Anyone else ready for 2023 to be over already? Looking back at some of the stories we’ve covered, big and small, throughout this year was… a lot. We’re ready for a break, and will be using that time to manifest a 2024 where there is no need to write any more cozzy-livs hot takes. But in our final journalistic act for 2023, we’re looking back at the biggest moments from news and pop culture that had a profound impact on us, our readers, and the way we all see the world.
In chronological order, these are the 12 most influential moments of 2023 that will shape the years to come. Did we miss any?
1. ChatGPT everything (January)
Although ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, it really only gained substantial traction throughout 2023, capturing the attention of tech leaders and the general public, prompting responses from rivals like Google and Microsoft. From AI lawyers to Pope’s in puffer jackets, it seemed like AI could do anything, which inevitably pushed policymakers and industry leaders to discuss regulations around the new technology. More than anything, the emergence of ‘mainstream’ AI has exposed how ill-equipped most of our laws, regulations and leaders are to handle even the current version of the Internet – let alone the legal, ethical and criminal issues raised by generative AI.
2. RBA Cash Rate increases & the cozzie livs (every Tuesday of the month, from February)
If 2020 was the year that we were all forced to become casual experts in epidemiology, 2023 was the year for becoming a couch expert in economics. How else were we supposed to understand why the cost-of-living was pushing us to the brink, mentally and financially? Real economists in the media were of shockingly little help.
And just as the daily COVID-19 numbers update become appointment viewing in 2020, on the first Tuesday of every damn month we watched as the Reserve Bank of Australia pulled its one lever: increasing the cash rate. The fact that this had such a weak impact on reducing inflation is a sign that the old tricks might not work on Australia’s modern economy. Case in point: house prices.
3. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull joined by Neo-Nazis (March)
In March, British anti-trans campaigner and all-round loser Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (known online as Posie Parker) came to Australia and NZ on a ‘speaking tour’, paid for by the Conservative Political Action Conference. Keen-Minshull and her following of empty-headed TERFs (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists) were supported by a group of Neo-Nazis. They performed the Nazi salute on the steps of Victorian Parliament, protected from counter-protestors by the police in attendance. It was truly terrifying stuff.
But when Keen-Minshull tried to hold her hate rallies in Hobart, Canberra and Auckland, she was completely outnumbered and drowned out by trans rights activists – so much so that she cancelled her Wellington event and fled the country. Bye! There are two lessons here: we can’t be complacent against the U.S. and U.K. culture wars that some are trying to spark in Australia and NZ; and ultimately, radical love beats hate.
Commissioner Holmes: “I want to acknowledge that the Twitter coverage of these hearings has performed a remarkably useful & important public service in giving people access to the evidence.”
— stranger (@strangerous10) March 10, 2023
Wow. #RoboDebtRC pic.twitter.com/7oWucWik79
4. Robodebt Royal Commission ends (March)
On March 12, after five months, the Royal Commission investigation into the Robodebt scheme came to an end. It was a thorough examination of how the automated welfare debt recovery program was established and just how much legal advice was ignored in its implementation. Through the brave testimony of victims, Centrelink workers, legal advisors and public servants, the full story was finally exposed.
This will go down as one of the darkest moments in Australia’s political history – more specifically the abject cruelty of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison era of Coalition government. On a more optimistic note, as Zee Feed editor Crystal wrote in our newsletter at the time, it’s also “a reminder that we as individuals do have a lot of power. The only reason we got a Royal Commission is because victims, their families, and whistleblowers were brave enough to speak up… it’s all a good reminder to never shut up.”
5. Australian uni staff strike (May)
Thousands of university staff across Australia walked off the job in May after years of frustration and exploitation – specifically, casualisation and wage theft. According to the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) two-thirds of university workers are on casual or fixed-term contracts with more than A$100 million in unpaid wages owed to casual academic staff in Australia. It was the longest Australian uni strike since the 1850s.
Good news, hopefully: the government agrees that changes must be made, and the long-awaited Universities Accord interim report lays out the plans for reform. It includes recommendations to establish Regional University Centres in low-tertiary-education areas, the discontinuation of the 50% pass rate requirement, expanded funding for all First Nations students, guaranteed funding for 2024 and 2025, and the use of the National Cabinet to address university staff working conditions, safety, and governance. Watch this space.
6. The Hollywood Strikes (from May)
May saw the start of the Hollywood strikes, led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and soon joined in July by the screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-SFTRA). Writers and actors were demanding fair compensation, improved working conditions, and increased diversity, in a strike that lasted for 148 days. The strikes also prompted crucial conversations about the ethical use of AI, automation’s impact on creative roles, and the need for guidelines to ensure fair collaboration between human talent and emerging technologies.
