Nowadays, stirring up controversy online is not all that difficult. However, creating a huge online buzz is no easy task. Many people become internet celebrities entirely by chance, with fame on the Internet simply dropping into their laps. Sometimes it’s done with purpose, as seen on Kim Kardashian’s Paper magazine cover. In any scenario, the aim of “breaking the internet” is achievable.
Ten Times We Almost Broke the Internet.
Let’s look at ten instances where we successfully got people talking.
01. Ice Bucket Challenge
Everyone seemed to have participated in the ice bucket challenge. In an effort to raise money and awareness for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, numerous celebrities participated in the worldwide phenomenon that dominated social media for weeks and weeks on end. They jumped at the chance to share videos of themselves pouring ice water over their heads.
The videos were widely shared, and one that Bill Gates posted even received over 20 million views. As a result of the trend, which eventually came to an end, it had helped to raise $115 million.
02. Kim Kardashian Paper Magazine Cover
While a lot of ordinary folks go viral by default and they become viral sensations, superstars frequently end up with internet fame with purpose. Some people, like Kim Kardashian, for instance, tend to branch out and specifically seek out to achieve new buzz that “breaks” the Internet.
The most well-known Kardashian sister posed on the cover of Paper magazine, baring nothing but her incredibly shiny butt, alongside the headline that started it all – “Kim Kardashian: Break the Internet.”
The Kardashian queen quickly rose to the top of the list of internet celebrities. Additionally, 6.6 million more people visited Paper’s website just one day after the piece was published. Within 48 hours of its launch, the website received over 11 million unique visitors and generated 15.9 million page views.
03. Steve Harvey (Miss Universe)
When the wrong winner of the Miss Universe contest was mistakenly announced by Steve Harvey, it had to rank among the most awkward and undoubtedly uncomfortable moments in television history.
A simple error, right? It turns out that Harvey misinterpreted the name of the winner when he was giving the prize, which led to a wave of awkward interviews and viral memes.
He tweeted an apology but then also spelled both of the countries from which each representative came incorrectly, making the matter even worse.
04. Jeremy Meeks
Even while you might not be familiar with his name right away, Jeremy Meeks’ face soon gained attention after his unquestionably attractive mugshot, which was initially published by the police department in Stockton, California, started to circulate.
What could only be characterized as a mess of ecstatic, swooning schoolgirls rapidly erupted on the Internet. Despite the fact that Jeremy Meeks was described by the police as “one of the most dangerous criminals in the Stockton region,” locals and internet lovers were eager to make him a household name and celebrity; some even organized a campaign to secure him a modeling contract.
Even though Meeks never did land a modeling contract, it’s safe to say that his mugshot will rank among the most well-known images ever released and is now recognizable all over the world.
05. The insane Kickstarter campaign
This story is very obscure, but it all began when Zack “Danger” Brown developed a craving for potato salad. Naturally, he launched a Kickstarter campaign and requested only $15.00 to pay for the ingredients.
He described his fundraising efforts as “basically just potato salad” on his fundraising page. “I’m not sure what kind yet,” he replied. He admitted as much in the “Risks and Challenges” section of his fundraising, saying, “It might not be that good. It’s my first time making potato salad.”
Brown garnered more than $55,000 in a matter of days from close to 7,000 backers. In order to support local charities fighting hunger, he used the money to create a big festival called PotatoStock in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
06. Renée Zellweger
In October, the 45-year-old actress attended a typical Hollywood red carpet event. Nothing major, right? However, others soon became aware of a change in her. Headlines prompted us to stop what we were doing and look at Renée Zellweger’s face, asking, “What HAS she done to it?”
Her name instantly became trending on Twitter as numerous individuals made insulting and embarrassing remarks about the actress’s new appearance in addition to commenting on it. It was obvious that people simply couldn’t get enough of her new appearance as numerous news sites posted pictures of her.
