The 50 Most-Read Mary Sue Stories of 2017
2017 has been a weird, long year, Mary Suevians—and yes, it really was only 365 days! (Unless something changes between now and January 1.) So let’s take a look back at how it went, as told by The Mary Sue’s most-read stories of the year, in order of popularity:
1. Allow Me, a Simple English Major, to Decode FBI Director Comey’s Goodbye Letter
(image: Wikimedia Commons)
Kaila read between the lines of fired FBI Director James Comey’s farewell letter, and what she found there was dripping with sass. Four times as many people read this post as the next highest on the list, which says a lot about how big this news was.
2. A Marvel Comics Editor Is Being Harassed Because She Posted a Selfie With Her Coworkers
It’s the Marvel milkshake crew! #FabulousFlo pic.twitter.com/ogn8KEYuPM
— Heather Antos (@HeatherAntos) July 28, 2017
No, the misogynist antics don’t make any more sense after you click the link.
3. So … When Are We All Going to Apologize to Megan Fox for What We Let Hollywood Do to Her?
(image: Shutterstock)
4. Something Special Sneaks Onto the End of Logan as A “Post-Credits Scene” [SPOILERS]
(image: 20th Century Fox)
We got some really good geek movies this year, huh?
5. This Video Shows How The Big Bang Theory Tries to Make Misogyny Look “Adorkable”
(image: YouTube thumbnail)
A video breakdown of just one of the many reasons The Big Bang Theory is awful.
6. “YEAH I’M FUCKING SURE”: Ilana Glazer Fired Sexual Harassers from Broad City
(image: Comedy Central)
Solving systemic sexism won’t be easy, but more women in charge is definitely a start.
(image: Netflix)
Sadie Sink later clarified that she “never objected to [it] or felt pushed into anything.”
8. It’s REALLY Irritating Donald Trump That the Women’s March Is Bigger Than His Inauguration
(image: Women’s March)
The thing to keep in mind right now is hope. The reaction to Donald Trump taking office was swift, and his popularity has only waned since, no matter how much he lies about crowd sizes and denigrates protestors.
9. Everyone Is Playing With This 80s-Inspired Text Generator, Including Us
This one is actually from 2016, but it was near the end of the year in October, so we’re going to include it here. It’s also a reminder of simpler times, before the election.
10. Obama’s White House Photographer Is Throwing a Ton of Not-So-Subtle Shade at Trump on Instagram
Obama White House photographer Pete Souza has also been reminding us of what things used to be like this year, and his pitch-perfect shade has continuously been a wonder to behold.
(image: BBC)
We absolutely had this particular Dalek invasion coming. Burn it all down.
12. Allison Williams Tells Seth Meyers What White Audiences Won’t Accept About Her Get Out Character
(image: NBC)
Spoilers for one of the year’s greatest movies, by the way.
13. Artificial Intelligence Invents New Language Humans Can’t Understand
(image: Paramount Pictures)
Skynet draws ever closer.
14. “Christian” Parents Pull Their Child From School Because They Can’t Handle Gender Fluidity
(image: BBC)
What it says on the (incredibly transphobic) tin.
(image: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Forever an inspiration.
16. Hugh Hefner Is Still Exploiting Marilyn Monroe, Even in Death
(image: Shutterstock)
Forever a creep.
17. Here It Is, the Victorian-Era Interracial Lesbian Murder Mystery Movie You’ve Always Wanted
Enjoy cult hit Mystère à la Tour Eiffel, a French murder mystery TV movie about two women in love, wherein neither of them dies.
18. No, Bill Maher Did Not Take Down Milo. A 16-Year-Old Girl Did.
Bill Maher enabled Milo Yiannopoulos and then tried to take credit for his downfall, but a Canadian teen is the one to thank.
19. Blade Runner 2049: Bad Representation Is Not Representation
(image: Warner Bros.)
In which we suggest some possible reasons for Blade Runner 2049′s disappointing box office.
20. Kai Cole Has Posted a Devastating Account of Joss Whedon’s Hypocrisy During Their Marriage
(image: Shutterstock)
Kai Cole’s account of the way Joss Whedon treated her feels like a weird harbinger of the post-Weinstein reckoning in hindsight, especially the purported comments about being “a powerful producer and the world is laid out at my feet and I can’t touch it.”
21. This Susan Sarandon Interview Is the Best White Privilege PSA on the Internet
(image: MSNBC)
It takes an incredible amount of privilege to think that Donald Trump’s presidency is positive as long as it gets people more involved.
