Top 10 Disturbing Videos That BROKE the Internet

Watching a human covered in white, thick content, using a spoon to lift some from their head while they stare into the camera and consume, is one of the things the creators of the internet probably never envisioned. But here we are. In 2012, the Little Baby’s Ice Cream brand in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, released this video to entice customers. The creepy music and narration on top helped turn this into a viral hit with millions of views. So they made other unsettling videos. However, by 2019, the success didn’t last as the brand closed down. Fun fact, the substance in “This Is a Special Time” isn’t ice cream. They used marshmallow cream for the effect.

When internet culture was in its infancy, this video played a practical joke on unsuspecting folks. When it opens, it looks like a commercial with a calm car traveling through the countryside. But then comes a screaming jump scare as a ghoul suddenly pops up. The clip was a sensation and even sparked theories that some kind of supernatural shenanigans were caught by an unsuspecting camera team. In reality, this 2004 video was made by the German energy drink brand K-fee, one of a series of videos as part of a campaign. Little did they know they had developed one of the most iconic clips of all time.

In 2017, the YouTube channel “balaclavagirl95” uploaded a clip mundanely titled “Video Dating Tape.” In the description, they explain finding an old VHS tape with this on it. In the video's opening, you expect it to be funny as “Lookin’ 4 Luv?” comes up, and Tony is wearing a kind of tropical-themed shirt. Yet instead of being a typical dating video, it takes a dark turn. After cutting to a recording of a house briefly, Tony is interrupted by noises off-camera and leaves. When he returns, there are more noises, this time a woman whimpering, and he explodes in rage. Next, a clip with Tony in a different shirt shows his anger issues once more. Many believed this unsettling video to be real.

In a near-empty room, a man sits at a table using a type of ladle to eat from a bowl in front of him. At the same time, a strange person wearing a Funko Pop-esque costume walks towards him slowly. It strokes the man, who begins to sob. Giggling is also coming from somewhere. It ends with a second similarly dressed person joining - but the story continues in 3 other subsequent parts. The video first popped up online in 2005. Supposedly coming from the dark web, some speculated that the man was being held against his will. These outfits were seemingly based on the work of Raymond Persi, called RayRay. He alleged the costumes were stolen, but this has been disputed.

The mystery behind people behind the hijacking of two Chicago TV stations in 1987 didn’t only influence countless subsequent sci-fi media but also continues to baffle the internet to this day. Back in the late 1980s, a news broadcast on WGN-TV was interrupted by someone costumed as Max Headroom, a fictional character, as they nodded to eerie electronic sounds. The station got control back, but later that night, WTTW was hijacked by seemingly the same people. This time, it was far more disturbing. With distorted audio, “Max” makes one bizarre statement after another, taking shots at journalism along the way. At the end, he’s bent over and being spanked with a flyswatter by a woman. The lack of explanation and no one owning the stunt makes it even more eerie.

For the first few moments, you think you're watching a cutesy puppet show for children featuring a song about creativity. Nope. After a few jarring moments, it goes off the deep end when the characters cover a heart in glitter accompanied by disturbing music. This clip was originally released under the title “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared,” in 2011. However, after the short film became a viral hit, it morphed into a web series that took the name instead, and the episode became “Creativity.” Over the next few years, the channel added several more creepy entries. Then, “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared” became a TV show released in 2022, disturbing a bigger audience who can no longer trust “Sesame Street.”

Known as the “most famous missing person on YouTube,” the last known CCTV footage of Mittank led to wild speculation about what happened. This included human trafficking, something paranormal, or a severe reaction to medication. In 2014, Mittank was set to return to Germany after being on vacation in Bulgaria. Yet before he could, he was apparently in an altercation, leaving him injured and unable to fly. After his friends left with his blessing, Mittank became paranoid that someone was after him. When he went to Varna Airport to get medically cleared, fear took over, and he ran away. Mittank darted from the building, jumping a fence into a nearby forest. Since then, he hasn’t been seen since.

In 2004, David Firth released “spoons,” the first episode of a series featuring his Salad Fingers character, on Newgrounds. After a slow start, the series' popularity took off, worming its way into the public consciousness and developing a cult following. Perhaps inspired by Tim Burton, the apocalyptic setting with a dark-circled-eyed and long-fingered character plus a high-pitched voice talking about his love of rusty spoons was eerie. But the sound effects, like the screeching child, the scratching, and the heavy breathing, added a deeper level of dread. With people both disturbed and fascinated by Salad Fingers, the series has continued adding more episodes over the years, going even darker along the way.

In 2013, after Elisa Lam vanished, the police released security footage from an elevator in the Stay on Main hotel, her last known sighting. The clip starts off innocently, with the Canadian student selecting buttons. But then, Lam suddenly steps back as though she’s seen or heard something. After looking in the hallway, she seems scared about something. Eventually, Lam goes into the hall and appears to talk to someone off-camera before walking away. This clip led to various theories, such as Lam being under the influence of a substance, was having a paranormal experience, or there was someone after her. Sadly, her body was later discovered in the building’s water tank. It was officially deemed to have been accidental.

When this video first spread on YouTube in 2009, it unlocked ​automatonophobia, a fear of human-like figures, in many people. Put online in 2004, it received a lot more attention when “I Feel Fantastic” was uploaded on YouTube by creepyblog. The clip shows an animatronic robot named Tara singing with a distorted voice about her positive feelings. Even Tara’s arm moves around, as if in some kind of limited and upsetting dance. Intercut with odd camera angles, seemingly irrelevant outside footage, and costume changes, the video has lived rent-free in the internet’s mind for years. Tara was apparently created by Jon Bergeron, who first spoke about his work with the android in 2001. Hopefully, he didn’t make any others after this nightmare.

After all that creepiness, what wholesome video do you watch to cleanse your disturbed palette? Let us know below!