Change is the only real constant in the worlds of entertainment and technology. Celebrities come and go. New movies are all the rage for a week or two, then vanish from theaters. We buy new phones, find new social media platforms and discover new YouTube stars, forgetting all about the old ones.
But even in the midst of all those changes, we could still count on a few things before COVID, right? Superhero movies would be the splashiest films of the summer. Disney would be entertainment’s 8-gazillion-pound gorilla. People would wonder when interactive AI would become a real, everyday thing … and then go about their business.
Yeah, about that.
We live in a very different world than we did back in 2020, and you can see some of those changes reflected in our annual Movers and Shakers list—where we name a handful of people (well, and sometimes things) that made a particularly huge splash in the pop-culture pool. The only real constant is Taylor Swift. But we’ll get to her in a minute.
Who does Plugged In feel made the biggest impact on entertainment, technology and culture in the past year? Let’s dive into the list.
ChatGPT
OK, so ChatGPT is not a person. As it told me itself, “I am just a computer program created by OpenAI called GPT-3.5.” But to call it “just” a computer program is being a bit too modest. It has written poetry, created drink recipes (featuring a Swedish meatball) and, apparently, can rap as Abraham Lincoln. (It spit out nine verses plus a chorus when I asked it to do just that, including, “Abe in the house, to the rhythm I chime/Fightin’ for justice in my own time.”) More than 180 million users go to ChatGPT regularly (according to Exploding Topics), and it ushered in a wave of other chatbots, including ones for Google (Bard) and Amazon (Q). The fear of AI-generated created content was a massive reason why Hollywood actors and writers went on strike in 2023, as well—meaning you can indirectly blame ChatGPT’s digital associates for fewer movies in 2024. Yep, ChatGPT made a huge impact in 2023—and the influence of AI will only grow.
Neal Harmon
Angel Studios might not be able to go toe-to-toe with Disney or Paramount just yet. But in a year when faith-based entertainment showed some serious power, no religiously-tinged studio—fronted by CEO Neal Harmon—flexed its muscles more. Its film, Sound of Freedom, became the surprise (and controversial) hit of the year—earning $184.2 million during its run to out-gross the likes of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyand Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One. After Death, another product of Angel Studios, became the year’s most financially successful documentary, banking a lively $11.5 million. Streaming smash The Chosen continues to raise eyebrows, and Christmas With The Chosen: “Holy Night” raked in $4.6 million during its six-day theatrical run. Angel Studios’ The Wingfeather Saga announced a second season for 2024, which will introduce the voices of Billy Boyd (that’d be Pippen from the Lord of the Rings movies), Eva Whittaker (Wolfwalkers) and Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey). Angel Studios has rattled off a string of successes that continue to surprise not just secular pundits, but yours truly. What do Neal and the rest of the Harmon brothers plan for 2024? Time will tell.
Bob Iger
When Bob Iger announced he was stepping down as the CEO for Disney in 2019, he was leaving a company that seemed unstoppable. The Mouse House had seven of 2019’s 10 biggest films and had just folded 21st Century Fox into its already overwhelming fold. When Iger returned in late 2022—just three years later—he returned to a company in crisis. Disney was hit hard by COVID. Superhero films have fallen out of favor. And let’s not forget that many families are still suspicious that Disney’s pushing certain agendas on them. (Karey Burke, Disney’s General Entertainment Content president, made our Movers and Shakers list last year for that very reason.) Since his return, Iger has seemed to be trying to right the ship in that last respect. (As noted by our own Kennedy Unthank, he told shareholders in April that Disney “should not be agenda driven.”) But with such high-profile misfires as The Marvels, Haunted Mansion and Wish, there’s no question that Disney’s challenges are daunting, and Iger may need to borrow some pixie dust to get the entertainment behemoth flying again.
Travis Kelce
The Kansas City tight end might not make your short list for the biggest TV star of 2023. But maybe he should. The National Football League is by far television’s most popular “show”. (Last year, according to Nielsen Media, the NFL accounted for 82 of the top 100-rated telecasts.) And even if you’re not watching a Chiefs’ game, you’re almost guaranteed to see Travis Kelce anyway. Through Dec. 11, Kelce was in 375 commercials aired during NFL games, according to iSpot. That’s more than any other athlete. Or actor. Or household name. You might see Kelce tell you to get a COVID booster, then pitch some bundled insurance via State Farm, and then shop at Lowe’s, all in one 90-second commercial break. Oh, and keep in mind, Kelce’s ads for those and many other sponsors were filmed before he became romantically involved with—well, another person on this list, which means that his pop-culture impact has likely grown exponentially since. And did we mention that his New Heights podcast, where Travis is joined by brother and fellow NFL player Jason Kelce, is consistently the highest-rated sports podcast in the land? Keep this up, and one might think that a certain pop diva is riding Kelce’s coattails.