Thank you Graydon Carter, Tim Walker and @DerekBlasberg for my @VanityFair cover🌹https://t.co/0cwQv7yU42 pic.twitter.com/n72imoeDjy
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) February 28, 2017
Another chapter in society’s book on what women are allowed to do if they also want respect.
24. This Was Not the Wonder Woman Marketing We Were Asking For
(image: Warner Bros.)
We wanted to see Warner Bros. really put Wonder Woman out there, but “think thin” bars were not the format we had imagined.
25. When Serial Harassers Try to Hijack Conversations About Harassment
A man who harasses people online showed up to a panel about online harassment to harass Anita Sarkeesian in person—you know, the best way to prove someone wrong about your harassing habit.
26. Joss Whedon and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Script: A Wonder Woman Story
(image: Warner Bros.)
We were thankfully spared from this take on Wonder Woman.
27. We Set up a Hotline to Help You Reject Creepy Men
(image: Shutterstock)
Give this number out to men who are making you uncomfortable, and we’ll let them know. And, judging by experience, they will get mad at us for it.
28. Things We Saw Today: Let’s Break Down Captain America’s New Infinity War Look
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
29. Gail Simone’s Wild Twitter Review of The Mummy Is the Best Thing About The Mummy
(image: Universal)
It’s not hard to be the best thing about this movie, but Simone’s review is a delight.
30. George Takei Denies Sexual Assault Allegations, and Then It Gets Even Worse
31. Beauty and the Beast Non-Ad Ad May Kill the Beast Google Home
(image: Disney)
It’s not an ad; it’s a feature!
32. Jessica Jones Is the First Marvel Netflix Show That Most Viewers Watch
The wait for season 2 is excruciating.
33. When Is Once Upon a Time Going to Fix Its Enduring Rape Problem?
(image: ABC)
Continuing well past its prime may not be the most pressing of Once Upon a Time’s problems
34. Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Which Man Wrote the Worst Wonder Woman Review of All?
(image: Warner Bros.)
Wonder Woman got great reviews, but also some terrible reviews—even if some of them were still trying to be complimentary.
35. Hero-Princess-General Carrie Fisher Once Delivered a Cow Tongue to a Predatory Hollywood Exec
(image: Amazon)
Carrie Fisher is the hero we don’t deserve.
36. Valkyrie Was Almost a Love Interest in Thor: Ragnarok—and She Could’ve Rocked a Very Different Look
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
We’re happy with the Valkyrie we got, thank you very much.
37. 14-Year-Old Girl Stages Photo Shoot Urging Seventeen Magazine to Stop Photoshopping Models
This one’s from a few years back, but little has changed since then.
38. Neo Yokio’s Camp Is Hard to Enjoy Through the Transphobia
(image: Netflix)
39. United Airlines Banned Two Girls From Boarding a Flight Because They Wore Leggings
(image: Shutterstock)
This was not a good year for airlines.
40. Squirrel Girl Found: New Warriors Announces Milana Vayntrub as the Unbeatable Heroine
We still can’t believe this one is really happening.
41. An Heiress Hunts for a Wife in the new Queer Period Drama from HBO and BBC One
(image: Shutterstock)
42. This Comic About How Girls Actually Play With Dolls Is So Spot-On
43. Leave It to Justin Trudeau to Shut Down Trump’s Weird Bullying Handshake Technique
(image: Shutterstock)
The president is a sad, posturing bully.
44. Things We Saw Today: Spider-Man Tom Holland Performing Rihanna’s “Umbrella” Will Change Your Life
Guaranteed to make your day.
45. How Sherlock’s Finale Let Down the People Who Loved the Show the Most
(image: BBC)
46. “Stealthing,” That Disturbing “Sex Trend” You’ve Been Hearing About, Is Straight-Up Rape
(image: Shutterstock)
How could anyone think this is OK?
47. The Shape of Water Is Really Going All-In On the Fish Monster Sex Scene
(image: Fox Searchlight)
I mean, might as well commit to it.
48. What The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Gets Right That Gilmore Girls Got Wrong
(image: Amazon)
Despite similarities, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has some key differences from Amy Sherman-Palladino’s previous work.
49. What Was Up With Jimmy Kimmel Making Fun of Mahershala Ali’s Name at the Oscars?
(image: Tinseltown/Shutterstock)
Jimmy Kimmel has done some good things this year, but poking fun at Mahershala Ali’s name wasn’t one of them.
50. A Few Things to Consider Before You Go Around Punching Nazis
(image: Marvel Comics)
If this last list item doesn’t perfectly encapsulate 2017, I don’t know what does. Here’s to a better 2018, we hope. I hear there’s an important election in November …
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