1. Shark invasion
“Sharknado”invaded television screens this summer on SyFy with its epic shark tornadoes brewing up a storm on social media. The made-for-TV movie even made it to the big screen for one night only, thanks to the help of avid tweeters. Not sure I’d be willing to pay the ticket price for that one. A sequel, “Sharknado 2: The Second One,” will be released in theaters next year. Of course, the always captivating Shark Week also made a return this summer on Discovery Channel.
2. Legal debates
Viewers, including myself, were glued to cable news during the George Zimmerman and Jodi Arias murder trials. Travis Alexander was killed by ex-girlfriend Arias. Arias was found guilty of first-degree murder. She will appear in court later this year for sentencing on whether she will receive the death sentence. Unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by Zimmerman, neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges, which sparked national debates on race.
3. Royal baby overload
The world welcomed Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge on July 22 and the topic was hard to avoid if you turned on CNN in the moments before, during and after the birth. He is the child of Prince William and Catherine. I may not be interested in the birth, or anything about the royal family, but it is historically significant. Regardless of my disinterest in royal affairs, congrats to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I’m sure we’ll hear about all the baby’s milestones.
4. Blockbuster films
Action films and animated features dominated the May-August movie scene this summer. While movies such as “The Lone Ranger” and “White House Down” did poorly in ticket sales, “Iron Man 3,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Fast & Furious 6” made it past the $500 million mark. “Iron Man 3” is the number-one film of the year so far, grossing about $1.2 billion in ticket sales. For nostalgic people like myself, “Monsters University” was a great film I enjoyed watching in theaters.
5. Party anthem domination
Summer tracks didn’t disappoint in delivering dance beats in songs like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” The R&B single featuring rapper T.I. and producer Pharrell was released in March but broke the record for radio audience in July. As of Aug. 7, the track is the longest-running number-one single of 2013, topping the Billboard charts. “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell and “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are also top picks of the summer.