2026 Ins & Outs

2016 is 10 years old, and I can't believe it. What do you mean Stranger Things premiered a decade ago, and now, the last show standing from my middle school days is over (and no, I haven't watched the finale because I'm in denial). But, with a new year comes new ins and outs. These are mine for 2026.

Before I get into my ins and outs of the year, I wanted to share a few that I will be adhering to, but will not elaborate on.

Ins:

• Strawberry Fruitopia

• SNL archive

• Depop outfit boards

• Happy hour catch-ups

• Dog pjs

• Unrivaled (Go Breeze!)

Outs:

• Ticketmaster

• Doomscrolling

• Dating apps

• Apple Maps

• Variety reporting on box office numbers

• Clubbing

Honourable Mentions

Ins

There are a lot of things we should either start doing or bring back. This is what I'm campaigning for this year:

Crosswords

It's no secret that I am a New York Times Games enthusiast. Thank you to my university for providing us with a free subscription! As much as I enjoy Connections and Strands, I look forward to solving the crossword the most. That little jazzy-sounding thing after filling in the final square is one of my favourite things to hear (as long as it's not during a lecture, of course). My aunt and I are doing the Toronto daily together as well. But after impulsively buying a crossword book at Dollarama, I realized that nothing beats doing them analog. A week or two later, I went into the TIFF Shop hoping to purchase A24's 99 Movie Crosswords book, but they were sold out. However, I did manage to find A24's 99 TV Crosswords book (and a few other things I definitely didn't need and could not afford). If you see me without it this year, just know that's a rare occurrence (just ask Sarah).

Toronto Public Library

I've always loved the TPL, but I know this is the year the general public will catch on. Tell me why I walked into Indigo the other day and the random book I was flipping through was over $30... Like I had to ask my friend to verify I wasn't seeing the price wrong. What you may not know is that the TPL is great for so many other things as well. I took an online ASL course last year with Dash, and we ate it up! They also have a great selection of magazines, which I will be taking advantage of this year. Oh, and a TPL library card can get you a lot of perks throughout the city. I haven't taken advantage of them since the cyber attack, but best believe I will be.

Indie Movie Theatres

As a CineClub member, this is not me denouncing Cineplex, but we need to support local establishments that keep film accessible and facilitate community. There is absolutely no reason a movie ticket, popcorn, and a drink should cost what they do. I just went to see a movie, and there was a Cineplex combo that was like $80. We cannot allow them to be the only theatre option.

Casual Instagram

Leaning into the whole 2026 is 2016 the re-up, I want IG to go back to the way it was then. Some icons still have their decade-old posts up, and I kind of miss the sepia. There was a casual IG campaign that flopped a few years ago, but I'm bringing it back for this year (and every year after, to be honest). Now that Ads are 70% of everyone's feed, literally, who cares? I'm okay with my five loyal fans being the only ones to interact. I'm over the curation of it all. This app used to be fun.

Cable

As the last cable television defender, of course, I have to champion the OG. Honestly, channel surfing is majorly underrated. Every time I stay in a hotel or somewhere with a TV guide, I watch my favourite cartoons, courthouse reality shows and Border Security. Dash and I couldn't get the Chromecast working in Florida, so we had to watch whatever was on at the time. I looked up the programming schedule so we could plan accordingly (I hate missing the beginning of a movie). We landed on We're the Millers and had a blast! I had to teach him the art of timing commercial breaks and using them to use the washroom, get ready for bed and debrief about whatever we just watched. The whole thing felt so nostalgic, and I fear I'm feigning it.

Outs

There are a lot of things we should no longer be doing, or that we should never have been doing. The following need to be cut IMMEDIATELY:

Late-night TV

Seth Meyers, look away! The fact that late-night TV is recorded in the middle of the afternoon is ridiculous. Literally, what is the point? I took a popular culture history course, and we discussed the origins of late-night programming, which made sense, like why not capitalize on FOMO? But, it's gotten unserious. Especially with the departure of my absolute favourite, Stephen Colbert. I'm so so so grateful I was able to attend a live taping last year AND ask a question. That was definitely one of my peak life moments.

Posting on LinkedIn

Okay, obviously, this does not apply to employers who are actually hiring. Everybody else, I think it's time to pack it up. As someone looking for a job, I feel like I can say this. Establishing a solid profile and connections are great, but do I need to know about how a mundane thing I know you never think about is a metaphor for leadership? Like, please spare me. It's time to pack it up.

Fake 24h establishments

Why do establishments love to promote that they are open 24 hours, but when you show up after midnight, the door is locked? Establishments exclusively using a takeout window after a certain time need to be BANNED. My friends and I went to a Denny's after a night out, and I called numerous times to confirm we could actually eat at a table, but no one answered the phone. We decided to gamble. When we walked in, we could tell it was a takeout situation. I may have had to bring out my inner suburban mother of three, but we were able to arrange seating for us. The same thing happened at a Waffle House (literally the whole point of those is to provide a timeless place to sit, chat and connect), but the staff weren't as accommodating. They wouldn't even let me use the washroom. I understood the limited hours during pandemic-cautious times, but we are clearly not operating that way anywhere else, so it's time to open the doors.

Love is Blind

The cancellation of this show has been long overdue, but after season nine, I think it's safe to say that love is not blind. There is absolutely no reason for this series to continue.

NBA All-Star Weekend

Someone please explain why we still need a whole three days for NBA All-Star. The 'celebrity' game has been a flop for the past decade. We already know Mac McClung (who is barely in the league) is winning the dunk contest, and I'm sick of seeing Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers flop in the skills competition. Oh, and don't even get me started on the game itself... I fear I wasn't a conscious being the last time the All-Star game was entertaining. The only kind of exciting thing is the three-point contest. Especially the Curry-Ionescu showdown. With the cup games as amazing as they are, I fear there is no need for both. Just give me the Steph and Sabrina three-point contest and call it a day.