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2019: The Year in Fairness

This isn’t your average year-end list: Read on for some of the biggest stories that broke this year, ranked by fairness.

by Vox Creative

Oct 14, 2019, 1:12 PM UTC

Rihanna expanded her fashion brand under LVMH, and made some history while at it

News that the multitalented singer and entrepreneur would join LVMH (home to Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, etc.) broke earlier this year. She also became the first black woman designer to do so, ever — a worthy and equally heartwarming feat.

How a Starbucks cup from Games of Thrones' final season became an unlikely metaphor for fans everywhere

The gaffe that took over Twitter feeds after the fourth episode of the show's eighth and final season also made for some very great Tweets. And at the very least, the cup became an unlikely, cathartic symbol for fans frustrated with the controversial last season.

The Saints lost their shot at a Super Bowl appearance because of a brutal mistake

Saints fans are probably still reeling over this one. A missed pass-interference call in overtime against the Rams likely killed the New Orleans team's chances of going to Super Bowl LIII.

A group of migrating eagles with tracking devices accrued a massive cellular bill

Their tracking beacons reportedly sent texts, which then built up all those charges — so many charges that scientists had to take out a loan and start a crowdfunding campaign. A blatant error, but it made for a hilarious story (plus, tons of coverage) later.

After Two Years of Mario Batali’s Misconduct in the News, Eataly Finally Cuts Ties With the Celebrity Chef

Why did the popular Italian chain suddenly decide to buy out Batali's minority stake in their business back in August? The cut was just — but it was long overdue.

Instagram tried out hiding the like counts on people's posts

The social media platform tested out hiding those coveted likes this year. But did they think of the ramifications a feature like this could have on influencers, businesses, and the many people who heavily rely on like counts? An "A" for effort, but they’re not quite there with this tactic.

The Recording Academy launched a campaign to give underrepresented artists their due credit

The association that brings us the Grammys decided to upend industry standards and give the various producers, engineers, and artists that also work on records some much-needed recognition. Behind the Record was a surprising 2019 accomplishment.

Whole Foods Scrapped Health Care Coverage for Its Part-Time Employees

That's up to 1,900 workers experiencing an unexpected lapse in their healthcare coverage. Whole Foods is owned by Jeff Bezos, who is worth an estimated $115 billion — that just doesn’t add up.

This Year the World's 50 Best Restaurants List Included Only Six Women in Its Long List

After the company behind the always-talked-about annual ranking released a promising press release, noting "there is a strong female presence" in this year's roundup, a disappointing six out of 70 women made it into their long list (the top 120 to 51 restaurants).

Simone Biles broke the record for most gold medals won by a gymnast at the 2019 World Championships

And after breaking that record, she then went on to win another gold just an hour later — bringing her total gold medal count to 25. Not only was this an undisputed win, but it also sparked conversation that Biles might be the greatest athlete to ever grace this planet.

It's been a terrible year for WeWork, but the founder is set to get $1.7 billion in a takeover deal

The deal involves Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank taking control of WeWork, and sums up the many improprieties the company and founder, Adam Neumann, have gotten away with this year (and in general).

What happens next in the legal cases involving Jeffrey Epstein?

Fortunately Epstein's victims can still go through with their cases. But they will never get to face their perpetrator in court — a justice everyone deserves.

The vaping catastrophe: How companies like Juul ended up targeting our non-smoking youth

Originally marketed as a tool to help adults kick their smoking habits, e-cigarettes turned into a teen sensation, with the troubling trend coming to a head this year. What's more, recent studies reveal how vaping could be more dangerous than initially believed.

Facebook pledged $1 billion to help fix California's affordable housing crisis

Unfortunately, the social media giant was also one of the largest contributors to said crisis. The act was nice, but rents in the San Francisco area have been soaring for over a decade, thanks to Facebook and other tech behemoths.

