I’ve read comments from many people that refer to 2025 as a terrible year. Others say it’s only a measure of time, with no real meaning. That may be true, but in my opinion, 2025 has earned its bad reputation.
Looking back, it’s hard to get sentimental about a year that brought us a midair collision over the Potomac, wildfires, bombings, scandals, job cuts, higher prices, school shootings, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, government gridlock, and attacks on medicine, science, free speech and independent journalism.
It was the year that Fox host Greg Gutfeld said it was “now acceptable” to say the offensive R-word slur, which he uses to describe people with intellectual disabilities. Many of his followers do as well.
We lost musical icons like Brian Wilson, who spread sunshine for more than six decades, and Sly Stone, who was a hitmaker for only a few years, but influenced generations of musicians who copied his style. Ozzy Osbourne performed a farewell show with Black Sabbath, and died a few weeks later. Connie Francis was the hottest female singer of the pre-British Invasion days, and lived long enough to enjoy a comeback before her death at 87. Bobby Sherman captured the hearts of teenage girls in the 1970s, and later kept hearts beating as a paramedic. Roberta Flack's beautiful voice will endure forever thanks to “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly.”
We said goodbye to iconic sports figures like boxing champ George Foreman, NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, figure skater Dick Button, baseball catcher and broadcaster Bob Uecker, and wrestler Hulk Hogan. They entertained us in very different ways.
Baby-boomers were saddened at the deaths of those we watched on the big screen. Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Val Kilmer are forever etched in our memories as Popeye Doyle, the Sundance Kid, Annie Hall, and Batman.
We can't forget the familiar faces we enjoyed on TV in sitcoms and dramas. Malcolm-Jamal Warner died at 54, but he will forever be 14-year-old Theo Huxtable in our hearts. June Lockhart was Timmy's mom in “Lassie,” and lived to be 100. Loni Anderson was the sassy and smart receptionist on “WKRP in Cincinnati.” As the nurse “Hot Lips,” Loretta Swit traded barbs with wisecracking Hawkeye each week on “MASH.” George Wendt was America's favorite barfly on “Cheers,” where everybody knew his name: Norm. Richard Chamberlain's good looks endured for decades as “Dr. Kildare,” and later on blockbuster miniseries like “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds.”
At year's end, we were shocked to hear of the violent deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle, truly a family tragedy. Reiner's portrayal of Archie Bunker's son-in-law on “All in the Family” and the classic movies he later directed were loved by millions of Americans. He was also a vocal political activist, which resulted in a shameful post-death diatribe from the President of the United States, who disagreed with Reiner's opinions.
We lost the legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, and former Vice President Dick Cheney, an influential Washington insider since the 1970s.
We said goodbye to Jim Lovell, the level-headed astronaut whose Apollo 13 heroics in 1970 inspired generations of Americans on live TV, and decades later on the big screen, as portrayed by Tom Hanks.
More cheerfully, we were able to wish a happy 100th birthday to Dick Van Dyke, whose positive energy is an inspiration.
On a personal note, I’ve been blessed with good health, and a terrific family that makes me smile each day. I work with some great people in the television news business, and my faith in them is affirmed constantly, when I meet folks who tell me how much they appreciate our work.
This column is now entering its 13th year. I’m grateful for each of the newspapers that carry it, and the response I get from readers.
2025 was a year like no other, and I have a feeling 2026 will be a doozy as well. We've had a brief break from the negative campaign ads, but they are coming back. Here’s hoping our wounds will heal, and our moods will brighten. Is a return to “normal” too much to ask?
David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.