Following intense negotiations, the studios and producers’ guild agreed to revise compensation structures, enhance working conditions, increase representation for marginalized groups, and establish guidelines for integrating AI responsibly into the creative process. These strikes helped to further the conversation on labour rights and corporate exploitation across industries outside of entertainment too.
7. Barbie (July)
2023 was absolutely the year of Barbie – the film’s release led to a surge in Barbie-themed merchandise worldwide, with the brand’s distinctive pink logo appearing everywhere. Beyond its commercial impact, the movie ignited crucial discussions on female empowerment, the patriarchy, mortality, and the profound influence of the Barbie brand on popular culture and women. Backed by an unprecedented $150 million marketing campaign, the movie shattered box office records, raking in a remarkable $162 million in its opening weekend, solidifying its monumental success. The Barbie effect undoubtedly added to the celebration of girlhood we saw this year, which also included coquette-core, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and unashamedly embracing everything pink.
8. Matildas break records with world-cup views (August)
In the lead up to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Matildas’ performance was already building incredible hype: fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics (2021); quarter-finals in the Asian Cup (2022); winning the Cup of Nations (2023), the ‘warmup’ to the big tournament. But it was nothing compared to the Matilda-mania that swept the nation during Australia’s best ever performance in a World Cup.
The semi-final loss to England (from which we shall never emotionally recover) was watched by 64% of the Australian population, and is now the most watched TV broadcast ever. Whether public interest will flow on to other womens’ sports remains to be seen, but from an advertising and sponsorship perspective – this was a significant turning point.
9. Housing Australia Future Fund Bill passes (September)
After seven months of negotiation and a deadlock that saw Anthony Albanese vaguely threaten to dissolve Parliament, the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill finally passed the Senate in September. But not without some key changes – the Greens successfully pressured the government into adding $3 billion of direct public housing investment to the bill, but dropped their demands for a rent freeze and rent cap. The HAFF works by investing $10 billion, and using the returns to spend on affordable housing (a minimum of $500 million per year).
This was the first moment that really drove home the irrelevance of Peter Dutton’s Coalition (few people cared about their position on this Bill), with Greens and independent MPs stepping into play the role of a functional Opposition. Expect this to be true in much of the policy debate in 2024 too. Honourable mention to the viral explainer video by Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather – we hope this marks a change in the way politicians communicate with us all.
10. Rupert Murdoch Retires (September)
Rupert Murdoch retires in the same year Succession ends. Wow. The man is 92, so this isn’t a huge story measured against the other news items on this list but it will have a significant political and media impact in 2024 and beyond. His son, Lachlan, is now in charge of both News Corp and Fox – in the short term, this could see the media empire become even more right wing, as Lachlan is considered more “brutal, conservative and power-hungry” than Rupert. Hard to believe that’s even possible, but there it is.
The longer term view is a little different: when Rupert dies, his four oldest children (Prudence, Lachlan, James and Elisabeth) will together inherit a 40% stake in both media companies, and equal voting rights. The other three are less extreme than Lachlan, and if Succession is at all accurate, a power struggle could change the companies forever.
11. Voice Referendum fails (October)
This year saw one of the most devastating and embarrassing moments in Australian history, when the referendum to establish a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution failed. A decisive 60% of Australians voted against it, despite the Yes23 campaign mobilising thousands citizens to volunteer for the campaign. An aggressive conservative No campaign, driven by racist rhetoric from the mainstream media, Peter Dutton and other far-right politicians and commentators, revealed that many bigoted beliefs of colonial Australia are still alive and well today.
There are some silver linings, though: amongst progressives, the referendum taught an important lesson about what it means to listen and not speak over the communities we’re advocating for. Hearing the arguments of the Sovereign No campaign sparked an awakening and evolution for many – that’s a good thing. It has seen a renewed commitment from citizens and politicians alike to continue fighting for a more inclusive and representative political landscape, fostering hope for positive change in the future.
12. Free Palestine (October)
On October 7, members of political military group Hamas (considered a terrorist group in some countries) launched an attack on the Israel side of the Gaza border, taking almost 250 hostages and killing around 1200 people (both numbers include soldiers and civilians). In response, Israel declared ‘war’ on Hamas and used this as an excuse to launch the most violent and indiscriminate attacks on Gazans (mostly Palestinians) since the 1948 Nakba. At time of writing, the Israeli Defence Force has dropped 29,000 bombs on Gaza, killing almost 20,000 people (with 8000 still missing). To date, 73 journalists have been killed – more than any war since 1990.
This has been a turning point for millions of people: it has never been more clear or accepted that Israel is conducting an apartheid, and attempting a genocide on Palestinians. Support for a free Palestine has never been stronger, with months of weekly protests around the world and immense pressure on politicians to drop their support of Israel’s actions. It may cost some leaders their jobs, come election time. While this story is far from over, for many of us it’s impact will be felt forever.
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