A new year is fast approaching, which means everyone and their grandmother is producing their own year in review, including CNN, whose special All the Best All the Worst 2022 aired Wednesday night with a mixed panel of CNN contributors and comedians. But amidst the levity typical of these sorts of recaps, there were two topics that drew unanimous disapproval from the panel: the Supreme Court's ruling in the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter.
CNN broadcast journalist Tom Foreman, acting as narrator, began the segment on a melancholy note: "If you hoped politics would be calmer or kinder this year, you were disappointed. Anger, bitterness, and mistrust dominated again, especially on one stunning day."
Oddly enough, the first clip played was of a pro-life protestor outside the Supreme Court, who exclaimed, "I'm here because I'm absolutely ecstatic;" perhaps all the anger and bitterness was on the pro-choice side that day and no one writing the script could think of the decision in any other way?
Comedian Gina Brillon recounted her strong reaction to news of the decision: “I remember just waking up that morning like, who we gotta fight? Who we gotta fight? Because that's a fight on my block.”
While Brillon brought the anger, CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp – hilariously labeled as a “conservative pundit” – brought the bitterness: “That was a huge, cataclysmic, seismic moment in American history. It changed something that most women took for granted.”
Cupp’s “conservative” defense of abortion hasn’t gained any depth since the summer, when she shrieked the decision was part of the “regressive bulls***” the GOP was imposing on the country.
Former NFL player Donté Stallworth repeated the tired and debunked catchphrase "Let women have autonomy of their own body,” while stand-up comedian Helen Hong pouted "At this point, the Supreme Court should be renamed the Not-even-that-good Court."
Earlier in the special, Foreman also mocked Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter: "Worst purchase order in less than 300 characters? Billionaire Elon Musk's on-again, off-again, on-again acquisition of Twitter.”
After playing a clip of Musk walking into Twitter HQ with a kitchen sink, Hong snidely expressed her gratitude to the Tesla CEO: "Elon Musk, thank you for proving to us that you don't have to be smart or mentally stable to be a billionaire."
An ironic take, since later on in the special both Foreman and Cupp praised the launch of NASA's Artemis rocket, with Berman adding “I mean, if this means that we will really try to get to Mars, then it will be worthwhile.” All this excitement about space travel despite SpaceX, the company founded by the supposedly stupid and unstable Musk, launching more than sixty rockets this year and Musk himself being one of the most aggressive proponents of human settlement on the Red Planet.
Musk may be eccentric, but he wouldn’t be attacked by the media like this were it not for his purchase of Twitter and exposure of the far-reaching censorship that occurred.
At least we know what kind of year CNN thinks America had, but if you’re looking for a funnier (and more accurate) summary of 2022, old-school comedian Dave Barry’s year in review remains the undisputed king of the genre.
This liberal year in review was made possible by Subaru and Noom. Their contact information is linked.
Click “expand” to see the relevant transcript.
CNN’s All the Best All the Worst 2022
12/28/22
9:08:29 PM ETTOM FOREMAN: Best case for infrastructure reform? The drinking water issues facing Jackson, Mississippi, and other places.
[cuts to clip of Musk entering Twitter HQ]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: [laughter].
ELON MUSK: [carrying kitchen sink] You can’t help it but that’s ok.
[end of clip]
FOREMAN: Worst purchase order in less than three hundred characters? Billionaire Elon Musk's on-again, off-again, on-again acquisition of Twitter.
HELEN HONG: Ugh! Elon Musk, thank you for proving to us that you don't have to be smart or mentally stable to be a billionaire.
(…)
9:26:37 PM ET
FOREMAN: If you hoped politics would be calmer or kinder this year, you were disappointed. Anger, bitterness, and mistrust dominated again, especially on one stunning day. Political story of the year, the Supreme Court scrapping Roe v. Wade, the case that for almost fifty years assured the right to an abortion.
PRO-LIFE PROTESTOR [in front of the Supreme Court, 6/24/22]: I'm here because I’m absolutely ecstatic.
FOREMAN: It was the best for some, the worst for others.
PRO-ABORTION PROTESTOR [in front of the Supreme Court, 6/24/22]: It's not unexpected but it's terrifying. It is devastating and heartbreaking.GINA BRILLAN: I remember just waking up that morning like, who we gotta fight? Who we gotta fight? Because that's a fight on my block.
FOREMAN: Despite polls showing most Americans objected, red states rapidly rolled out bans.S.E. CUPP: That was a huge, cataclysmic, seismic moment in American history. It changed something that most women took for granted.
FOREMAN: While activists promised even more.
PRO-LIFE PORTESTOR [in front of the Supreme Court, 6/24/22]: We will make it a crime in all 50 states to kill a baby.
DONTÉ STALLWORTH: In my view, you've got to stand with women. Like why – why would you try to make a decision for a woman – uh, or for anyone that matter? Let women have autonomy of their own body.
FOREMAN: Other rulings by the court's conservative majority thrilled some people and outraged others.
HONG: At this point, the ‘Supreme Court’ should be renamed the ‘Not-Even-That-Good Court.’
FOREMAN: And the addition of a more liberal justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, could not stop the juggernaut.
KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: So help me God.
JOHN BERMAN: It will be interesting to see how far this goes over the next several years and what the ramifications will be.
(…)
9:50:15 PM ET
FOREMAN: The best new frequent flyer leads off our science and culture section. Artemis launched. The most powerful space rocket to reach Earth's orbit ever.
CUPP: Listen, space had a huge year.
FOREMAN: It was the first of several missions intended to put humans back on the moon, maybe by 2024. Then, who knows?
BERMAN: I mean, if this means that we will really try to get to Mars, then it will be worthwhile.
STALLWORTH: What will we do once we get there is another story.