There's a new deceiving trend among teens: Calling yourself ‘ugly’ on TikTok

Pivoting from thirst-traps to self-deprecation, many of these "ugly" declarations have gone viral on TikTok. And yes, maybe it's a bit of a faux pas, but it was also a surprisingly powerful rejection of societal expectations.

NASA celebrated its first all-female spacewalk — why did it take so long?

In October, two female astronauts made NASA history with the first all-female spacewalk — but many questioned what took the agency so long. (Sixty-one years, to be exact.) And the excuses from NASA officials only made matters worse

Martin Scorsese said the Marvel movies are not cinema, wrote an op-ed defending that statement, and still proceeded to freak out many

Drama ensued after Martin Scorsese offered his hot take on Marvel movies. Although the acclaimed director infuriated many Marvel fans, Scorsese brought up some arguably more infuriating points about the state of cinema today in his New York Times op-ed.

The 2020 Grammy nominations are in and Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X all nabbed first-time nominations

It's always nice to see newcomers earn big-time Grammy nominations like Album, Song, and Record of the Year. Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and youngest of the bunch, Billie Eilish, (she's only 17!) are all getting much-deserved Grammy recognition. Sorry, Swift fans.

Taylor Swift enlisted fans in her fight to perform old songs at the American Music Awards

The Taylor Swift master recordings saga continues. For those who haven't been following, Swift's entire back catalog is now owned by Big Machine Label Group and Swift foe Scooter Braun. But they're now letting the pop star perform her old hits at the AMAs, likely thanks to fans blasting them on Twitter.

Taylor Swift's music-rights fight with Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta led to some of her fans doxxing both

After Swift learned that she initially wouldn't be able to perform her old songs on TV or in her upcoming documentary, she tapped her massive fanbase to let the owners of her catalog, Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta, know how they feel. Thoughtless doxxing of both Braun and Borchetta then quickly ensued, a low blow from the Swifties.

Dwayne Wade had the perfect response to anti-LGBT comments about his Thanksgiving family photo

After Gabrielle Union (famed actress and wife to the NBA star) posted a family photo on her Instagram, some hateful comments poured in — specifically about Wade’s son and his appearance. The photo also garnered 600,000 likes and lots of praise, but that didn't stop Wade from addressing haters on Twitter with a heartfelt message of support for his family.

Our Cyber Monday shopping is polluting this small town in California

The last decade has seen massive growth in e-commerce, and while great for some businesses, for Bloomington, California, and some of its long-time residents, that means mass air pollution, traffic jams, and warehouse construction. Angered residents and environmental groups aptly staged a protest outside an Amazon facility this Cyber Monday to push an agreement for lower pollution levels.

Four Google employees file labor charges against the tech giant

The latest in growing tensions between Google and its employees — four workers allege that the company let them go in retaliation to their workplace organizing efforts. They are now rightly pressing charges, but the fact that they’re even in this situation is maddening.

Myles Garrett hit Mason Rudolph in the head with the quarterback’s own helmet, sparking a massive Browns-Steelers brawl

A Thursday night football game between the Steelers and Browns ended in "absolute mayhem,"" after Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett took a swing at Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, with Rudolph's own helmet. Unsurprisingly, the uncalled-for move ended up with multiple player ejections and suspensions.

Tesla's new Cybertruck unveiling also included an epic window-smashing fail

Things did not go so well during the unveiling of Tesla's latest talked-about release. Lead designer Franz von Holzhausen casually smashed the "armor glass" windows of Tesla's Cybertruck with a metal ball during the presentation. Tesla CEO Elon Musk later took to Twitter to explain the whole mishap — and Twitter, of course, had a field day with this bulletproof window gaffe.

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Actress Felicity Huffman was among the 14 people to plead guilty in the college admissions scam

More than 50 people, including well-known actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin, were involved in this extensive scam to get rich, well-off kids into the country’s top colleges. Enraging many, this story to no surprise captured a lot of attention this year.

