THE BEST OF THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA The faces of 2017 FINAL ART TK DECEMBER 22/DECEMBER 29, 2017 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 853-854 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS WWW.THEWEEK.COM 01 cover.indd 1 12/13/17 6:41 PM THE BEST OF THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA The faces of 2017 FINAL ART TK DECEMBER 22/DECEMBER 29, 2017 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 853-854 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS WWW.THEWEEK.COM 01 cover.indd 1 12/13/17 5:54 PM Contents 3 Editor’s letter This is the 16th time since The Week launched in 2001 that I’ve Never in my lifetime, even in the 1960s, has the country felt so used this little space to try to make some sense of the world at fractured—so close to a civil war. Our one nation, allegedly in- year’s end. Through this exercise, I’ve been surprised to discover divisible, has cracked open along fault lines of culture, class, re- that I’m an optimist, despite my veneer of journalistic cynicism. ligion, and partisan identity, creating chasms of mutual incom- My livelihood has immersed me in the rich, colorful evidence of prehension and disdain. Politics has devolved into a winner-take- our species’ foolishness, selfishness, and cruelty—sins I some- all blood sport. Virtually everything is politicized, from foot- times suffer from myself. Yet like many Americans, I am the de- ball to wedding cakes. In the coming year, special counsel Rob- scendant of immigrant strivers, bred to believe that tomorrow ert Mueller would seem likely to conclude that President Trump will be better than today, that human ingenuity can surmount obstructed justice in the Russia investigation. Mueller may point all obstacles, that goodness wins out over evil in the end. (A cor- to other high crimes and misdemeanors as well. It’s impossible to ollary: Bad people eventually get what’s coming to them. Right, predict how Congress and the nation will respond—or what will Harvey?) Even when confronted with evidence that the universe happen if Trump decides to fire Mueller—except that what fol- is not just, I cling to my core conviction the way a shipwrecked lows will be convulsive. Our democracy will be sorely tested; in man hugs a chunk of floating wood. But after one of the strang- the crucible, we will discover whether character, decency, truth, est, most tumultuous, and most disorienting years in our history, and the rule o f law still matter. I’d like to think William Falk I must confess to moments of doubt and fear. we will pass the test. Happy New Year, friends. Editor-in-chief NEWS 4 Main stories Democrats win Alabama Editor-in-chief: William Falk Senate seat; President Managing editors: Theunis Bates, Trump’s #MeToo moment; Carolyn O’Hara Deputy editor/International: Susan Caskie the GOP tax plan moves Deputy editor/Arts: Chris Mitchell Senior editors: Harry Byford, Alex closer to passage Dalenberg, Andrew Murfett, Dale Obbie, Hallie Stiller, Frances Weaver 6 Controversy of the week Art director: Dan Josephs Photo editor: Loren Talbot Is Robert Mueller’s Copy editors: Jane A. Halsey, Jay Wilkins Russia investigation Researchers: Christina Colizza, Joyce Chu Contributing editors: Ryan Devlin, politically tainted? Bruno Maddox 7 The U.S. at a glance EVP, publisher: John Guehl Botched suicide bombing Sales development director: Samuel Homburger in New York City; Account directors: Shelley Adler, Lauren Peterson wildfi res rage in California Account manager: Alison Fernandez Midwest director: Lauren Ross 8 The world at a glance Southeast directors: Jana Robinson, Anti-Semitic attacks in Corinne Smith The Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. (p.11) West Coast directors: James Horan, Sweden; China prepares Rebecca Treadwell Integrated marketing director: Jennifer Freire for North Korean refugees ARTS LEISURE Integrated marketing managers: Kelly Dyer, Caila Litman 10 People 30 Books 37 Food & Drink Marketing design director: Joshua Moore Pamela Anderson on her Marketing designer: Triona Moynihan The best fi ction and From caulifl ower to keto, Research and insights manager: Joan Cheung pal Julian Assange; why Sales & marketing coordinator: nonfi ction of 2017 2017’s top eating trends Alma Heredia Amber Heard hates to be Senior digital account manager: called “bisexual” 32 Film 38 Travel Yuliya Spektorsky Critics’ 10 must-see An evening of cocktails and Programmatic manager: George Porter 11 Briefi ng Digital planners: Jennifer Riddell, Talia Sabag movies of the past year kitsch in Great Falls, Mont. Chief operating & financial officer: A history of the Christmas Kevin E. Morgan tree, from pagan Europe 34 Music 39 Consumer Director of financial reporting: Holiday gifts for those Arielle Starkman to the White House The best albums and EVP, consumer marketing & products: singles of the past