Top 24 Viral Moments of 2024

Father-son duo A.J. & Big Justice brought the boom as their online presence migrated to the mainstream. Accompanying the Costco Guys to “The Tonight Show” was collaborator Christian Joseph, aka The Rizzler. While not as talkative as the other two, the Rizzler said everything with the “Rizz face,” giving Jimmy Fallon a tutorial on his signature look. The divide between generations was reflected in the comments, as many felt Fallon looked less than enthusiastic in the presence of TikTok royalty. Mr. Fallon, your inner boomer is showing.

It’s not an event picture unless a special popcorn bucket is involved. For the release of “Dune: Part Two,” AMC modeled a novelty bucket after a sandworm. At least they were supposed to resemble sandworms. To some consumers, they looked like… well, let’s just say it gives new meaning to eating out. From TikTok to “SNL,” everyone had a good laugh about the suggestive design. This included the film’s director, Denis Villeneuve, and its cast.

After creating content for a couple of years, food influencer Logan Moffitt went viral with a simple cucumber salad. Moffitt’s various cucumber-related recipes have since attracted millions of views on TikTok. They’ve also reportedly contributed to a rise in the sale of cucumbers and mandoline slicers, which Moffitt regularly uses. Not everyone has practiced caution while operating the slicers, but if you follow Moffitt’s instructions carefully, you’ll be amazed at what you can make with an entire cucumber.

We can’t tell you what “hawk tuah” means without getting demonetized, but it involves spitting on some-thang. If you didn’t hear that phrase here for the first time, chances are you learned it from Haliey Welch when Tim & Dee TV interviewed her on the street. Suddenly, Welch went from a minimum-wage spring factory worker to a viral sensation, paving the way for merchandise, a podcast, and other business ventures. Whether this amounts to fifteen minutes or years of fame, opportunity is one thang that Welch isn’t spitting on.

This viral sensation started two years ago when Mormon influencer Taylor Frankie Paul revealed to 3.5 million followers that she and her then-husband had been “soft-swinging” with other couples. Some tried distancing themselves from Paul’s influencer group, MomTok. The scandal extended beyond TikTik in 2024, though, with the Hulu series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” If you weren’t following the story already, you had to see what happened following Paul’s divorce, arrest, and misadventures with other MomTokers.

There’s only one Timothée Chalamet. Case in point, how many A-listers would show up to their own lookalike contest? Internet personality Anthony Po arranged the event, which attracted hundreds to Washington Square Park. Among them was Chalamet himself, fulfilling a $5,000 charity goal. Although the real deal was present, Miles Mitchell won for his Willy Wonka look. Making Chalamet even cooler, his team offered to cover a $500 fine the event received, but Po already had it taken care of.

Speaking of Chalamet, the success of “Wonka” had people flocking to Glasgow, Scotland for Willy’s Chocolate Experience. The event wasn’t as immersive or whimsical as the AI ads suggested. The script was also apparently AI-generated, introducing characters not in the source material like the Unknown. The dingy warehouse venue - half-assedly adorned with whatever decorations the hosts could wrangle - gave attendees all the more reason to demand refunds. 850 got their money back, but the viral response was as priceless as a Golden Ticket.

One word was on every TikToker’s mind in 2024: “Demure.” The trendy adjective entered everyday lingo after Jools Lebron[a] posted a video explaining how to be “very demure” and “very mindful” at work. Ironically, demure means to be shy or reserved, yet Lebron quickly became the center of attention. This launched a series as Lebron shared more videos about being demure at various locations. While Lebron has become an overnight celebrity, “demure” belongs to the world now.

Even if he hadn’t purchased Twitter - er, we mean X - two years ago, Elon Musk’s social media presence still would’ve been inescapable in 2024. As the election approached, Musk didn’t just want Donald Trump to be president. He wanted to be his BFF. Going full “Dark MAGA,” Musk gifted the internet plenty of hilariously uncomfortable moments. Yet, his jump for joy at a Pennsylvania rally provided the most meme fodder, looking like a billionaire kid who just inherited a candy store.

If somebody didn’t know who Justin Timberlake was in 2004, we’d ask, “Have you been living under a rock?” When a young police officer didn’t recognize him in 2024, though, millennials everywhere asked, “Are we getting old?” Timberlake himself had more pressing questions after he got pulled over while intoxicated. Namely, is this going to ruin the tour? “What tour?” the officer asked. “The world tour,” responded Timberlake, resulting in an unforgettable meme. This never would’ve happened if Timberlake hitchhiked.

Despite Trump’s legal troubles, President Joe Biden struggled in the polls with the economy and his age being among the main concerns. The July debate was Biden’s chance to prove to his competitor, critics, and country that he was as fit for four more years. While the public’s divided views on Trump remained virtually unchanged, Biden seemed to lose the Democratic party’s faith along with his train of thought. Biden dropped out of the race shortly after, but he can still settle the score on the golf course.

Sabrina Carpenter was far from an obscure name before 2024. She reached a new frontier of fame this year, though, as if her career was injected with a caffeinated beverage. The turning point came with “Espresso,” which won the VMA for Song of the Year. Virtually everything Carpenter touched in 2024 went viral, from her other number-one single “Please Please Please,” to her “Scooby-Doo” parody on “SNL,” to her collaboration with Jenna Ortega on “Taste,” to her nonsense Christmas special.

