We’ve made known our 5 moments to remember from 2013 (refresher: Chris, Andrew, Cat). But that’s only half the story. The other half, the half that’s always clouding the good things must also be acknowledged.

So here are 5 moments from the past year’s popular culture happenings that, would that I could, I would have stricken from the memory.

5. Seth McFarlane hosted the Oscars

When Seth McFarlane was chosen to host the 2013 Oscars, there was a collective national single-eyebrow-arch that overtook the faces of award show fans. It was equal parts skepticism that he could pull it off-he’s not performer, he’s a writer-and wonder that the Academy made the decision in the first place-frankly, he’s not that famous.

Turns out that skepticism was warranted, as the whole ceremony turned into a particularly awkward night, punctuated by the stupidest song the Academy Awards has ever endured, “We Saw Your Boobs.” It wasn’t even that offensive. It was just really terrible.

4. 30 Rock ended.

This was on my list of moments to remember. But my love for 30 Rock, so rich, so profound, cannot deny that the series’ conclusion is among the worst things to happen this year. Farewell, nerds.

3. The Onion Tweets at Quvenzhane Wallis

Not to be repeated here, the Onion decided to try some brutal satire directed at the 9-year old Academy Award Nominee and star of Beasts of the Southern Wild. It was a terrible, terrible misfire. And a reminder that no matter how beloved a comedy institution one has created, retribution can be swift when merited.

In this case it was both. And the flare-up brought about a rare straight-man apology from The Onion’s CEO.

This is something I believe: being funny is one of life’s most difficult endeavors. The Onion does a better job of being consistently funny than most who take on the challenge. But the stakes are even higher for those who succeed (ask Daniel Tosh).

2. The Past Year at DC Comics

It started with the news that the DC Brass would not allow Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, to marry her longtime partner Maggie Sawyer. That news led to the creative forces behind Batwoman, J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman, to walk out on the title and DC entirely, due to editorial interference in the creative process.

DC Publisher Dan DiDio said that DC didn’t interfere editorially, then provided “a mandate” about how the lives of superheroes must be unhappy. It was a regrettable, and avoidable, affair for DC. And it cost them some very negative publicity, and worse, talent.

Quickly on the heels for DC followed the Break Into Comics competition, which asked aspiring artists to draw nude images of Harley Quinn as she commits suicide. It was as tone-deaf a request as one could imagine, and the criticism that DC and Harley Quinn writer Jim Palmiotti received was well deserved.

The defense complained about the critics lack of context. But such a defense falls flat when the contest was built around a request for an out of context series of panels for a book no one had yet seen. Palmiotti later apologized.

1. Miley Cyrus’s performs at the VMAs.

Miley made Cat’s top 5 to remember. She’s my #1 to forget. Specifically, her VMA performance.

I don’t have any problem with the twerking, or the tongue work. Not the grind-action with Alan Thicke’s son. Not the foam-finger. None of the overt sex-as-marketing performance that Miley has shown an aptitude for bothers me.

What bothers me is the way this performance contributes to the sexualization of children. That’s the issue that I take with Miley’s VMA performance. I cannot get over it.

The whole performance was built on turning a little girl’s childhood into a sexual fantasy-with the sexy onesie and the pig-tails and the teddy bears. Some folks said the purpose of the VMAs for Miley was to remind everyone that the child-star Miley Cyrus had finally grown up.

One way to do that is to be a sexy woman, not a sexy child.