who have everything Sara O’Connor 16 Talking points Consumer marketing director: 12 months Why Sen. Al Franken had Leslie Guarnieri BUSINESS HR manager: Joy Hart to go; Trump’s Jerusalem 35 Art Operations manager: Cassandra Mondonedo declaration; does the Art-world 42 News at a glance Adviser: Ian Leggett president deserve credit stories that Apple snaps up Shazam; Chairman: John M. Lagana for the economy? had everyone Ford moves electric-car U.K. founding editor: Jolyon Connell Company founder: Felix Dennis 18 Year in review talking manufacturing to Mexico A look back at 2017’s 44 Making money biggest news stories Money moves to make Visit us at TheWeek.com. before Dec. 31 For customer service go to www 26 Health & Science .TheWeek.com/service or phone us Everything that was 45 Best columns at 1-877-245-8151. good and bad for us this Pamela 21st Century Fox plots a Renew a subscription at www .RenewTheWeek.com or give a gift year; major scientifi c Anderson sale to Disney; why big at www.GiveTheWeek.com. Getty (2) Getty breakthroughs (p.10) brands fear Amazon THE WEEK December 22/December 29, 2017 03 TOC.indd 3 12/13/17 6:26 PM 4 NEWS The main stories... The Democrats’ shocking win in Alabama What happened sexual abuse of women seriously. Moore’s In a stunning setback for President Trump defeat provides heartening evidence that and the Republican Party, Democrat Doug partisanship in America “still has limits.” Jones this week beat scandal-ridden former judge Roy Moore to become Alabama’s Republicans dodged a bullet in Alabama, next U.S. senator. The first Democrat to said The Wall Street Journal. Sure, win a Senate seat in the deep-red state since there will be a “cost of defeat”—with 1992, Jones secured just under 50 percent a reduced majority, the party will find of the vote, about 1.5 percent more than his it harder to pass major legislation. But opponent. When he is sworn in, likely in had Moore won, Democrats would have early January, it will reduce the GOP’s Senate made him “a national symbol of sexual majority to 51-49. Alabama’s special election harassment” for the 2018 midterms. to fill Attorney General =Jeff Sessions’ old GOP lawmakers would have been under seat burst into the national spotlight in No- Jones: A victory for ‘dignity and respect’ heavy pressure to expel him from the vember, when The Washington Post reported Senate, in addition to facing distracting that Moore was accused of making sexual advances to teenage questions about his toxic views “every day.” girls—one as young as 14, another who said he sexually assaulted her at 16—when he was in his 30s. The allegations prompted Senate What the columnists said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans to drop Well, Bannon really can achieve the impossible, said Marc Thies- their support and funding. But Trump, encouraged by his firebrand sen in The Washington Post: He somehow got a “pro-abortion” former strategist Steve Bannon, stuck by the controversial candidate Democrat elected in “one of the most reliably Republican states in and strongly urged his supporters to back him. After Jones’ vic- the country.” As part of his destructive quest to depose McConnell tory, Trump claimed that he had supported incumbent Sen. Luther and upend “the establishment,” the former White House strategist Strange in the GOP primary because he thought Moore would has promised to support “Moore-like challengers” against almost struggle in the general election. “I was right!” he tweeted. every GOP senator up for re-election next year. If he doesn’t want more Democrats elected, Trump better tell his pal to “back off.” Jones, a 63-year-old former prosecutor, overcame Alabama’s deep- red demographics with a large turnout by African-Americans and Despite Moore’s uniquely awful track record, his defeat indicates strong support from affluent suburban residents. Jones, who will that “the GOP is in deep trouble,” said Alex Shephard in New hold the seat until Sessions’ original term expires in 2020, said the Republic.com. Alabama hasn’t had a competitive race for national race had been about “dignity and respect,” and “the rule of law.” office for decades, and Trump won the state last year by 28 points. Moore called for a recount and said he would “wait on God.” This year, the Democrats have overperformed in elections all across the country—in Virginia, Georgia, even Montana. With Trump’s ap- What the editorials said proval ratings sinking to record lows, “Republican voters are stay- Long before he was accused of being a “child molester,” Roy ing home,” and Democrats are voting “at unprecedented levels.” Moore “had disqualified himself from serving in public office,” said The Washington Post. An unabashed theocrat, he was twice Jones’ triumph is “a dark portent indeed for Republicans in 2018,” removed as Alabama’s Supreme Court chief justice—once for said John Podhoretz in the New York Post.