Best of: viral videos from the past school year

With trends of salmon rice bowls, relationship troubles and Taylor Swift playing non-stop on the radio, there were countless posts this year that went viral. Photo collage by DANIEL PEARSON, Photo Editor

Just like many other people in 2019, I fell victim to the obsession of creating a video worthy of going viral on TikTok; though I would soon find out that fame was not as glamorous as everyone claimed it to be. 

After posting an embarrassing video to the app in August 2019 that garnered almost 2 million views, it seemed my entire high school had seen it. On the first day of school my senior year, nearly a dozen people approached me to mention they had seen my TikTok account. 

Humiliated by the new found stardom, I decided watching viral videos — rather than directing them myself — was a safer bet. 

Through the years, going “viral” has drastically shifted in meaning: a couple years ago, most viral videos made their debut on YouTube. Now, smartphone apps such as TikTok, BeReal and YikYak are more contemporary forums for popular media — especially across college campuses — due to the versatility of content these platforms allow users to post.

Most notably, apps such as Instagram and TikTok cater to decreasing attention spans of viewers by producing an abundance of short-form content. With a duration of no more than three minutes, viewers are left with the important details of the riveting videos created.

With this understanding of how new trends circulate the internet, The Panther compiled a list of some of the most influential content viralized on the internet this past academic year.

Salmon Rice Bowls

Although some people might revel over the idea of leftovers for dinner on a Wednesday night after a long, stressful day, I feel quite the opposite. When 6 p.m. rolls around, I’m ready to take a long-awaited break from my day by cooking up a gourmet meal — that is, if you consider turning a hodgepodge of vegetables and rice into a stir fry “gourmet.”

TikTok and YouTube sensation Emily Mariko, on the other hand, prepares for the same leftover meal once a week and is delighted to do so. The day after she cooks fresh salmon for dinner, Mariko combines the leftover salmon in a bowl with rice, soy sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise and sriracha, then tops it with avocado and eats each bite with a piece of dried seaweed.

After showing her go-to leftover meal on TikTok in September, the video quickly went viral with thousands of remakes as people absorbed this seemingly simple yet drool-worthy dish.

Although I was skeptical of this Japanese-style food concoction, I, of course, had to try it out to see what the hype was really about. To nobody’s surprise but my own, the bowl was delicious and I continued to buy salmon on my weekly Trader Joe’s runs.

Relationship Troubles

Everyone dreams of their first love being the person they stay with for the rest of their life — even if you end up at different colleges. But long-distance relationships can work, right?

Over 65 million viewers became invested in the long-distance relationship of TikTok user Lauren Zarras after she posted a video of her surprising her boyfriend by showing up to his college. Assuming everyone on the internet would view the video to be just as sweet as she did, Zarras was dismayed to see comments critiquing her boyfriend’s reaction to her unannounced arrival.

“(It) breaks my heart that people can watch a special moment and bring so much negativity,” Zarras put as the top comment on the September 2021 TikTok. “Please think before you assume anything about my relationship.”

Zarras’ boyfriend soon became infamously known as “Couch Guy,” and the nickname spread like wildfire. Viewers picked apart his body language as he stood up from the couch, where he was seated next to three other girls, and unenthusiastically gave her a hug. 

Even though I hate to judge people on the internet from a 30-second clip, I shamefully indulged myself in the many videos made by other TikTok users who navigated their platforms to investigate the truth behind the video. 

Despite countless attacks on their relationship, Zarras and her boyfriend are still dating and making videos together. Zarras gained almost 200,000 followers after going viral.

Similar to Couch Guy, West Elm Caleb elicited internet infamy after women on TikTok shared stories of dating the proclaimed New York City furniture designer after meeting him on Hinge. The common elements of these stories are that the alleged 25-year-old treated his dates poorly and inevitably ghosted them after no more than a couple dates.

Critics also took to TikTok under the hashtag #westelmcaleb to condemn the designer’s dating habits.

All Too Well: The Short Film

On June 18, 2021, Taylor Swift announced that she would be releasing the re-recording of her hit album “Red.” Fans, myself included, celebrated the addition of a 10-minute version of the already popular song, “All Too Well.” 

In the past, Swift had alluded to the existence of this version of the song, but her announcement of its release was better than expected for many fans. What could be better than a 10-minute-long version of a fan-favorite song?

The answer: a short film to go along with it. 

Since its release in November 2021, All Too Well: The Short Film has gained almost 65 million views on YouTube. The film features actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, with Swift making an appearance as herself near the end. 

The film shares the story of a couple trapped in a loveless relationship that is reflective of the one described in the song. O’Brien’s character is much older than Sink’s, and it’s clear he uses the age gap to maintain power in the relationship.

On its premiere date, my roommate and I eagerly waited on the couch as the timer counted down each second until the film was released. We sat there in silence for 14 minutes and 55 seconds as we watched the film in its entirety. 

When the credits rolled, a knowing look was shared before starting it over and watching again, just in case we missed any details the first time.

Viral video trends don’t follow one specific template that is guaranteed to create success. Rather, a commonality between many viral videos is their ability to be relatable. Whether it’s an easy way to revamp leftovers, the ups and downs of a relationship or even a short film about love and heartbreak, most people will gravitate toward content that parallels their own experiences.