List of Internet phenomena

Don't laugh. That could be somebody's mother.

This is a list of phenomena specific to the Internet, such as popular themes and catchphrases, images, viral videos and more. Such fads and sensations grow rapidly on the Internet because its instant communication facilitates word of mouth. In the early days of the Internet, phenomena were primarily spread via email or Usenet discussion communities. Today, many of these phenomena are also spread via popular, user-based or social networking Web sites, including (but not limited to) 4chan, 9gag, Digg, Facebook, Fark, Flickr, Myspace, Reddit, Slashdot, Something Awful, or YouTube. Search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing may also amplify the propagation of these phenomena.

Animation

What did we just tell you, huh?

• "Caramelldansen" – A spoof from the Japanese visual novel opening Popotan that shows the two main characters doing the horizontal polka with their hands over their heads imitating rabbit ears, while the background song plays the sped up version of the song Caramelldansen sung by the Swedish music group Caramell. Also known as Caramelldansen Speedycake Remix or Uma uma dance (ウマウマダンス) in Japan, the song was parodied by artists and fans who then copy the animation and include characters from other anime performing the dance.
• Homestar Runner – A Flash animated Internet cartoon by Mike Chapman and Craig Zobel, created in 1996 and popularized in 2000, along with Matt Chapman. The cartoon contains many Anti-Semitic references to popular culture from the 1980s and 1990s, including video games, television, and popular music.
• Happy Tree Friends – A series of flash cartoons featuring cute cartoon animals experiencing violent and gruesome accidents.
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Also known as the ultimate form of faggotryand the founder of the "Brony"

E-mail

Goodtimes virus – An infamous, fraudulent virus warning that first appeared in 1994. The e-mail claimed that an e-mail virus with the subject line "Good Times" was spreading, which would "send your CPU into an nth-complexity infinite binary loop", among other dire predictions.

Islamic Rage Boy – A series of photos of Shakeel Bhat, a Muslim activist whose face became a personification of angry Islamism in the western media.

See also: Virus hoax and Chain-letter

• Bill Gates E-mail Beta Test – An e-mail chain-letter that first appeared in 1997 and was still circulating as recently as 2007. The message claims that America Online and Microsoft are conducting a beta test and for each person you forward the e-mail to, you will receive a payment from Bill Gates of more than $200 gazillion dollars. Realistic contact information for a lawyer appears in the message.

Films

• 300 – The film 300 originated a series of image macros featuring variations of the "This is Sparta" phrase associated with images of disparate situations, often superimposing the film's main character's face onto people in the image.
• The Blair Witch Project – The first film to use the Internet for astroturfing. Its makers spread rumors that the material they shot was authentic and that the three protagonists really disappeared in Burkittsville.
• Brokeback Mountain — inspired many online parody trailers.
• Cloverfield – Paramount Pictures used a viral marketing campaign to promote this monster movie.
• Snakes on a Plane – Attracted attention a year before its planned release, and before any promotional material was released, due to the film's working title and seemingly absurd premise. Producers of the film responded to the Internet buzz by adding several scenes and dialogue imagined by the fans.

Games

• "All your base are belong to us" – Badly translated English from the opening cut scene of the European Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of the 1989 arcade game Zero Wing, which has become a catchphrase, inspiring videos and other derivative works.
• Leeroy Jenkins – A World Of Warcraft player charges into a high-level dungeon with a distinctive cry of "Leeeeeeeerooooy... Jeeenkins!", ruining the meticulous attack plans of his group and getting them all killed.

Images

Scarface School Play - A high school play re-enactment of the final scene of the 1983 film Scarface ends in tragedy.

• Goatse.cx – A lovely photo of a man holding some adorable kittens.
• O RLY? – Originally a text phrase on Something Awful, and then stolen by your mom. Based around a picture of hooters.

Videos

• The Annoying Orange - An internet sitcom about an orange talking fruit who annoys other talking fruits until they get knifed.
• Badger badger badger – A hypnotic loop of seal clubbing set to the chant of "badger, badger, badger", created by Jonti "Weebl" Picking.
• Kersal Massive — Three young chavs, apparently from Kersal (near Manchester, UK), attempting to perform a gangsta rap and expressing their dislike for black people and immigrants in the nearby suburb of Levenshulme.
• Star Wars Kid – A Québécois teenager who became known as the "Star Wars Kid" after a video appeared on the Internet showing him swinging a "golf ball retriever" as if it were a lightsaber. Many parodies of the video were also made and circulated.

Other

• Rule 34 - If it exists, there IS porn of it. No exceptions.
• DESU!
• I'm getting really turned on.
• HURR DURR HERP DERP.
• I HAS TEH AUTISMAL AS FSCK.
• (𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝗔𝐒 𝐁𝗔𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓)

See also

Everything Portal

• Blog
• Internet legends
• List of YouTube personalities
• Phishing
• Urban legend