TikTok and Instagram moments that defined 2024: From lookalike contests to Moo Deng

If you spent much of 2024 endlessly doom-scrolling on social media, you’ll know it was time well spent, as our feeds were jam-packed with hilarious viral moments.

Collectively, we reached new levels of brain rot with the amount of content consumed (so much so it was Oxford University Press’s 2024 Word of the Year). And some brilliantly chaotic cultural moments unfolded right before our eyes. From Brat summer to the Willy Wonka experience, join me on a journey looking back at the viral moments that defined 2024.

The Bear star, Jeremy Allen White kicked off the year with a viral Calvin Klein campaign. The actor turned up the heat in a series of sexy pictures in which he posed in his tighty whities on a New York rooftop. It had the internet screaming ‘YES CHEF’ all over again.

In February, we saw the disastrous Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow go viral. Parents reported children bursting into tears when they discovered the actors playing the Oompa Loompas were struggling to remember their scripts. A video of a mysterious scary figure called ‘The Unknown’ appeared from behind a mirror which caused children to whimper in fear. The clip amassed millions of views and became an instant viral sensation.

Remember when Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister? Remember when he single-handedly killed off the nation’s love for Adidas Sambas? Sunak issued an apology after a picture of him wearing the fashion trainer went viral. It’s safe to say that sales rapidly declined soon after. One user wrote “And just like that, Sambas are back in the charity shops”.

Glastonbury 2024 headliner Dua Lipa was intercepted in the VIP area of the festival by an over-enthusiastic busker called Liam C. Liam approached the pop star armed with a ukulele, before launching into one of his songs, eager to get Dua’s thoughts. Dua stood there patiently listening, and her reaction quickly went viral as she was filmed making awkward eye contact with the camera whilst nodding along politely as the performance went on.

Brat was not one moment of 2024, but rather a whole movement. Whether you were out having a Brat summer or not, Charli XCX’s chaotic press tour was a delight to watch on social media. From Jedward’s live stream on the Southbank to Charli’s pop-up appearances at random venues across the country, we loved watching every second of her album come alive before us.

In August, American TikToker, Jools Lebron posted a short video titled “How to be demure and modest and respectful at the work place” which went viral on the platform. “You see how I do my make-up for work? Very demure, very mindful,” she said in the video. The phrase took off at lightning speed, and has gone on to become one of 2024’s best social media moments. In the words of Lily Collins “Diamonds and a black dress, very demure, very mindful”.

If there’s one social media moment almost broke the internet (and Ticketmaster), it has to be news of the Oasis reunion. Days before the official announcement was made, Liam Gallagher posted an ominous video which said “27.08.24, 8am”. Fans knew a big announcement was coming, but nothing could have prepared the world for a confirmed Oasis reunion and world tour. Nor the outrage that would follow over the dynamic pricing.

The baby pygmy hippopotamus went viral on social media, thanks to her remarkably expressive face and some adorable and hilarious clips of her at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. She also got stuck in with US election. In a video recorded as Americans went to the polls, Moo Deng was given two piles of fruit made to look like cake, one with the name of Republican candidate Donald Trump on it and the other with the Democrats’ Kamala Harris. So who did Moo Deng pick? She chose the fruit cake that spelt out Mr Trump.

As Halloween came around this year, the internet was entertained by the hyper-specific pop culture costumes people thought up. From the tennis ball in Challengers to the passanger seat referenced in Chappell Roan’s song Casual, people got very inventive with their costumes this year.

Timothée Chalamet shocked fans after making a surprise appearance at a lookalike contest for the actor in New York. Soon after, we saw lookalike contests for Paul Mescal in Dublin, Harry Styles in London and Dev Patel in San Francisco happen. The internet sat back and watched in amusement, as this random phenomena caught wind across the globe! After a pretty bleak news cycle of war, death and crime, the lookalike contests provided a shining beacon of light in those darker Winter days.

When journalist Tracy E Gilchrist interviewed Wicked actors Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, she had no idea her conversation was going to be a stand-out moment on social media. Gilchrist said “people are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that, and feeling power in that”, before Cynthia Erivo puts her hand to her chest, admitting, “I didn’t know that that was happening”. Ariana Grande then glanced longingly at Erivo before clutching onto one of her fingers in the bizarre clip. The phrase ‘holding space’ caught on like wildfire.

The internet’s obsession and sexualisation of Luigi Mangione has been a controversial topic. Mangione, who is the alleged shooter of UnitedHealth’s CEO, became famous overnight after details of his alleged murder of Brian Thompson went viral. Internet users rooted for the 26-year-old anti-hero, analysing and applauding his actions. Undoubtedly he has been the internet’s main character for the last month.