You might want to be famous, or you might not, but sometimes people unwittingly become internet famous from one post or meme that’s shared online.
Most of us simply want to live our normal, everyday lives and avoid being in the spotlight. Sometimes, that spotlight is thrust upon us, although, if you’re being videoed during an interview or performance, you should expect you might end up online. These videos can sometimes go viral and then many people aren’t sure what to do about the accidental fam that’s been thrust upon them.
Here are a few stories of people who accidentally became internet famous.
He really likes corn
Kids can be hilarious and perfectly honest about their feelings. When an online interview went viral on YouTube featuring a seven-year-old boy who expressed his love for corn, it was incredible. The video was viewed more than 10 million times and shared on other social media sites. The video was turned into a song, which received 25 million views. This was one of those times when becoming internet famous wasn’t a bad thing, and many people got a lot of joy from the child’s love for corn.
Taxi!
Hailing a taxi in New York City can be a daunting task, but once you have the taxi, you want it to take you to a specific destination. One comedian chose to allow the driver to take them to their favorite locations in the city and spent time doing activities with the driver. The fare turned out to be pretty steep, but the two-minute TikTok video was viewed more than three million times, giving the world some entertainment. The comedian, Kareem Rahma, said he had no idea the video would receive the kind of attention it did.
Boys Choir success
The Miami Boys Choir is a well-known group within the Orthodox Jewish community, and the boys who participate are known to have fantastic singing voices. A video from 2007 featuring four soloists from the choir has been viewed on TikTok more than 12.3 million times. The sounds from their video have also been used in more than 11,000 videos. This incredible fame wasn’t expected, but it’s pretty cool how widespread this sound has become.
Not the expected reaction
A college student posted a video of her surprise reunion with her boyfriend on TikTok after she’d been traveling for about four months. This time, becoming internet famous wasn’t the positive experience that you might expect. The boyfriend’s stunned reaction had many users posting negative comments and suggesting he wasn’t happy to see her and might have been cheating on her. This is, unfortunately, what can happen when you share your videos for anyone in the public to see and consume. Some people can’t help but try and make people feel bad.
Never too old
You’re never too old to become an internet sensation. Dr. Howard Tucker became famous for being the oldest practicing doctor at the age of 100. His grandson helped make him a viral sensation on TikTok by sharing a video of Tucker taking part in a musical challenge. That video received more than two million views, but a video of him giving a lecture to medical residents was even more successful, with more than 7.6 million views.
Change of plans
Canceled flights can be pretty common, but what happened with one group isn’t. When a flight from Florida to Tennessee got canceled, one group of passengers chose to rent a minivan and drive the 650 miles together. This led to one member of the group posting TikTok videos of the journey, which was viewed more than 3.9 million times. Some commenters asked for updates on the journey, and those follow-up videos received 1.2 million views. This group quickly became internet famous for their ingenuity and their fun times during the trip.
Gratitude gone wrong
Sometimes, when we post our random thoughts, even when they are innocent and filled with gratitude, some people can be cruel. One user posted about her morning coffee routine, which includes going into the garden with her husband and talking for hours. This tweet received tons of backlash, calling her privileged and wealthy, despite her desire to simply tweet out her feelings of gratitude. Thankfully, she didn’t let it get to her and still enjoys her morning coffee time with her husband.
Becoming internet famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for some, but it can be a wonderful experience for others. Regardless, what you post online can quickly make you popular, but not always in a way that you might appreciate.
