Buzz
The numbers are mind-blowing. YouTube boasts roughly 2.2 billion active users every month, with 2,500 videos being uploaded every single minute. Meanwhile, Instagram draws in about 500 million daily users, while around 45 million TikTok users log in at some point throughout the day.
With so many individuals engaged on these platforms, the competition for views is intense. While many people aspire to make a living solely by posting videos, only a few manage to succeed. The majority of content is quickly buried under the influx of new uploads, and countless videos go unnoticed. However, once in a while, a video catches fire and attracts millions of viewers.
But why do some videos rise to fame while others fade away? There’s no clear-cut answer, but several factors seem to play a role: humor, relevance, and relatability tend to increase a video's chances of being remembered and shared. Some argue that high production value is essential, but that’s not always the case. Some of the most viral clips are filmed with shaky mobile phones, lending them an authentic, raw feel.
There’s no surefire way to guarantee that your video will go viral. Even when a video hits big, its popularity tends to be fleeting. One week it’s all the rage, and the next, it's forgotten. Here are the top ten unusual ways people went viral.
10. A Meal for the Mind
The market for viral videos is vast, but the competition is even fiercer. People skim through countless clips before one catches their eye. To stand out and build a loyal following, you need to do something bold and different.
While food challenges are not a fresh concept, some combinations are shockingly bizarre, even by the internet's standards. Donuts paired with mustard is one of the few ways to truly ruin a donut.
Strange challenges like these are successful, drawing views that can't be ignored. The mystery lies in how the filmmaker convinced his dad to take part in the madness.
9. Not Backing Out
Food challenges have become a popular way for restaurants across the country to attract attention. There are even dedicated websites that list restaurants offering these challenges. However, when you really think about it, it’s a rather odd thing to participate in. While some animals gorge themselves on food, they typically spend days digesting it or enter hibernation. Humans don’t have to do this, yet we engage in it for fun.
The thrill lies in wondering if it’s even possible to complete, and when faced with an enormous serving of chicken fried steak, skepticism is almost inevitable.
In this particular challenge, thousands have attempted it, but only a handful have succeeded. I won’t spoil your fun by revealing how our host fared, but one way or another, it remains a rather peculiar activity.
8. Cop Over the Top
Being a cop is no easy task. The job is demanding, requiring officers to endure significant pressure while dealing with the public at its worst and in potentially perilous situations. Still, we justifiably expect them to uphold the highest standards.
In this video, we witness a cop responding in an entirely unprofessional manner to a situation. His excessive use of force seems utterly out of place considering the low threat level, and it’s certainly not something he would have been taught in his training.
In today’s world, where everyone is equipped with a camera, such incidents don’t go unnoticed. The fact that videos like this one can go viral within hours means that police officers are always under the public's watchful eye. While this is completely justified, I think our reactions should be moderated by the understanding that cops are, after all, human beings.
7. Shark Attack!
The song 'Baby Shark' is guaranteed to have toddlers singing along and dancing, leaving their parents questioning their decision to have children. It’s curious how a video featuring children escaping from ravenous sharks became such a sensation. But with its catchy tune, simple dance moves, and cheerful vibe, it’s no wonder. The two kids in the video quickly gained fame.
Pinkfong, a South Korean company, is behind this viral video, though the song itself has been around for a while. It’s said that versions of it were sung by young campers around campfires, and the inspiration for the song came from the film Jaws. The opening melody of 'Baby Shark' echoes the iconic Jaws theme. Originally viral in Indonesia, the song soon captured the world’s attention.
The Baby Shark Dance has become a YouTube sensation. It holds the title of the most-watched video on the platform, surpassing 10 billion views (making it the first video to achieve such a milestone). Considering that not everyone has access to YouTube, such as in China, it’s likely that many parents have been compelled to play it on repeat. We can’t help but admire their patience and determination.
6. The Punishment Fits
Some individuals who face sentencing before this Ohio judge might actually look forward to hearing his verdict. Take, for instance, the teenager who tried to save a few bucks by skipping out on her cab fare. The judge gave her an interesting choice: serve 30 days in jail (a harsh option) or walk thirty miles. Unsurprisingly, she chose the latter.
A thoughtful judge with a great sense of humor, handing out creative sentences that align with the crime—what’s not to like? I appreciate how he asked the girl what she would have done if she hadn’t taken a cab. Her response, that she would have walked, made the punishment obvious.
