Brooklynites are in all your face all week long: they’re running for president, they’re fighting our superheroes, they’re accompanying their wives to the Super Bowl. They rise and fall with the tides of popular opinion or occasionally under the scrutiny of congressional hearings. To help you keep track of who’s up and who’s down, we made a power ranking of the top 10 people repping the borough right now, and whether they’re on the come up or the cool down.
10. Martin Shkreli — FALLING
We gave Shrkeli credit for bringing the phrase “pharmadouche” into our lives, and a few points for not abandoning his hard-fought douche persona just because he was dragged in front of congress. But this week he’s tangled up in a lawsuit from a Long Island artist who claims he was never paid for doing the cover art for that $2 million Wu-Tang album Shkreli bought. You gotta pay your artists, Marty. Even if you, uh, aren’t actually responsible for the art, you should probably just pay this guy.
9. Hannibal Buress — RISING
Drake says he supports long-time Williamsburg resident Hannibal Buress for president. And who are you to argue with Drake?
8. Aya Cash — FALLING
Aya Cash, who lives in Boerum Hill, is great, and her character on the last season of You’re the Worst handled clinical depression in fresh, honest ways — especially for a sitcom. But You’re the Worst ended its second season in December, which means no Aya Cash in our lives. Come back Aya, we miss you!
7. Jimmy Kimmel —FALLING
Kimmel likes to tout his Brooklyn roots on his show. But people should stop saying Jimmy Kimmel is good because Jimmy Kimmel is Bad. These are not pranks. They are Bad.
6. Wentworth Miller — RISING
Miller, who grew up in Park Slope, plays Capt. Cold, better known as Not Mr. Freeze, on The Flash, better known as the best show on TV. He’s now starring in the spin-off, Legends of Tomorrow, where his villainous scene chewing foil has been transformed into a cunning thief with a conscience. The show is about time travelers, including hawk people and a guy who used to be Superman playing the Atom, trying to stop a dictator. It sounds dumb. It is great.
5. Lena Dunham — STEADY
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Hey Beloved Pals,I just wanted to let you know that, while I am so excited for Girls to return on Feb 21, I won’t be…
Posted by Lena Dunham on Monday, February 8, 2016
Dunham’s millennial Brooklyn saga Girls started to grow stale last season (will these four ever piece it together?). The new season debuts Feb. 21, but Dunham announced on Monday she’s taking a break from doing press for the show to deal with a chronic medical condition. That sends the right signal that health is more important than work. And if someone like her can take a break from her passion project, you should think twice about going into the office when you’re hacking up a phlegm goblin because you don’t think you can miss an “important meeting.”
4. Abbi Jacobson — RISING
Abbi, half of Broad City, aka the best show on TV that’s not about a scarlet speedster, lives in Brooklyn Heights, and the trailer for her new season dropped today. THE NEW SEASON OF BROAD CITY IS ALMOST HERE WINTER WILL BE LESS MISERABLE SOON.
3. Jay-Z — RISING
Jay Z this week said what a lot of us have been thinking lately: He doesn’t quite understand what Snapchat video is. He’s a busy father whose girl just made a whole bunch of old white people go into apoplectic fits, so that’s extra points too.
2. Bernie Sanders — RISING
The Brooklyn native trounced Hillary in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday and looks like he’s going to at least ride a wave of generational strife (or at least, Hillary strife) deep into the primary. And he’s a hit with Bushwick bartenders.
1. Biggie Smalls — STEADY
Still reigning at No. 1 for yet another week. Predicted to remain unchanged.