While not a "dance," one of the most shared clips of 2021 showed a Tesla with "Full Self-Driving" beta engaged, repeatedly driving toward a child-sized mannequin and ignoring the sensors. Another famous clip showed a car driving directly into a train crossing arm.
Published: October 2023 (Retrospective on 2021) Reading Time: 8 minutes top 10 mallu indian mms scandalssrg 2021
Why it went viral: Linguistic efficiency + Drag culture entering the mainstream. The Discussion: Purists on social media argued that this was "lazy English" destroying the language. Linguistics Twitter argued that this is how language evolves (dropping the complement "the energy of"). The battle lines were drawn. By December 2021, even The Washington Post ran a column on why "It's giving" is the phrase of the year. Looking back, the viral videos of 2021 moved away from simple "fail compilations" and toward participatory culture . You weren't just watching the Corn Kid; you were dancing to his voice. You weren't just observing the Sea Shanty; you were adding a harmony. While not a "dance," one of the most
Why it went viral: Algorithmic audio. Instagram pushed this specific track hard. The Discussion: Music critics debated whether the remix ruined the original rock vibe (Måneskin fans hated it) or improved it. The meta-discussion was about forced virality —did users actually love the song, or did the algorithm just make it inescapable? Platform: TikTok | Views: 100M+ The Discussion: Purists on social media argued that
Why it went viral: True crime meets relationship anxiety. The Discussion: TikTok became the FBI. Users claimed the boyfriend was cheating because of the "camera pan angle." The girlfriend posted follow-ups saying everything was fine, but the mob didn’t believe her. This sparked a huge ethical discussion about "Parasocial Investigation"—does analyzing a stranger’s private video without consent make you a hero or a bully? Platform: Twitter | Views: N/A (Linguistic Meme)
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)