The year started with a bang—specifically, the beat of a capstan. Scottish postman Nathan Evans uploaded himself singing "Wellerman," a 19th-century whaling song. Within days, millions joined in via Duet, adding harmony lines, bass riffs, and even kazoo solos.
Why it went viral: In a year filled with anxiety, the video was a pure, uncynical dopamine hit. The Discussion: Social media didn’t just laugh at the kid; they celebrated him. The sound was remixed into a dance track by musician Schäffer the Darklord, leading to a official "Corn Anthem." Discussions revolved around the ethics of child virality (mostly positive here) and how to preserve innocence online. Platform: TikTok (Duets) | Views: 500M+ (Collective) top 10 mallu indian mms scandalssrg 2021
A single video showing a student walking out of a school bathroom holding a soap dispenser sparked a national crisis. "Devious Lick" encouraged students to steal school property for likes (soap dispensers, exit signs, even a sink). The year started with a bang—specifically, the beat
Why it went viral: The absurdist format required zero context. The Discussion: Video editors competed for "best wrong label." While low-stakes, the discussion revolved around "Anti-Humor" in 2021. Was it funnier when the label was close to correct (pointing at a muffin saying "bread") or completely insane (pointing at a forest fire saying "slightly warm")? Reddit polls were furious. Platform: Instagram Reels | Views: 2 Billion (Audio uses) Why it went viral: In a year filled
Why it went viral: Fear. The clash between Elon Musk’s promises and physical reality. The Discussion: This sparked the year’s most heated debate on r/teslamotors and Twitter. Was the video staged? Or is "Full Self-Driving" a death trap? Regulators entered the chat. It split the internet into two camps: "Tech Bros" who said the driver should have taken over, and safety advocates who argued the software shouldn't fail that hard. Platform: Reddit/Twitter | Views: N/A (Image macro, but video edits took over)
Hallie Cain posted a video defining "Cheugy" (pronounced choo-gee): the opposite of trendy. Think "Live, Laugh, Love" signs, Ugg boots, or anything from the 2010s. Within a week, the word was in The New York Times .
Published: October 2023 (Retrospective on 2021) Reading Time: 8 minutes