Over the past few months, the CAPC team has compiled a list of our favorite pop culture pieces from the past year. Unlike most year-end lists, we don’t claim that these are the “best”. Rather, these are the things that have brought us the most joy and contentment over the past 12 months.
Some of our favorite books and memes for 2025 included The Jumbotron Incident, Pope Memes, Punk Rock History, Venice Protests, and more.
CEO cheating scandal
On July 15th, a couple was caught on kissing camera hugging each other during a Coldplay concert. When the man and woman realized they were on the jumbotron, they quickly separated. A clip of the incident quickly surfaced online and quickly went viral. Within days, their identities became publicly known. CEO Andy Byron and his chief human resources officer, Christine Cabot, were both married to other people. Byron and Cabot eventually resigned from their respective positions.
This scenario reminds us that even in a post-Christian culture, we can still appreciate the value of marital chastity, even if it is “only” violated by PDA. Our society recognizes, at least to some extent, that our private lives carry moral weight with public consequences.
Unfortunately, this scenario is also a reminder of the malign mob rule mentality inherent in internet culture. Cabot’s personal contact information can be found at posted onlinefor several weeks, she received hundreds of calls every day, including dozens of death threats. Instead of encouraging true repentance, our society turns the shame of others into an opportunity for haughty accusations and cruel criticism.
—Cap Stewart
pope leo xiv meme
On May 8, 2025, the first American-born Pope, Robert Francis Prevost, was elected. As soon as the news broke, his fellow Americans began doing what we do best: incorporating the new Pope Leo XIV into pop culture. sandwich and pizza His hometown of Chicago was named after him. His name appeared merchandise For my beloved White Sox. “Da Pope” heading and souvenir They were everywhere. Leo himself was amenable to that effort, and as a result he became the following pope: Delete your favorite movies list and Heckles Cubs fans from Pope Mobile.
And then there were the memes. In 1982, when a photo was discovered of a young Father Prevost dressed as a beloved movie character,blues brothers popeWhen a journalist on Leo’s flight to Turkey presented him with a special heirloom baseball bat (“Why did you let him take that on the plane?” the Pope asked, surprised).baseball bat pope(“I told you, heathen, put on your shoes”) one commenter imagined Leo said this to a passenger who was standing in the aisle holding a bat. ) “Jersey Pope” keeps reappearing as visitors keep giving him sports jerseys from different teams. be Popular favorite version Leo had a look of pain on his face when the Assyrian Church Patriarch, also from Chicago, trolled him with a Cubs jersey. A candid shot of the Pope with his eyes half-closed and clutching a microphone appears as if he is singing a song.karaoke pope” But it is “Rave Pope“Leo stunned people by appearing in a video to celebrate the archbishop’s birthday outside a cathedral in Slovakia. Who had this as a late entry on their 2025 bingo card?” a selfish person asked On TikTok.
It’s all fun and games, but I suspect there’s something deeper underlying this trend. It is a longing for spiritual connection that is driven by someone who takes God very seriously, yet is grounded. Unlike some leaders, the Pope does not post elaborate AI memes glorifying himself. He is simply caught on camera humbly and good-naturedly carrying out his duties as pope. In Leo’s favorite phrase, there’s something about it that soothes anxiety. If it takes an American pope swinging a baseball bat to help someone begin to understand the appeal of the faith…well, the Lord moves in mysterious ways.
—Gina Dalfonzo
punk rock in comics Written by Nicolas Finet and Thierry Lamy
When you say “punk rock,” certain artists immediately come to mind. Sex Pistols. Ramones, The Clash. However, as Nicolas Finet and Thierry Lamy reveal: punk rock in comicsthe punk movement of the late ’70s took many forms, from its blending with Jamaican Rasta culture to the legacies of goth, post-punk, and new wave movements.
Finette and Lamy collaborate with different artists and illustrators for each chapter of the book, each of which delves into unique subcultures and expressions of the punk spirit. The result is a fascinating, insightful, and educational exploration of a genre people probably know less about than they realize. Best of all, readers will be able to check out tons of new artists and albums.
—Jason Morehead
shadow upon time Written by Christopher Ruocchio
shadow upon time The Catholic author’s ambitious seven-book science fiction epic concludes with this epic tale of a man chosen by God to eradicate a demon-possessed alien race. The series tackles deep themes such as transhumanism, just war theory, the goodness of God, and the nature of suffering, with regular references to classic literature and thought. And it shows a pretty solid defense of divine providence amidst the uncertainties of life.
As an overtly Christian work, this series achieved surprising popularity in the general market. The first book boasts nearly 50,000 reviews on Goodreads, earned the “Best of #BookTok” badge from Amazon, and is regularly praised by Christian and secular BookTubers. Readers concerned about the viability of Christian narratives in the mass market may want to consider the following: sun eater The series stands as an excellent example of what thoughtful Christian cultural creation looks like.
—Josiah DeGraaf
There is no antimemetics department. By Qntm
For those who aren’t familiar with the SCP Foundation, it’s a collaborative wiki where people can submit stories about a mysterious agency tasked with protecting humanity from the strangest of phenomena. (think X files and Warehouse 13 Qntm (the pen name of programmer Sam Hughes) uses the Foundation as the inspiration for this completely unique science fiction novel about a top-secret division dedicated to the study and containment of anti-memes, ideas, and entities that defy logic, do everything they can to resist being remembered, and seek to erase existence as we know it.
This is a fairly high-concept novel, full of references to arcane mathematics and philosophy, unknown technology, mind-altering drugs, and a non-linear narrative. Sure, there are times when you question your sanity. But it’s a testament to Qntm’s skill as a writer. There is no antimemetics department. The men and women of the department do their best to complete their missions, but sometimes they have to forget everything they know about the mission they are trying to accomplish, making this unit consistently smart and sometimes even strangely moving.
—Jason Morehead
Venetian residents protest Bezos’ wedding
This year has brought a plethora of controversial, alarming, and downright frightening headlines, many of which leave ordinary people feeling helpless about the state of the world around them. Perhaps this sentiment is what many expected when Jeff Bezos announced his marriage to Lauren Sanchez, a marriage estimated to cost between $40 million and $50 million. The contrast between the extravagant events and the people around me who fight every day to have enough food, rentals, and children’s clothes felt demoralizing.
But as has been a theme throughout perhaps many of the year’s biggest stories, we were shown true outrage and a true passion for justice and fair play. can Please listen. When it was announced that Bezos’ wedding would take place in Venice, Italy, residents of the city were not content to sit by and complain, saying the billionaire was essentially “renting out” his home for his own purposes. They came out. they protested. And it made a difference.
Holding up signs about the businessman’s underpayment of taxes, the country’s ongoing over-tourism problem, and the imminent risk of flooding in Venice due to climate change (a situation made worse by the private jets and yachts expected to arrive with wedding guests), Venetians managed to move one of the wedding events further from the city center than originally planned. While it may seem like a small victory for the protesters, it remains a bright spot in a daily scroll of doom that reminds many of the power of speaking out for what is right.
—Sophie Pell
Source: Christ and Pop Culture – christandpopculture.com
