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.
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).
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. top 10 mallu indian mms scandalssrg 2021
Published: October 2023 (Retrospective on 2021) Reading Time: 8 minutes
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) The year started with a bang—specifically, the beat
It is impossible to discuss 2021 without the innocent joy of "The Corn Kid." Seven-year-old Tariq, interviewed by the YouTube channel Recess Therapy , delivered the most earnest monologue of the year: "It’s corn! A big lump with knobs. It has the juice."
Though originating from Spider-Man 2 (2004), 2021 saw a renaissance of this specific line. This was largely due to the hype around Spider-Man: No Way Home . Users created deepfake video loops of Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn saying the line in response to absurd pseudoscience. A single video showing a student walking out
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)