Ah, 2024: the yr we debated tips on how to pronounce “hawk tuah,” contemplated the well being advantages of consuming rocks, and held area for a Broadway showstopper. It was a yr when the discourse might really feel shockingly pure and joyful — not less than for a couple of minutes, earlier than all of us got here tumbling again right down to actuality.
On-line tradition was extra inescapable than ever this yr, however the place and the way we engaged with that tradition turned more and more fragmented. So listed here are the eight viral, much-memed moments that captured the yr for me — however be at liberty to let me know what I missed!
A Willy Wonka expertise turns bitter
A corporation calling itself the Home of Illuminati promised a magical, Willy Wonka-themed expertise, with AI-generated fliers promoting every thing from “Encherining Entertainment” to an “Imagnation Lab” [sic]. The truth proved a bit much less enchanting — mainly, only a sparsely embellished Glasgow warehouse. However whereas the expertise could have been a letdown for anybody who truly paid for a ticket, it supplied a seemingly never-ending supply of bleakly hilarious pictures for on-line posters.
Google decides it’s wholesome to eat rocks
AI-generated content material actually moved to the highest of our search outcomes, with Google pushing an AI Overviews characteristic that proved lower than totally dependable. Among the outcomes that went viral within the first few days after launch included directions so as to add glue to pizza, stare into the solar for as much as half an hour, and eat one small rock per day. And whereas Google rapidly eliminated essentially the most high-profile of the groan-worthy outcomes, the debacle illustrated how dumb an AI-centric future might truly be.
The web celebrates “Brat” summer season
Extra than simply an album, Charli XCX’s “Brat” was a vibe, outlined by lime inexperienced and a celebration of being (within the artist’s phrases) “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes.” If that sounds a bit imprecise, don’t fear about it: “It’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” For a short, shining second, even Kamala Harris was brat.
The Olympics are enjoyable once more
The 2020 Summer season Olympics happened within the shadow of a pandemic (the video games didn’t even occur till 2021), however this yr’s occasion marked a return to pleasant type. For American viewers, it helped that streaming service Peacock found out tips on how to showcase the occasion’s superb selection. There have been genuinely heartwarming moments, like Celine Dion’s efficiency of an Edith Piaf traditional, however the web’s true heroes have been extra offbeat, from the unflappability of Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec to the wild strikes of Australian breakdancer Raygun.
Moo Deng bites her manner into our hearts
With a reputation that means “bouncy pork,” this pygmy hippopotamus rapidly turned, in response to a “Today Show” host, the “hottest new ‘It girl’ on the planet.” Footage of Moo Deng dwelling her life in Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo took over the web, due to her diminutive measurement, her feisty-but-harmless bites, and her cute screams. After all, even one thing as seemingly pure and pleasant as a cute child hippo had its darkish facet, because the zoo needed to cope with vacationers throwing issues at poor Moo Deng.
The celebrities of “Wicked” maintain area and fingers
“Wicked” was in all places this fall, as a large advertising and marketing push turned the movie into the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation ever. However the largest second from the marketing campaign was emphatically unscripted, with stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande seemingly overwhelmed when a journalist advised them “people are taking the lyrics to ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that” — creating the unforgettable picture of Grande reaching over and clutching considered one of Erivo’s fingers.
The “Hawk Tuah girl” monetizes her quarter-hour of fame
2024’s most 2024 superstar was Hailey Welch, a younger girl who turned well-known for her colourful reply to the query, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?” Welch determined to capitalize on her notoriety by promoting merch, beginning a podcast, and even launching the “HAWK” memecoin. That final half ended badly, with nearly all of tokens offered off in what seems to be a traditional crypto rug pull. (Welch has denied any wrongdoing.)
Bluesky goes from open supply underdog to critical social media competitor
Bluesky opened to the general public in February, and some months after creating an preliminary identification as a scrappy, leftist various to X, it shot to the highest of the app charts — first in Brazil (the place X was briefly banned), then in the USA (after Donald Trump received the presidential election with backing from X proprietor Elon Musk). This, maybe inevitably, led to hand-wringing assume items about liberal echo chambers, in addition to questions on how Bluesky’s newfound recognition may dilute its good vibes and superb weirdness.
