There have been some crazy viral videos over the last few decades, from performances like "Evolution of Dance" to ones viewers can't help but laugh along with like "Chewbacca Mom." There have been honest and funny home videos, like "Charlie Bit My Finger" and "Keyboard Cat" and emotional ones like "Leave Britney Alone." And who can forget "Baby Shark," which is YouTube's most-watched video ever. Whatever the type, viral videos have been around for the last decade-and-a-half. And the early 2010s was primetime for some of the most hilarious of them.
While many of the viral videos from that time period will forever remain a part of pop culture, many reached their height of popularity years ago and have largely been forgotten today. Nonetheless, watch them again and it's easy to remember what made them go viral in the first place.
The Double Rainbow (2010)
Chances are that most people have forgotten about that hilarious video when YouTuber Paul Vasquez was out near Yosemite National Park and spotted what he called a "double rainbow." He was overcome by excitement and emotion and viewers couldn't help but feel just as excited when listening to his reaction.
Sadly, Vasquez, whose video on YouTube has received more than 48 million views to date, passed away in 2020. But his video continues to make people laugh and appreciate the beauty in nature.
Antoine Dodson Bed Intruder (2010)
Dodson stayed relevant long after his viral video thanks to being parodied in the opening sequence of the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But his actual video remains largely forgotten. The reason for the video was no laughing matter: Dodson was talking to reporters about a rapist targeting victims in his area.
It was a musical remix that included Dodson's now-famous words, "hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband," that went viral. Today, the original video has more than 77 million views while the "Bed Intruder Song" video remix now has 149+ million views.
Old Spice Guy (2010)
"Hello, ladies. Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back to your man. Now back to me." These lines made a brand that was considered outdated start trending online. It was all thanks to the "Old Spice Guy."
His good looks and rapid-fire dialogue as he miraculously morphed from being in a bathroom to a boat then to delivering that memorable final line "I'm on a horse" won over the hearts of viewers. The Old Spice campaign was a roaring success and the 30-second video garnered more than 58 million views.
Rebecca Black's Friday (2011)
Whatever happened to Rebecca Black? The aspiring singer released a music video for her song called "Friday" back in the day. But the 14-year-old was mocked for the corniness of the video and song, which many called the worst song ever made.
And while Black has opened up about the emotional toll the video has had on her life, and the stigma of being "famous for the wrong reasons," Black got the last laugh because the video has more than 150 million views to date. She went on to release other songs and continues to post to YouTube.
Gangnam Style Music Video (2012)
While the best music videos of the 2010s all hailed from superstars like Beyoncé, Drake, Ariana Grande, and Kendrick Lamar, there's one musician that is easily forgotten despite his impact on the music video scene. Psy's Gangnam Style music video brought so much joy and a memorable dance craze.
The boy band-like video sees Psy dancing everywhere from in a sauna to on a bus and at a beach, doing his signature dance best described as riding a horse and twirling a lasso. The video currently has close to four billion views. While the actual video has largely been forgotten, it will always remain a part of pop culture history.
What Does The Fox Say? (2013)
Everyone knows the song from the Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. But how many remember the actual video? The pair, brothers Vegard and Bard, begin singing a soft tune about various animals as people enter a party dressed in full animal costumes.
At first, the song sounds like a normal, educational tune that parents can sing with their kids to help them learn the sounds that animals make. But when the duo asks what sound foxes make, thus begins the weird, high-pitched tone and dance moves. The video now has just shy of a billion views.
Jennifer Lawrence Oscars Fall (2013)
A-list actor Jennifer Lawrence, an admitted klutz, found herself tripping on the stairs while going to accept one of the most prestigious awards an actor can receive: an Oscar.
The trip was understandable given her long, puffy dress with lots of bottom layers and high-heeled shoes. And while watching someone fall shouldn't be funny, the fact that Lawrence herself found it hilarious made fans feel less guilty about laughing at her misfortune. With 13+ million views, most people have forgotten about the incident by now, though watching it again, it isn't any less funny.
David After Dentist (2010)
There have been so many "coming home from dental surgery" videos since, but if David DeVore's wasn't the first, it was by far one of the funniest. Just seven years old, the young boy was headed home after visiting the dentist, where he had oral surgery. The anesthetic medication had not yet worn off and he began talking nonsensically, including asking if he was "in real life."
The video became so popular that it now has more than 140 million views. Fans can even buy merchandise from the family, including the most recent line of T-shirts, mugs, and more that feature the words, "Seriously 2020? Is this real life?"
Left Shark At The Super Bowl (2015)
Katy Perry got the opportunity of a lifetime when she was given the chance to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show in 2015, and it was an amazing performance that easily ranks in the top three of that decade. But while the high-energy performance was typical Perry style, full of color and quirk, much of the attention halfway through shifted from the singer to one of her back-up dancers.
Viewers couldn't help but marvel at the hilarity of "left shark," the overly enthusiastic dancer wearing a shark costume. The character stood beside Perry and put plenty of gusto into the choreography, even when they were out of sync and missing moves altogether. But the person's personality shone through and the shark won fans over because of it. The 12-minute performance has more than 48 million views to date on YouTube.
John Travolta Introducing Idina Menzel
The entertainment industry got a lot of mileage out of this flub by A-list actor John Travolta who, when reading the cue cards to introduce singer and actor Idina Menzel before she performed "Let It Go" from Frozen at the Oscars, completely messed up her name. What was especially hilarious was that he didn't just mispronounce it but somehow came up with a completely different name: Adele Dazeem.
Normally, a mistake in pronunciation wouldn't be such a big deal, but Travolta was so far off and didn't seem to realize it. Menzel went on to deliver a flawless performance, despite the botched introduction. A quick search on YouTube shows plenty of recordings of the clip, including this one from DisneyVideoTours that has 1.365 million views.