In looking back on 2016, it's tempting to just write off the entire year as a loss. But, actually, this year brought us some very interesting pieces of media--and some compelling discussions about that media.

Hidden Figures tells the real-life story of mathematician Katherine Johnson and her colleagues Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into space.

Hidden Figures tells the story of African-American NASA engineers Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Kathryn Peddrew, Sue Wilder, Eunice Smith and Barbara Holley. Although those women played an invaluable role in the Moon mission, their contributions have gone largely unrecognized in mainstream media.

Last summer development was announced on an adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Behind the Space Race, her book about African-American NASA engineers Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Kathryn Peddrew, Sue Wilder, Eunice Smith and Barbara Holley.

In spite of the fact that 46% of this year's Super Bowl viewers were women, the Super Bowl commercials fell short when it came to reflecting gender parity.

Starting next month, visitors to Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando will be able to see Kylo Ren on the Star Destroyer bridge as part of the immersive Star Wars Launch Bay experience. If that means they'll be needing Ren impersonators, maybe Disney might want to look into changing this Gaston's department?

Imagine if Jimmy Kimmel cried on stage because another Black life had fallen. Imagine if Taylor Swift spoke out about the death of Sandra Bland. Imagine if so many of us, famous or not, Black or not, banded together to fight for Black lives.

We've had some really intriguing glimpses of Cover Girl's Star Wars: The Force Awakens makeup already, and now here's Janelle Monae revealing the "Resistance Pilot" line.

I imagine that for many of you, this will resonate as strongly as it did for me. In this music video for android superstar Janelle Monáe's cover of David Bowie's "Heroes," bullied school kids find strength in comic books, which inspire them to become caped crusaders of their own. If you can make it to the end without getting misty-eyed, you are tougher than I. On a side note, I would absolutely read a comic book in which Janelle Monáe fights crime. (via io9)

I don't know what went into Evan MacIsaac deciding to make Sailor Scout costumes out of construction paper and perform Estelle and Janelle Monáe's "Do My Thing." But I honestly don't care. I'm just glad it happened. (via: Laughing Squid)