Not only is he saving taxpayer money, but he’s also providing the offenders with a lesson they won’t soon forget. The video went viral because it’s humorous and thought-provoking. It’s a bit bizarre, though, since we don’t typically expect judges to act in such a manner. Maybe more should.
5. Crossing a Line
This video went viral for all the wrong reasons. The cafe owners put their manager in an uncomfortable position by asking him to speak in English. The manager tries his best but is clearly not at ease speaking a foreign language. Since the cafe is in Islamabad, Pakistan, there isn’t much need for an English-speaking manager. The owners’ reason for doing this is mostly boredom and thinking it’s amusing. However, this is not an excuse.
What the owners did was inconsiderate and unkind. Though they later apologized for posting the video, the harm was already done. As you can see, the video is still up. Once something is posted online, taking it down can be incredibly difficult.
Fortunately, the video is brief and of poor quality. While it’s no surprise that people can be cruel, what’s strange is why this video went viral. I hope the manager received a proper apology and has since found a better place to work.
4. Soaring Whale
This brief but breathtaking film would make for an incredible screensaver. Interestingly, no special effects were used. It’s curious because even though we understand what’s happening, it feels as if we’re witnessing something beyond reality, something impossible. In truth, the whale is swimming through bioluminescent algae that appear to resemble stars.
3. Climbing El Capitán
In California's Yosemite National Park, there stands a massive granite monolith known as El Capitán. One of its faces is almost completely vertical, rising to an imposing height of nearly 3,000 feet (915 meters). It’s a daunting challenge that only the most skilled climbers dare to take on.
The summit of El Capitán remained unconquered until 1958, and climbers since have always approached the mountain with great reverence. Ascending El Capitán demands meticulous planning. Regardless of the route, climbers must ensure their equipment is flawless and climb with great caution—often taking several days, 3 or 4, to reach the peak.
Alex Honnold takes great care in planning for every climb. Having previously ascended El Capitán, he was as familiar with the Freerider route as anyone could be. The strange part comes when he decided to attempt the climb as a “free-solo,” without ropes or safety gear.
Free-solo climbing involves a climber ascending a rock face with no ropes, relying solely on their skill and strength. Climbing a nearly vertical 3,000-foot face without any safety gear is beyond eccentric; it’s borderline insane. Yet, Alex Honnold accomplished it, and he did so in under 4 hours.
As a side note, Honnold’s mother, at the age of 60, decided to take up her son’s passion for climbing. She went on to break the record for the oldest woman to climb El Capitán not once, but twice—first at 66, and again at 70. No doubt, she was probably tired of worrying about Alex.
2. Teens Applaud Good Guy
This video demonstrates how inventive people can get when selling used goods. In this case, a group of teens reacts to some rather unusual commercials for second-hand cars. The first features someone trying to sell his girlfriend’s 1996 Honda Accord with 140,000 miles on it, asking for just $500. The commercial is so well-produced, though, that it might make you think he’s selling a high-end Tesla.
It’s amusing, and the seller clearly invested a lot of time and effort into the video. The result is truly bizarre. Interestingly, the narrator mentions that bids for the car on eBay reached an astounding $150,000 before eBay pulled it from the sale due to 'irregular bidding.' No, we’re not exactly sure what they meant by that either.
The other commercials in this video are also highly entertaining. The reactions from the young viewers who comment on the ads are often funny in their own right.
1. Googling Grannie
We live in a world filled with technological marvels that, for many of us, can be quite challenging to fully comprehend. This grandmother gives it her best shot, but she just can’t quite get the hang of using her new smart speaker.
On one hand, it may seem like we’re laughing at her, but really, we’re laughing with her because we can all relate to the struggles she faces. At one point, she expresses fear, which is probably a slight overstatement since she handles the situation quite well and with a lot of charm. Still, you have to wonder why no one took the time to show her how to use her new gadget. Or, better yet, why she didn’t just throw it at the grandson who gave it to her.
Maria can laugh at herself too, as demonstrated when she was invited onto SteveTV. She quickly became the star of the segment. Younger generations, who have grown up with technology, take these advances in stride. For many older individuals, however, this rapidly changing world can be utterly confusing.
What makes this video so strange is how it captures just how much the world has evolved in such a short amount of time.
