moment with grace, delivering an emotional speech with his mother proudly watching. He spoke to the need for art to heal marginalized communities, as important now as it was in 1969. And though he found himself overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment, his feelings came across very clearly. Questlove was an Oscar winner, and no amount of slaps could erase that.
“Abbott Elementary” is best in class
ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” became a ratings hit almost immediately, consistently winning its night and drawing critical raves. The show, created by comedian Quinta Brunson (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”), follows the faculty of a beleaguered Philly public school as they do their best with the resources they have to give their students the best possible education.
Brunson, a Philly native, was inspired by her mother, a veteran teacher, to create the series. Educators quickly connected with it, feeling seen by the show’s depiction of passionate teachers navigating bureaucracy.
“Abbott” distinguished itself with awards voters too, picking up seven Emmy nominations and winning three. Brunson took home an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, while veteran actress Sheryl Lee Ralph won an Outstanding Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of veteran teacher Barbara Howard.
In fact, Ralph – the first Black woman to win the award since Jackée Harry in 1987 – could fill an entire entry just on her epic acceptance speech. She started by bursting into the Dianne Reeves song “Endangered Species,” then exhorted everyone watching to never give up on their dreams, because “this is what believing looks like.” Her husband, State Sen. Vincent Hughes, could be seen applauding at the event in Los Angeles, a rare moment when his own oration wasn’t center stage.
Mt. Airy Uber driver dominates “Jeopardy!”
When you think of Philly champions, the 2008 Phillies and 2017 Eagles naturally come to mind first. The latest big winner from our region though, wasn’t a sports team, but a “Jeopardy!” super champion.
Ryan Long of Mt. Airy took the show by storm when he won 16 consecutive games, taking home just under $300,000 altogether. His streak landed him a spot in the Tournament of Champions, and among the 10 winningest players in the history of “Jeopardy!”
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It also earned him accolades from city officials, including Mayor Jim Kenney, who presented Long with the city’s award of honor.
Ever modest, Long joked the secret to his success was “being too dumb to realize it was a big deal.” Truth be told, he’s our favorite smarty-pants.
Phillies, fans celebrate to “Dancing on My Own”
Speaking of champions, the Phillies made an unexpected stab at what would have been their first world title in 14 years.
Their Cinderella run began almost immediately after a managerial switch in June. Under new manager Rob Thomson, the Phils went from an underwhelming 22-27 start to a wild card playoff berth. That’s when a new Philly anthem was born.
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Catcher Garrett Stubbs says it was Kyle Schwarber who introduced the team to “Dancing on My Own,” singer Calum Scott’s cover of the dancefloor hit from Swedish pop songstress Robyn. The team loved the track, singing along to it as they celebrated making the playoffs.
Video of that celebration went viral, and so did the song. Radio stations added it to their playlists, streaming numbers jumped nearly double the previous year, and people even stopped by the Laurel Condos in Rittenhouse to hear it played twice a day.
The fan fever helped propel the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009, against the Houston Astros. Despite a strong 2-1 start over Houston, the Astros caught up and sent the Phils home empty-handed.
Still, Philadelphians had nothing but love for the Phillies and their valiant effort. That love extended to Scott – and Robyn – for their defiant club hit. We may have been dancing on our own, but we were doing it together.
Fire shutters Jim’s Steaks
Jim’s Steaks on 4th and South streets, one of the city’s iconic cheesesteak shops known for walls of autographed photos of pop icons, is still recovering from a July 29 fire. It took five hours for fire crews to get it under control, but the damage was done.
Owner Ken Silver said the initial suspicion that something went wrong with the HVAC system turned out to not be the case. An exact cause still hasn’t been nailed down.
But as fierce as the fire was and as bad as it looked, this was far from a total loss. Silver said they are on the path to reopening, though he couldn’t specify an exact date.
Philly comedy icon Bob Saget dies
The year started on a sad note, as legendary comedian Bob Saget died on January 9 at age 65. He died of a brain bleed after hitting his head, hours after a stand-up set in Jacksonville, Florida.
Saget was known to a generation of ‘90s kids as sitcom dad Danny Tanner on “Full House,” and to older audiences as a filthy stand-up comic. Remarkably, Saget was able to go back and forth between being family-friendly and delivering adult comedy. He would star in wholesome shows like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Raising Dad” one moment, while making raunchy appearances in movies like “Half-Baked” and “The Aristocrats” the next.
Saget was also a Philadelphia native, and a Temple University alum. Former KYW Newsradio anchor Jeff Asch had been friends with Saget since they were teenagers, and recalled the comedian as not only a great talent, but a great person.
“He was just so talented. He was crazy but good crazy. He was the sweetest, nicest guy, but he would always do these outlandish things,” Asch remembered, “And I was proud to call him a friend.”
Adam Sandler “Hustles” through Philly
For decades, Philadelphia has been a backdrop for hit movies, from “Rocky” to “The Sixth Sense.” But while the stars don’t always make themselves visible off set, it was hard not to spot Adam Sandler while he filmed “Hustle.”
Directed by Philly native Jeremiah Zagar and produced by Sandler and LeBron James, the basketball drama stars Sandler as a 76ers scout trying to prepare his latest find (Toronto Raptors star Juancho Hernangomez) for the NBA Draft.
Philadelphians saw Sandler all over the city: Market Street, Italian Market, Manayunk, Temple University. When he wasn’t filming, he was mingling with locals or playing pick-up basketball games. He was even sporting gear from East Passyunk apparel shop South Fellini.
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“Hustle” debuted on Netflix to rave reviews, including one from KYW Newsradio, which called it an “ode to Philly.”
“It’s a powerful story for both NBA fanatics and the basketball-averse,” reporter Dave Uram wrote, “and Philly’s iconic landmarks are just the cherry on top.”