He’ll always be the champ in our hearts, but Kid Dynamite isn’t a kid anymore. Tyson was 58 when he squared off against 27-year-old Jake Paul in a live Netflix boxing match. Should we really have been that surprised when the 16-minute fight ended in a unanimous victory for influencer turned singer turned boxer? Probably not, but the internet had every right to be disappointed given the amount of hype, the anti-climatic outcome, and the fact we can now say that Titanium Jake beat up Iron Mike.

Richard Gadd captivated audiences with his harrowing true story, “Baby Reindeer.” As with any dramatization, Gadd tweaked a few aspects for the Netflix series, most notably the identities of several characters. Those wanting to know the whole story put their detective caps on, browsing the internet to find Gadd’s true abusers. While Gadd says director Sean Foley wasn’t the inspiration for Darrien as some suspected, Fiona Muir-Harvey claimed to be the real Martha. The response has led some to argue that viewers missed the show’s message about invading privacy.

Hippos are cute, pygmy hippos are cuter, and nothing upstages a baby pygmy hippo. So, when the rolly-polly Moo Deng became a new resident at Thailand’s Khao Kheow[b] Open Zoo, the merchandise came as naturally as the memes. In addition to her adorable appearance, Moo Deng won over the masses with her infectious personality. The internet’s favorite animal has also generated higher attendance at the zoo with many seeking a peek at the bouncy pork.

From his past “childless cat ladies” comments to his botched attempt at ordering donuts like an average Joe, JD Vance had no shortage of awkward viral moments on the road to the vice presidency. The most unusual was an online rumor that Vance had relations with a couch. Vance supposedly wrote about this in his memoir, although anyone who read “Hillbilly Elegy” knows there’s no such passage. While the story was proven false, it’s not like Vance hasn’t spread misinformation either.

For over two decades, few stage musicals have sorn higher than “Wicked.” Yet, even Broadway’s bigger blockbusters are part of a somewhat niche market. With its long-awaited feature film adaptation, “Wicked” redefined popular. Before even hitting theaters, the film repeatedly broke the internet with its trailers, press tour, and Mattel dolls that really should’ve double-checked the website listed on the boxes. Based on the film’s box office success, it’s safe to say Ozzians will still be singing the songs by the time “Part 2” comes out.

2023 was the year of Taylor Swift. So much so that it couldn’t be contained to one year, overflowing into 2024. Swifties who never watched a Super Bowl before were obligated to check out game LVIII if only to catch a glimpse of Taylor cheering on her beau, Travis Kelce. “The Tortured Poets Department” topped Swift’s own record on Spotify. The Eras Tour also came to an end in December, but a new era is surely just around the corner.

The only thing more unpredictable than Kamala Harris’ sudden presidential candidacy was her association with singer Charli XCX. In June, the English artist released her sixth studio album, “Brat.” The album’s performance on the charts and presence on social media led to the phrase, “brat summer.” Those unfamiliar with the term were given a crash course after Charli XCX posted, “Kamala IS brat.” Even if Harris didn’t win the election, Collins Dictionary awarded “brat” the word of the year.

When news broke that Trump had survived a shooting at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally, there was a mix of disbelief… and not being entirely surprised. It wasn’t the first time somebody had targeted Trump, although this was arguably the closest a U.S. presidential candidate came to assassination since Ronald Reagan got shot in 1981. As Trump raised his fist while blood ran down his ear, Republicans and Democrats everywhere knew one thing. This moment will go down in history.

Whether or not you heard the name Brian Peck before 2024, the identity of his victim remained a mystery to the public. The docuseries “Quiet on Set” promised to reveal the truth, although viewers collectively dropped their jaws when actor Drake Bell sat down, breaking his silence. Bell had been one of Nickelodeon’s biggest stars. The idea something so horrible could’ve happened to him under the network’s nose should’ve been impossible, but that’s the dark reality of kids TV.

After Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee, it was unclear if she’d get to face her Republican opponent in a debate. Trump ultimately committed to one debate in September. Although full of surreal moments, nothing transfixed the internet more than Trump’s assertion that Springfield, Ohio’s Haitian migrants were eating cats and dogs. While these claims have been widely denied and disputed, many still bought into Trump’s shaggy-dog story. Others shared Harris’ memeable reactions.

You might say that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trended for all the wrong reasons in 2024. To be more precise, he went viral for over 120 reasons. Amid the numerous allegations and the rapper’s arrest in September, people did a deep dive into the Diddy archive, unearthing old interviews and songs that play differently through a modern lens. While it was hard to turn on the news or click through a WatchMojo video without hearing about Diddy this year, there’s little doubt we’ll be hearing more about him in 2025.

Forget the games. We watch the Olympics for the memes. The XXXIII Olympiad didn’t disappoint, from Yusuf Dikeç[c] looking laidback with a gun to Snoop Dogg being Snoop Dogg. Yet, we have to give the gold to Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn for her breakdancing. Although we can’t argue against her score of absolute zero, no moment brought the internet more joy this year than what Raygun calls dancing. Her chaotic routine essentially summed up 2024. As such, let’s all do a kangaroo pose in her honor.


Which moment defines 2024 for you? Let us know in the comments.

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