Dallas’ Unique Year in Pop Culture — 2023 Edition

From charming viral sensations and glamorous movie premieres to a mysterious case of two missing monkeys, PaperCity takes you through Dallas’ unique year in pop culture.

The Dallas Zoo’s Wild Winter

Just a few weeks into 2023, the Dallas Zoo made international headlines after a series of its animals — including a 25-pound clouded leopard and two emperor tamarin monkeys — went missing, sparking an array of wild whodunit theories across the internet.

The aforementioned animals were ultimately returned (though the death of Pin, an endangered, lappet-faced vulture, remains a mystery), a single arrest was made, and the Dallas Zoo has, thankfully, been able to move on. Following the popular Zoo To Do fundraiser in November, Lisa New was appointed as the Dallas Zoo’s first woman CEO in its 135-year history in December 2023. She succeeded the late, beloved Gregg Hudson, who passed away in April 2023 after 16 years leading the organization.

A Tiny Candle Connoisseur

In the viral TikTok category, Dallas is represented this year, quite charmingly, by Sunday Kramer. The two-year-old’s sophisticated taste in candles first caught the internet’s eye in January after a particularly picky outing at Society in the Bishop Arts District. (Kramer chose Folkore by Jackson Vaughn — wise girl!) She’s gone on to smell (and judge) everything from Tom Ford (not a fan) and Voluspa (loved Baltic Amber) to Trudon, Jo Malone, and Yankee Candle Co., while occasionally cleansing her sniffing palate with Merit Coffee beans.

In true internet celebrity fashion, Kramer received merch from Jimmy Kimmel, booked a guest spot on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and launched her very own product: a collaboration with Dallas-based Jackson Vaughn called “Sunday’s Best.”

Lily Gladstone Drives By Dallas

After Lily Gladstone’s phenomenal turn as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, the actress’ rising star helped shine a light on some Dallas talent with the late summer release of The Unknown Country, an independent docudrama that follows Gladstone’s character on a trip towards the Texas/Mexico border. The film, which features a short but pivotal sequence in downtown Dallas, was directed by Morissa Maltz and shot by cinematographer Andrew Hajek, who lives in Lower Greenville.

The Celebrities Descended on Dolly Python

Dolly Python’s vintage emporium is no stranger to the occasional celebrity, but 2023 saw an uptick in starry visits. Those spotted browsing the taxidermy-lined aisles included Brook Shields, Pete Davidson, Leon Bridges, and repeat customer Lana Del Rey. We’re assuming Kacey Musgraves simply flew under the radar this year.

If you’re wondering what Davidson purchased, owner Gretchen Hinkle obliged in the comment section. “He bought some super loud ’90s clothing! He was also such a peach.”

Dallas’ Denim Whisperer Went Viral

PaperCity first published a story about Dallas’ “Denim Whisperer” in 2021, one year after Caitlin Brax opened AA Vintedge on Henderson Avenue and began netting internet fame for her innate ability to fit her clients in vintage denim with a simple once-over. This year, that virality reached a tipping point after a July 11 TikTok post from Claire Groves inspired commenters from Virginia and Chicago to consider flying to Dallas for Brax, who focuses on body shape over size.

Fun profiles soon followed in D Magazine and Texas Monthly, helping spread the word that, at a little Dallas vintage shop, jean shopping might actually be fun.

Candy Montgomery Gets the TV Treatment, Again

When Peacock’s anthology series Dr. Death moved on from Christopher Duntsch, it was time for a new ripped-from-the-Texas headlines tale to get the TV treatment. Inspiration came in the form of a pair of Texas Monthly articles called Love & Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I and II, which detail the now infamous 1980 murder committed by Candy Montgomery in Wylie, Texas. The source material was so alluring that it spawned two miniseries: Candy (which was released on Hulu in 2022) and Love & Death (released on HBO Max this May).

The merits of each project have been heavily debated online, but both shows were strong enough to nab Critics Choice and Emmy nominations.

Is Dallas the New Dubai?

In 2022 and early 2023, Dallas welcomed a collection of high-priced chain restaurants such as Carbone, Crown Block, Sadelle’s, and Komodo. In May, the New York Times seemed to respond to the trend with an article headlined “For Diners with Deep Pockets, Dallas Is the New Dubai.”

After an initial and almost universal huh?, Dallas reacted to the Times piece with a flurry of reflective columns (including one in PaperCity) on the state of our local restaurant industry. Several spotlighted the city’s brilliant, locally-owned restaurants.

Ultimately, it was a major headline swing rooted in (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on who you ask) some plain truths about the state of Dallas’ dining scene.

The Texas Rangers Finally Get Their Win

For the first time since the team was moved to Dallas from Washington D.C. in 1972, the Rangers won the World Series, besting the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on November 1, 2023. The Texas team’s inspiring resilience brought several stars to Arlington’s Globe Life Field throughout the week, including Travis Kelce, H.E.R. (who performed the national anthem before Game 1), and, naturally, George W. Bush.

Dallas is Von Erich Country

Director Sean Durkin skipped the Telluride and Sundance to debut his A24 wrestling drama, The Iron Claw, in Dallas, where the red carpet was rolled out for Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Kevin Von Eric. “Welcome to Von Erich Country” was emblazoned across the marquee of Oak Cliff’s historic Texas Theatre, just three miles from the now-demolished arena where the famous wrestling family used to compete.

“We wanted to come back to where the story is — and bring the family together here, and this seemed like the right place,” Durkin told The Dallas Morning News.

The Iron Claw will have a wide release exclusively in theaters on December 22, 2023.