Kevin Hart finally declined on hosting the 2019 Oscars — and the ceremony went ahead host-less

Remember the famous comedian's disastrous apology tour from early this year? And the Academy's lackluster response? Hart didn't deserve this year's hosting gig — but the Academy actually tried to keep Hart on board, with the comedian himself pulling out.

The Fried Chicken Sandwich Frenzy That Somehow Took Hold This Year

It all started with the launch of Popeye's first fried chicken sandwich, back in August — and it then made for some hilarious #BrandTwitter. Recent reports, though, may make us shift the chicken sandwich into a different quadrant.

The U.S. Women's National Team was honored with a ticker-tape parade in NYC after their Women’s World Cup win

The USWNT warmed many hearts this year (arguably by their presence alone). So the fact that they got a special ticker-tape parade in New York City to celebrate their fourth World Cup win was the deserved cherry on top.

A new UN report warned changes to the oceans this century will be 'unprecedented'

The sobering report details how humans are rapidly turning oceans into warm, acidifying basins hostile to life. It's yet another clearly researched account telling us that if we don’t act soon, our planet could be permanently changed, for the worse.

Greta Thunberg against the world: The teenage climate activist led a massive climate strike spanning 150 countries

Young people the world over joined Thunberg in striking from school late September. Many called it the largest climate protest in history — an awe-inspiring 2019 feat.

Green Book won Best Picture at this year's Oscars

Many were disheartened by this Best Picture win, given the Oscars' recent strides to be more inclusive and kick their old (problematic) habits. Green Book was worthy of praise, but it was arguably undeserving of the top prize.

Even well-paid tech workers can’t afford to buy homes in San Francisco anymore

Gentrification is hitting almost everyone in SF — highly paid programmers, software engineers, and other well-off tech workers can’t afford to buy homes in the Bay Area. Just one of the many worrying effects from the housing crisis the UN deemed a "human rights violation."

Taylor Swift is rerecording all of her old songs after a masters mixup

The country-pop queen's master recordings were sold to Scooter Braun of all people, but Swift later announced plans to rerecord all of her earlier albums. The move from Swift was fair, but the fact that artists (even on Swift's level) get stuck in this type of scenario is maddening.

The 2019 World Restaurant Awards Tried (But Ultimately Failed) to Be More 'Inclusive'

Despite some genuine efforts from the organizers behind the World Restaurant Awards — a more diverse showing for the judging panel, diverse range of nominees, etc. — the awards this year ultimately came up short. Though an encouraging effort, here's for more fairness next year.

The Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championships, thanks in large part to general manager Masai Ujiri

The Raptors clenched their first-ever title during their first-ever Finals appearance this year. A somewhat unexpected but undoubtedly deserved win, especially considering the work Ujiri put in.

The 'Egg boy,' who egged a problematic senator, donates $70,000 to victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks

After Will Connolly, a.k.a. "egg boy," was punched by that same senator — the senator who also blamed the Christchurch shootings on Muslim immigration — egg boy fans crowdfunded money to help with Connolly's legal fees. If that wasn't heartwarming enough, Connolly then donated everything to victims in Christchurch.

Why problematic meme of the year 'OK boomer' was so... problematic

The cutting meme was popularized on TikTok and really took off this fall. The issue, though, is that it only exacerbated strained boomer-millennial relations and highlighted the tensions between these two generations. Who’s on the right side of the debate? It depends on your age, we suppose

After multiple complaints and a major firing, Deadspin writers resigned en masse

In an act of solidarity earlier this month, 10 Deadspin staff writers tweeted their resignation announcements. This move was in large part due to the firing of long-time editor-in-chief Barry Petchesky, after months of turmoil under the site's new owners at G/O Media. The fallout was a car wreck we couldn't stop watching, as the staff preserved their integrity by walking off the job. But the fact that a mass resignation was their last resort to do so? Infuriating.

