In 2021, viral video culture was defined by a blend of high-stakes stunts, relatable domestic trends, and unexpected celebrity moments. On YouTube, MrBeast dominated with his “I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive” video, while The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and Bernie Sanders’ mittens at the presidential inauguration sparked endless memes and edits. TikTok fueled “comfort” content, notably Noodle the pug’s “Bones vs. No Bones” daily predictions and Emily Mariko’s salmon rice bowl, which turned simple home cooking into a global aesthetic. The year also saw the rise of Khaby Lame, whose wordless takedowns of overly complicated life hacks made him one of the platform’s most followed creators. Simultaneously, more intense moments like the Milk Crate Challenge and the obsession over “Couch Guy” highlighted the internet’s capacity for both physical risk and relentless parasocial investigation.
MrBeast – I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive
re-published original by MrBeast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FWao3QL5Ic
MrBeast documents an extreme endurance challenge by spending 50 hours buried underground in a coffin, showcasing the high-stakes spectacle that dominated YouTube in 2021.
Dream – Minecraft Speedrunner VS 5 Hunters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ0jdO5ZfU4
Dream attempts to beat Minecraft while being hunted by five players, part of his wildly popular “Manhunt” series that became one of YouTube’s most-watched gaming formats.
Mark Rober – Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (Who Gets Arrested)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g
Engineer Mark Rober teams up with scam investigators to deploy glitterbomb traps against phone scammers, blending engineering, activism, and viral entertainment.
NFL – The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rhadTURsrw
The official NFL upload of The Weeknd’s Super Bowl LV halftime performance became one of the most-watched live-event videos of 2021.
CoryxKenshin – Friday Night Funkin’ KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06NiFBgT3bA
CoryxKenshin’s energetic gameplay and commentary on Friday Night Funkin’ made this one of his most-viewed and shared videos of the year.