Top 10 Viral Moments of 2016, Part 1
What had everyone talking in 2016?
Here is the first installment of the Top 10 Viral Moments of 2016:
- Pokémon GO Memes
– Pokémon GO became an instant hit and was released in the U.S. on July 6th on Apple and Android devices
– Essentially, you pick an avatar to play as to try and capture Pokémon in your exact locations
– It is as if Pokémon is brought to real life
– Memes starting popping up about the addicting game and tendencies to always see people in parks, checking their phones or following to certain locations to catch a rare Pokémon
- The Color Purple sings “Purple Rain”
– Grammy winner and music icon Prince died on April 21st at the age of 57
– The music world lost one of its legends and many used social media to post tributes to the late singer
– The cast of Broadway’s “The Color Purple” paid a special tribute to Prince the night of his death following the show
– Stars Jennifer Hudson and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo (Eh-REEVE-OH) led the cast in singing “Purple Rain”
- Real-Life Mario Kart
– Mario Kart was and still is one of Nintendo’s signature games, with versions on Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, and more
– Fans in London brought the iconic racing game to reality by racing around the Westfield Shopping Center Mall
– Participants dressed up as classic characters, such as Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Wario, and used banana peels to slow down opponents, as well as other obstacles
- Tonga’s Flag Bearer in Rio
– The Rio Olympics kicked off the Opening Ceremony on Friday, August 5th
– A participating athlete is selected from each country to carry the flag around the stadium to show their representation in the Games
– Tonga has one medal in its history in Olympic competition, but it may be known now for their flag bearer
– Pita Nikolas Taufatofua, a participant in taekwondo, carried the Tonga flag shirtless with a Tonga mat wrapped around his waist and PLENTY of oil to cover his bare skin
– Social media went crazy over this, and he received loud roars of approval from the audience in Rio
- Mannequin Challenge is latest Internet Sensation
– The latest internet sensation began on October 12th by students in Jacksonville, Florida
– Typically performed to the song “Black Beatles” by Rae (RAY) Sremmurd (SHREMERD), groups of people will freeze in action like mannequins while being recorded
– Celebrities and athletes took part too, including Hillary Clinton, LeBron James, the cast of Hamilton, Taylor Swift, and many more
Tune in to tomorrow’s show for the Top 5 Viral Moments of 2016!