The Nationals won the World Series — and proceeded to warm hearts everywhere

It seemed like everyone was rooting for the Washington Nationals this year. So when they won the World Series — a first in franchise history, plus not an easy feat this season — it seemed like fans everywhere also celebrated the win.

The NFL held a workout for Colin Kaepernick — it's hard to believe it will amount to anything

Almost three years after his last game in the NFL, Kaepernick was invited to a workout by the league with all 32 teams. Unfortunately, many believe it was an empty gesture.

A new 'Cats' trailer dropped. It's just as weird as the first.

The second trailer for the live-action film adaption of the popular musical got the meme treatment, yet again. The movie (and all of its terrifying CGI cat renditions) is set to release in theaters December 20. Is this really fair to the true, hardcore fans of Cats anyways?!

An Angry Vegan Filed a Class-Action Lawsuit Against Burger King for Meat-Tainted Impossible Burgers

The issue at hand: Burger King's Impossible Whopper, which uses popular vegan meat-alternative Impossible Meat, is allegedly cooked on the same grills as its meat products. There's also their what-were-you-thinking tagline: “100% WHOPPER® 0% BEEF” that caused a stir with the plaintiff.

After a problematic BBC interview about ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties

The recent interview only made things worse for the United Kingdom's Prince Andrew and the controversy regarding his relationship to financier and accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Renouncing his public duties seems fair, but there are still many questions surrounding Prince Andrew’s past relationship with Epstein.

Peloton's latest holiday commercial is less Christmas miracle and more nightmare before Christmas

The company recently released a commercial about a woman gifted one of their stationary (and extremely expensive) exercise bikes from her assumed partner. The clip then proceeded to entertain, and creep out, much of the internet. Fittingly dubbed "The Gift That Gives Back," heartwarming memes on Twitter are almost as entertaining as the commercial itself — because everyone can agree that the gift to not give your partner this year is an exercise bike.

The release of 'Frozen 2' solidified Elsa’s queer icon status — but Disney is nowhere near embracing that idea

After the 2013 release of the first Frozen movie, Elsa's queer prestige was only furthered in Frozen 2. Spoiler alert: The queen of Arendelle makes a lady friend. Well, sort of, until Disney goes about their usual (infuriating) ways, leaving Elsa's romantic interests totally unclear and up to interpretation.

Amazon's Ring is creating a surveillance network with its video doorbells and raising some major red flags

Ring — the smart security company acquired by Amazon last year — and its popular video doorbells are toeing the line between being helpful and invading everyone’s privacy. As of this month, Ring has partnered with 677 police departments and continues to expand. And its social media app Neighbors has been shown to increase racial stereotyping and profiling. These recent moves by Ring are all technically legal but are also infuriating, to say the least.

Google Chrome launched a silent experiment that ended up with crashed browsers and confused IT admins

Earlier in November, Google revealed that they ran an "experiment" on stable versions of Chrome, which resulted in changes to the browser's behavior (i.e., white unresponsive Chrome screens). And since this was done silently, with no warning to IT admins, businesses using the browser through systems like Citrix were left completely befuddled.

Lionel Messi won yet another Ballon d'Or, one of soccer's prestige individual awards

Unsurprising to many, but still thoroughly confusing, Lionel Messi was crowned best footballer in the world. If one had to pick the best player in the game, it's pretty fair to pick Messi. But the fact that a best individual is awarded for a major team sport is still a bit perplexing and thus quite entertaining for multiple fans.

The disturbing trend of plastic-filled whales washing up on beaches all over is only a sign of worse to come

Yet another white whale filled with plastic waste in its belly was found on a beach in northwest Scotland — but this recent trend also illustrates even bigger problems at bay. It's likely the tip of the iceberg, as we haven’t seen all of the marine life that’s ingested plastic, and what that could mean for the state of our marine ecosystems is deeply unsettling. (Remember, whales are at the top of the marine food chain.)