Viral moments are what keeps the world turning. Whether it’s the good, the bad or the downright ugly, we all love a big internet moment. And this year, we had plenty to choose from.
We’ve picked out some of the top contenders for the best viral moments of 2022 for you to enjoy.
The Worm
Heidi Klum really took the phrase, “would you still love me if I was a worm”, and ran with it. The newly-titled Queen of Halloween went instantly viral after she turned up to a red-carpet event in full worm mode. No one asked for it, there was absolutely no need for it, and we’re still left guessing the reason why, yet we now can’t imagine our lives before it.
The Lettuce
Years from now, kids in school will learn about how a lettuce single-handedly out lasted a British Prime Minister. It sounds like something straight out of a Black Mirror episode, but as the United Kingdom descended into chaos for the 100th+ time this year, our sanity took a decline, and it became our reality.
After the resignation of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss took his place as the new Conservative party leader and Prime Minister. British tabloid, The Daily Star quickly stepped in to create one of the greatest PR stunts of the year. With nothing but a live stream, a rapidly-greying lettuce named ‘Lizzy’ and a dream, their mission was simple. The lettuce would outlast the PM.
And behold, the prophecy came true. Lasting only a mere 44 days in office before resigning, the lettuce beat the PM and became a global icon.
The Marilyn Monroe Dress
The Kardashians are never ones to shy away from a bit of controversy. Kim Kardashian made waves in May when she turned up to the annual Met Gala wearing the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore at President Kennedy’s birthday. In the aftermath, pictures surfaced of the damage made to the dress and the internet divided.
Some fans praised Kim for wearing the dress, calling her the modern-day Marilyn, while others saw it as tone-deaf and an insult to the late Hollywood starlet. No matter which side of the fence you’re sitting on, it made for an interesting talking point!
Emma D'Arcy's Negroni Sbagliato
If ‘a Negroni, Sbagliato… with Prosecco in it’ means nothing to you, you’re one of the lucky ones. During a House of the Dragon press tour, Emma D’Arcy became a viral meme after being asked about their favourite cocktail. And people couldn’t get enough of it. Everyone became instantly obsessed with a drink we’d never heard of, and it made for some top-tier content.
The Slap
Oscar history was made this year at the 94th Academy Award ceremony. A joke by comedian Chris Rock didn’t land well, to say the least. In a whirlwind of seconds, the world watched as Will Smith stormed to the stage and slapped him straight across the face. At first, there was a moment where everyone assumed maybe this is a skit or a thoroughly planned out PR stunt. But it soon became clear that this definitely wasn’t staged.
In the same evening, Will Smith would then go on to win his first Oscar, but the moment was completely overshadowed. The aftermath that followed was celebrities taking sides, was it deserved and heroic or was it an insult to the Academy?
In a statement, the Academy announced that Will Smith would be banned from the Oscars for ten years and had his award revoked.
Wordle
The day Wordle was released into the social sphere, it grew a life of its own. The online game created by Josh Wardle captured the world's attention, and everyone couldn’t stop obsessing over it. The premise is simple, you get six attempts to guess a five-letter word. Maybe it was due to boredom that the game’s success sky-rocketed, or maybe it was more psychological - getting a metaphorical tap on the shoulder for completing a silly little game boosts everyone’s morale for approximately 60 seconds. Nevertheless, anyone who’s anyone was playing it at its peak.
But, like with all social trends, suddenly, it wasn’t enough. Users all over the world were left scrambling for more; the word-guessing game truly opened a can of worms. After Wordle, it was Heardle and then Lewdle, Crosswordle, Absurdle and honestly, we could go on. Wordle has swiftly replaced the Sunday morning crossword in the newspaper and undoubtedly is here to stay.
The Queen
For years we’ve wondered about what would happen when the Queen dies, and the protocol of ‘London Bridge has Fallen’. At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth passed away, and millions of people around the world reacted to the news. Social media was flooded, TV schedules amended, and all news outlets published articles about her long reign.
Elon Musk Buying Twitter
Finally, 2022 saw one of the biggest wildcards. In October, Elon Musk’s attempts finally transpired, and the billionaire bought Twitter for an unthinkable amount of $44 billion. The chaos that followed saw hundreds of employees handing in their resignations or having their contracts terminated. It became a huge talking point, and the conversation surrounding billionaires owning media companies became top-page news.
We’re yet to see where the future of Twitter goes, but Musk’s net worth has been estimated to have dropped by $9 million since acquiring the platform!
And there we have it, eight moments that stole the show in 2022. It really has been a big year for viral moments. Think we’ve missed one? DM us on socials and let us know!
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