February’s trending hashtags on Twitter captured the biggest events from the past month.
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez made history on Feb. 2 as the first Latina artists to headline a Super Bowl halftime show. While many viewers expressed their love for the performance, others found the show inappropriate because of the artists’ short, tight outfits, as well as a featured choreographed pole dance done by Lopez. Those who expressed their dislike of the performance said that it was too mature for younger viewers watching with their families. Others argued that this stance was sexist, as other male halftime performers, such as Adam Levine, had previously danced shirtless without receiving the same complaints from viewers.
The 92nd Academy Awards was viewed by nearly 23.6 million people on Feb. 9. One of the most talked about winners of the show was the South Korean film “Parasite,” which received Best Picture. The feature also won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film and Best Director. The entire script was in Korean, so most judges and critics had to watch it with subtitles. “Parasite” made history by being the first ever foreign-language film to win Best Picture. Many fans of the film hope that the movie’s recognition will open up opportunities for future foreign films to be recognized at major award shows.
National health concerns have grown as the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe. There have been at least 60 confirmed U.S. cases of the widespread infection, which is believed to have started in Wuhan, China. While a majority of the cases have been linked to foreign travel to China, the first U.S. case of unknown origin was recorded on Feb. 27, increasing concerns about how the disease is spread. According to the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a majority of the deaths caused by the disease have only occurred in those with weak immune systems, such as the elderly. However, the international spread has become large enough for areas worldwide, including San Francisco and Hong Kong, to declare a state of emergency due to the high risk of infection.
The Iowa State Democratic Party experienced inconsistencies with counting its 2020 Presidential Caucus votes on Feb. 3. Issues with a new app that the party planned to use to report its results didn’t work, resulting in them being delayed for several hours. It wasn’t until late that afternoon that the party was able to release incomplete results, which showed former Mayor Pete Buttigieg with a narrow lead over Senator Bernie Sanders. As of Feb. 27, the party has completed its partial recount that still displays Buttigieg as the winner. While the results are still unofficial, the state party must certify the results by Feb. 29 to declare an official caucus winner.
Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of third degree rape, as well as a first degree criminal sexual act, on Feb. 24. However, he was acquitted of first degree rape and found not guilty on two counts of predatory sexual assault charges. This marked the end of a landmark trial for the #MeToo movement, which went viral in October 2017 after the Twitter hashtag spread following the exposure of multiple sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein. The movement has since encouraged women to speak out against sexual harassment and assault and has resulted in multiple high-profile firings of Hollywood moguls, such as Weinstein. Weinstein is scheduled to be sentenced for his charges on March 11.
