Pete Freedman
Here Are The 15 Most-Read Central Track Stories Of 2016, And What We Think They Tell Us About You Weirdos Who Read Us.
As we do every year around this time, let’s take a look here at our most-read stories of 2016 and try to determine what it all means.
Or, y’know, you can just scroll through this post and see if you missed any of our biggest stories of the year.
Whatever you decide, it’s totally cool.
Either way, we appreciate you directing your eyeballs this way in 2016, and we look forward to crafting new stories for you to consume in 2017 and beyond.
Seriously: Thanks for your support.
Now, onto the list!
15. Grown Up’s Table. // 10 Dallas Restaurants To Avoid If You Can’t Stand Kids.
Publish Date: June 29, 2016.
Author: Erika Lambreton.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because kids are the worst, that’s why.
14. Hidden In Plain Sight. // A Photo History of Dallas’ Gay Bars of the 1970s.
Publish Date: July 21, 2016.
Author: Paula Bosse.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Well, for one, because this is just a genuinely interesting look back at an interesting time in Dallas history. And, secondly, because the person who penned this for us — Flashback Dallas‘ Paula Bosse — is a total badass with a great eye for intriguing historical retrospectives about this city we all call home. But, also, there’s the fact that this story came out during a pretty stressful time for LGBTQIA communities local and even international, being published shortly after the tragic Pulse shooting in Orlando and in the wake of some truly terrifying hate crimes in Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood, and perhaps added some perspective about the long-standing struggle this community has been forced to face.
Publish Date: February 17, 2015.
Author: Carly Seitz.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Yeah, this story came out in 2015 but its staying power makes sense. Fraudulent as they may be, Girl Scout Cookies never go out of style, and this piece, which burst open a long-held but never really confirmed previously suspicion about their distribution, is something people talk about year in and year out.
Publish Date: June 2, 2016.
Author: Cory Graves.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Without spoiling what happened to his Game of Thrones character right around the time this news broke, there was an obvious reason why the actor behind Hodor was at the forefront of the public consciousness. But, also, this was a very internet-y announcement, as it started out as a joke launched in the wake of a short-lived meme that had spun out of control. That it became reality was pretty nuts, even if the event ended up taking place at The Bomb Factory instead of The Door, which would’ve been a more on-brand idea. Still, the event did indeed eventually happen, and it was totally absurd. Also, we somehow squeezed like a dozen stories out of this whole mess. Weird times!
Publish Date: August 23, 2016.
Author: Pete Freedman.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because when Clint and Whitney Barlow — the husband-and-wife team behind two of Dallas’ most successful venues — do something, people get right excited about it. But, also, ‘member Deep Ellum’s Golden Era?
10. Family Business. // We Asked One Of Kanye West’s Cousins If He Was The One Who Stole Kanye’s Laptop.
Publish Date: February 16, 2016
Author: Pete Freedman.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because we listen to the kids, bro!
Publish Date: March 15, 2016.
Author: A team effort between Jessi Pereira, Cory Graves and Pete Freedman.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Listen, there’s a reason this is the sixth time we’ve done one of these, OK?
Publish Date: July 8, 2016.
Author: Sidney Johnson.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because it was one of the most tragic events in Dallas history, and our writer found himself thrust right in the middle of the whole thing. This one isn’t rocket science.
Publish Date: December 23, 2016.
Author: Pete Freedman.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because fuck fascism, that’s why.
Publish Date: November 2, 2016.
Author: Alex Gaskin.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Polarization, duh. And if Tomi doesn’t like that, she can leave. (Trust us, she likes it. But she can still leave.)
5. Fade To Black. // After 27 Years On The Air, KDGE Looks Like It’s No More.
Publish Date: November 16, 2016.
Author: Cory Graves.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Actually, we already explained this elsewhere.
4. The Douchiest Bars In Dallas. // These Places Are Just The Worst.
Publish Date: August 19, 2013.
Author: Heather Abbott.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Oh, I know this one for real. Some random bartender who was googling about their workplace came across this old story, and found it more funny than offensive that their place of employment was listed on here and, as a result, shared it in a popular bartender Facebook group. Then all those people shared it, not all of them because they saw the humor in it. Oh well!
3. Aw Shucks. // For Oak Cliff Residents, There’s Only One Elotes Cart That Matters.
Publish Date: March 21, 2016.
Author: Jessi Pereira.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because, for real, this elotes cart is a legit institution. And also because, later on in the year, elotes were at the center of a little bit of a controversy here in Dallas.
Publish Date: November 17, 2016.
Author: Obed Manuel.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Because not all heroes wear capes.
Publish Date: March 19, 2015.
Author: Allie Williamson and Lauren Kuehmeier.
Why We Think This One Was So Goddamn Popular: Vanity, mostly.