Jonathan Majors
Jonathan Majors was on the cusp of being one of the biggest stars on the planet. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work in Lovecraft Country. He starred opposite Michael B. Jordan in Creed III this March, earning rave reviews. He’d shined in Disney+’s Loki, been a rare bright spot in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Disney had built the next big phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe around his character, Kang the Conqueror. And then this rising star fell on March 25, when he was arrested for assaulting and harassing Grace Jabbari, his girlfriend at the time. Though a jury recently acquitted him this month of the more serious charges, it convicted him of misdemeanor assault and harassment, which could put Majors behind bars for a year. Moreover, the court process uncovered plenty of previous allegations against Majors for abuse and domestic violence, along with text messages in which Majors called himself a “great man.” Disney—which had counted on Majors’ charismatic Kang breathing new life into its wobbly MCU—has now dropped the actor from all upcoming film projects.
Mario
Nintendo’s most famous plumber is certainly no newcomer. Ever since he jumped barrels in 1981’s Donkey Kong, Mario has been arguably the gaming world’s most recognizable star. But even by Mario’s standards, 2023 was quite the year. Voiced by the ever-ubiquitous Chris Pratt, Mario starred in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which ran and jumped its way to $574.9 million in North America and a staggering $1.4 billion worldwide. And if that wasn’t enough, this year’s game Super Mario Bros. Wonder became the fastest-selling game in the Super Mario Series—selling 4.3 million units in two weeks. If each one of those units sold for Nintendo’s $60 asking price, that’s a cool $258 million. And who says that plumbing doesn’t pay?
Matthew Perry
As part of NBC’s sitcom Friends from 1994 to 2004, Matthew Perry made America laugh. On Oct. 28, he made America cry. The actor was found dead in his backyard hot tub—caused, an autopsy later determined, from the “acute effects of ketamine,” a drug used to treat depression and anxiety. He was 54 years old. The actor’s death focused a light on the demons that had plagued him for decades: substance abuse, anxiety, mental illness. He’d done seemingly everything to overcome his drug addiction, according to his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing—going to 15 different rehabs and spending upwards of $7 million to get clean. The book, according to Rolling Stone, captured the heartbreaking reality of addiction: “the agony of wanting to quit, knowing you must quit, having every reason in the world to quit—but not quitting.” But ultimately, he did quit: The autopsy report said he’d been clean for at least 19 months at the time of his death. And for that, Perry often credited God. “Being in a kitchen always brings to mind God,” he wrote in his memoir. “He showed up to me in a kitchen, of course, and in doing so, saved my life.” Perry’s life thereafter was brief. But through his honesty, it’s likely that Perry is helping to save many more.
Margot Robbie
Without the movie Barbie, Margot Robbie wouldn’t have made this list. But without Margot Robbie, Barbie would’ve never been made. Robbie bought the rights to Barbie back in 2018. And initially, both she and director Greta Gerwig wanted (according to People) Gal Gadot to play the iconic fashion doll. When Gadot turned down the part, Robbie took over—and the result must have her tickled pink. Released on July 21 alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the Barbenheimer double bill became a cultural phenomenon and helped propel Barbie to $636.2 million in North America—and more than $1.4 billion worldwide. Barbie will likely rack up some awards-season love, too, with it being one of the favorites to score Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (for Gerwig) and, of course, Best Actress for Robbie herself. And if she doesn’t snag a nod there, she has another chance: She also appeared in another critical darling, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.
Taylor Swift
We traditionally do this list in alphabetical order, because it’s so hard to determine who might’ve been the most influential person in a given year. Or, at least, that’s usually the case. Not so much this year, though. If we were doing a straight ranking, Ms. Swift would be at the top, and it wouldn’t be close. Swift had a strong year last year, too—landing on our Movers and Shakers list as well. And while we don’t generally like to repeat here, there was no way to keep her off it. Not that she lacked for accolades, given her current status as Time magazine’s Person of the Year. In October, she officially became a billionaire. In November, her concert movie—Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour—earned $179.4 million and forced other movies to flee in terror. (After its first weekend in theaters, it was already the highest-grossing concert film of all time.) Three separate albums—Midnights, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version)—topped Billboard’s album charts this year, with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) becoming the year’s biggest-selling disc. Why, the artist is even allegedly boosting NFL ratings. Swift (who is, spoiler alert, dating Kansas City Tight End Travis Kelce) reportedly helped draw 27 million eyeballs to an Oct. 1 game between the K.C. Chiefs and the New York Jets, according to NBC—the highest audience for an NFL game since the previous year’s Super Bowl.
Zombies
AMC’s show The Walking Dead ended its 11-season run late last year. But, thanks in part to the series, we have more zombies in pop culture than ever. The Walking Dead spawned several spinoffs: Fear the Walking Dead ended its own eight-season run this fall, while The Walking Dead: Dead City and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon continue to stagger along. The Last of Us—a television adaptation from the wildly successful videogame—landed on HBO in January and became one of the year’s buzziest TV offerings. It became HBO’s second-highest debut since 2010 (just behind House of the Dragon) and is up for a whopping 24 Emmys. And in the gaming world, zombies continue to gobble up brains: Dead Island 2 landed as one of the year’s 20 highest-selling video games, and a number of other games in this year’s top 20 (including Remnant 2, Elden Ring, Diablo IV, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III) have an important zombie presence in them.
And perhaps that’s a fitting final entry for this year’s Movers and Shakers list. After all, pop culture is filled with things that want to nibble a few brain cells. Plugged In will continue to try and help keep you safe and sane in this zombie-filled world of ours—and no hatchet is needed.
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