Dear Internet, You’re Welcome For These Viral Moments

Every year, Black Twitter — and in the last few years, #BlackTok — has made us laugh amid the emotional turmoil and trauma that also finds its way onto our social media timelines. Although it’s hard to upstage December 21, 2020, the day when Black people had superpowers (you had to be there), we’ve continuously kept the jokes rolling as a community, even in serious moments. 

Earlier this year, once we were free of the neverending discourse surrounding The Slap™ (Will Smith’s infamous Oscar moment)  “heard ‘round the world,” we laughed about it… a lot. During the app’s impending self-destruction, Black Twitter users were delegating their tasks for the Twitter repass and creating Celebration of Life flyers for its homegoing service, embodying the unserious yet necessary nature of Black Twitter. Because if there’s one thing about Black people — we’re going to make a joke. Here are some of the best – and Blackest – viral moments of the year. 

This October, wealth coach Stormy Wellington went viral on TikTok for comparing the differences between her and a friend’s plates of barbecue. “I would never eat a plate that looks like this,” Wellington said. “You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to do that to myself because I deserve better than that.” After calling her friend’s appetizing plate a “low vibrational” meal, the Internet quickly rejected Wellington’s mindset and took pride in the beauty of a food-filled plate.

Roasting dinner plates has become a Thanksgiving tradition on the Internet, but this year, it was pretty much a contest of who had the lowest vibrational plate. Whether you’ve learned the hard way or not, don’t post that plate unless you’re confident it won’t get flamed.

In the summer, Emmy award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph gave us the golden quote, “prepare to be sick of me,” and honestly, how could we ever be sick of her? After winning the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Barbara Howard in Quinta Brunson’s mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary, Ralph shared a moving acceptance speech about achieving your dreams and believing in yourself. The entire cast of Abbott Elementary deserves their accolades for being quotable inspiration to us all, and we’re happy that Ralph is making us laugh while receiving her well-deserved flowers.

The beloved Keke Palmer, who recently announced the pregnancy of her first child on SNL, had a huge year. Aside from her starring role as Emerald Haywood in Jordan Peele’s Nope, she also announced her new digital network, KeyTV.  When it comes to appreciating Keke “Keep A Job” Palmer, we’re true to this, not new to this. But while the rest of Hollywood caught up with her talent and success, we’ve been busy laughing at the memes she unintentionally creates.

During her Hot Ones interview, Palmer was eating spicy wings when she stated, “Oh, this one has a little sweetness to it.” And Stan Twitter ate it up. Is this phrase better than the iconic statement, “I don’t know who that man is?” It’s impossible to rank Palmer’s witty words.

You may know him as South Dakota’s corn-bassador, or you might’ve scrolled past the iconic TikTok that earned him the title of “Corn Kid.” Now, Tariq The Corn Kid is everywhere. Following an interview with Youtube channel Recess Therapy, Tariq went viral for his adorable gap-toothed smile and admiration for corn, which according to him is “the most beautiful thing.” The Gregory Brothers — known for remixing viral audios into meme-friendly music — created “It’s Corn,” and Tariq has since been an Internet sensation. 

He was spotted on the Green Giant float for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and he was featured on Drew Barrymore’s talk show last month. We’re so happy for our vegetable-loving nephew!

For members of the BeyHive, consistently streaming a recently released Beyoncé project isn’t anything new. But there was something different about Renaissance. HuffPost editor Taryn Finley worded it best: “Girl, Why The F**k Can’t I Stop Listening To This Beyoncé Album?”

The 16-track album celebrating the Black and queer dance scene has brought us out to the dance floor at #ClubRenaissance parties across the globe, and we’ve been begging Parkwood (Beyoncé’s record label) to release the long-awaited visuals. As Renaissance was spotted on many listeners #SpotifyWrapped and Apple Music Replays, we deserve better than to use our imagination to ponder about the visuals. America Has A Problem, and Queen Bey must have one with her fans since we’ve received nothing but a teased summer tour.