In response to the constant talk on the Internet, Zellweger soon said to People, “I’m glad that people think I look different! I’m glad that possibly my new, happier, full existence is evident.” Naturally, she found all of this chitchat to be “silly,” but she yet decided to respond to it because, as she put it, “it seems the folks who come digging around for some evil truth which doesn’t exist won’t get off my doorstep until I answer the door.”
Some publications begged everyone to just let it go and leave her (and her face) alone while the rumors persisted. Brian Moylan wrote, “There is a very strong reason Zellweger might want a whole new look; to her older one, we were all terribly cruel,”
07. The iPhone 6 Release
Every time an iProduct is released, people go crazy, but on September 19, when the iPhone 6 made its formal debut, people went crazy even more. However, a number of strange complaints appeared along with the intense enthusiasm for the device, which caused many individuals to stand in obscenely long lines for obscenely long periods of time.
The big, 6.2-inch phone, according to numerous users, was bending in their pockets. Soon enough, the #Bendgate hashtag emerged, collecting all the complaints in one place, many of which included images as proof. (Apple responded after the level of internet outrage reached a certain threshold.) The #Hairgate controversy followed, with individuals claiming that their hair was being torn off by the phone.
Outraged victims explained that strands would get caught in the gap between the glass and aluminum of the gadget. These controversies were, of course, largely insignificant in the end. In just three days, Apple sold more than 10 million iPhone 6 units.
08. The Apparently Kid
Before making a dramatic appearance on a local news story in August, Noah Ritter was just a regular five-year-old boy living his regular life in Pennsylvania. Due to his, uh, apparent affinity for the term “apparently,” the video quickly gained popularity online, earning him the nickname “Apparently Kid.”
His initial video has received more than 17 million views, and since then, he has appeared on Ellen multiple times and even starred in a commercial for a pet food brand. Despite the fact that popularity on the Internet may, of course, be extremely temporary, people continue to seem to adore the Apparently Kid months after his online debut.
09. Jay Z and Solange’s Elevator Scuffle
Back in May, TMZ was responsible for the viral leak of a video showing Solange, the sister of Beyoncé, kicking and punching Jay Z, her brother-in-law, in the elevator of a hotel. Following the Met Gala, the incident took place at New York’s Standard Hotel, which quickly prompted a plethora of comments, questions, speculations, jokes, and guesses regarding #WhatJayZSaidToSolange.
We were all very engrossed because everything was so mysterious. The family issued a statement a few days after the video went viral, assuring everyone that “our family has worked through it.” “We adore each other, and above all, we are family,” they continued, “We’ve moved past this, and we hope everyone else will too.”
Obviously, it took some time for the Internet to move on significantly. Even now, though at a considerably reduced volume, people continue to speculate about what actually happened. But everyone has mostly come to terms with the fact that we’ll never truly know what happened. But we’ll never forget that clip.
10. Taylor Swift’s New Album
In 1989, Taylor Swift’s fifth album sold 1.287 million copies in just its first week. That’s a lot, of course, but it’s not all that surprising given the amount of internet advertising for Swift’s release on October 27. And that was produced by both her and her millions of devoted admirers.
She started dropping mysterious hints on Instagram in early August, up to a live stream on August 18, where she announced her “first documented, official pop album.” On Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, Tay-Tay engaged with fans and continued to tease tracks from the album.
Before the album was even out, she published lyrics snippets, reposted fan videos, and generally generated tons of attention. Of course, the Internet blew up after it made its formal premiere.
Finally, both T-Swift supporters and detractors appeared to sigh. Finally, it’s here. Swift, on the other hand, came up with some new hashtags that immediately gained popularity. Including #TS1989 to represent the album and #taylurking. A combination of the words “Taylor” and “lurking” that she used to snoop on her admirers while they listened to the new album.
Additionally, she released two music videos: “Blank Space,” which had 24 million views in only three days. And “Shake It Off,” both of which have gathered hundreds of millions of views.