Welcome to the Friday edition of Internet Insider, where we review the week online.
TODAY:
- The top memes of 2021, part 2
- The story behind that viral airplane breastfeeding TikTok
- This is innovation’: Woman uses iPod shuffles as hair clips
Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox.
BREAK THE INTERNET
The top memes of 2021, part 2
Last week, I broke down a few of the biggest memes of the year. Today, I’m back with the rest of the list.
- ‘I am weed’: This Galaxy Brain line was apparently uttered by Machine Gun Kelly upon meeting Megan Fox, who remarked that he smelled like weed. And, well, the rest is history. The duo inspired many couples to dress up as them on Halloween, including Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal.
- Squid Game: The Korean Netflix show Squid Game was one of the most popular TV shows of the year, and it dominated meme culture in the fall. Screengrabs of characters looking happy vs. sad were used to convey shifting moods, and people used the green screen effect on TikTok to place themselves in the game.
- Dune: The most recent adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic was a big hit online, partially because it received a dual theatrical and streaming release. (Also: It was good!) Popular memes ranged from people joking about Duncan Idaho’s name to using the title as a pun.
- Yassify: As shown in the image above of an altered Toni Collette, to “yassify” someone is to give them a Kardashian-esque, poreless makeover. A FaceApp filter helped this meme gain steam in November, as people shared countless photos of people and objects who had been yassified.
- The Feminine Urge: People started sharing relatable feminine urges before the meme became about urges in general. And, of course, the meme also made its way to TikTok.
- Two Guys on a Bus: This image, taken from a 2013 cartoon, was photoshopped and edited in just about every way, including showing the “happy” guy holding the “sad” guy. It also became a meme to display a hot take about a city or experiences being online.
That’s it! If you want to read about any more memes we covered this year, go here.
—Tiffany Kelly, culture editor
SPONSORED
Harness the power of versatile ingredients
Meal planning can seem daunting, but there’s a hack that’ll help you become a pro. The secret to smart meal planning is versatile ingredients.
With this simple organization guide, you can harness the power of the ingredients on your shopping list. This is the key you’ve been missing in your meal planning.
TIKTOK
The story behind that airplane breastfeeding TikTok
A staged TikTok of a woman breastfeeding a cat on a plane has racked up millions of hits, but it appears to have come from a Facebook “prank” page.
In a four-part series posted to the account alessiavaesenn, a familiar scene unfolds: A passenger has caused a disturbance by allegedly breastfeeding a cat, according to the man on the other side of the aisle. A flight attendant gets involved and a dispute ensues, leading up to a big reveal.
Though the videos are fake, it appears to be parodying an alleged incident in which a woman on a Delta flight from Syracuse to Atlanta was captured breastfeeding a hairless cat.
Read the full article here.
—Audra Schroeder, senior writer
DAILY DOT PICKS
- The real MVP of Spider-Man: No Way Home is this actor.
- Your New Year’s resolution to get in shape will finally come true in 2022. Get your home gym in order with some of the best home gym equipment that are on sale right now!*
- Not all expansion packs are created equal, but these Cards Against Humanity expansions are totally worth your money!*
- Read about the culture team’s favorite streaming TV shows and movies of 2021.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
NOSTALGIA
‘This is innovation’: Woman uses iPod shuffles as hair clips in viral TikTok
iPods used to be a coveted device for listening to music, but a viral TikTok showing a young woman opting to use them as hair clips instead has people freaking out.
Kirari (@sailorkiki) shared a video earlier this month in which she pairs a light green iPod shuffle with a purple one and makes them fashion, using the built in clips to stick them in her hair.
“My new favorite accessory,” she wrote in the caption.
A similar video, in which user @freckenbats jokes about finding an “iPod, I don’t know, like hairclip thing” went viral after making its way to Twitter.
Read the full story here.
—Rachel Kiley, staff writer
Now Playing: “Last Christmas” by She & Him
