Photos That Went Viral For Being Totally Absurd

When Andy Warhol allegedly said, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” we bet he didn’t imagine the power of memes, TikTok, and influencers.

The dawn of the digital age brought with it many innovations, from email to social media. But none of that compares to the power of going viral. Social media fame is fleeting for some, but it’s incredibly lifechanging for others. We saw the “Cash me ousside” girl go from a Dr. Phil meme to a famous rapper. And as Bhad Bhabie, she toured the world as a teenager. And in 2019, everyone celebrated the rise of Nicki Minaj stan, Lil Nas X. He went from making TikTok videos to taking the title as the artist who kept a song in the top spot for the longest time.

And, yes, Mariah Carey previously held that honor.

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The thing about virality is that it’s usually random, which adds to the excitement factor. But countless people try to recreate viral moments Social media mavens tirelessly aim to create viral campaigns and posts, and sometimes they succeed. Some people fake it with photoshop, others get backlash for doing the most. Unfortunate people may even get fired for their antics. We love the authentic viral photos and moments, though.

Here are the wildest viral shots.

An Action Shot For The Ages

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If you ever get hit in the face with a soccer ball, hope there aren’t any cameras around. This photo is from 2017, during a soccer match between Manchester United and Real Madrid.

One particularly adept photographer grabbed this painful shot.

The player got completely smashed in the face with a ball. Manuel Fellaini, a midfielder for Real Madrid, looked a little silly in this very funny and HD shot.

And we know at least his pride, not to mention his face, hurt.

But Fellaini managed to see the lighter side of things. He tweeted, “Thank you to everyone who posted & sent me this 😂😂😂😂😂😂.”

Afraid Of Flying?

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If you are, this viral photo may give you a fright. Flight delays are common, so when airlines announce that boarding is postponed due to an engine in need of a “quick fix” you may not be worried at first.

But these passengers got a rude lesson in semantics.

In fact, when one person spotted an engineer mending their Berlin-bound plane with duct tape. They had no choice but to take a picture of the moment.

Apparently, the tape had rolled backward during a previous flight.

Someone obviously needed to reattach the dangling piece. Before you decide to never fly again, it turns out the engineer was actually using speed tape. It’s a specialty repair product for aircrafts and racing cars.

This Good Boy Raised Some Eyebrows

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He also taught a lot of dog-owners a valuable lesson. Dog haircuts videos and pictures are hilariously cute.

So it’s no wonder a photo of this husky made the rounds online.

It went viral for a different reason, though. Some dog-lovers weighed in with hard truths about shoring off a dog’s coat.

And the replies were skewed.

According to one Twitter user, shaving doesn’t necessarily keep pooches cooler in summer. Plus, it can make some dogs more susceptible to skin cancers or permanently damage their luscious coats.

Protect Your Pizza At All Costs

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You can learn harsh lessons from others’ mistakes. We’ve all been on our way home from a big night out before.

And we know that feeling.

You’re desperate for a slice of pizza because sometimes a snack and a bottle of water is the only thing standing between you and a soul-crushing hangover.

Carbs actually do help.

But this London woman was captured on the tube very much passed out. It was her pie, though, that became a casualty from a night of drinking. We stand in solidarity and hope she got to save a slice or two in the end.

People Really Do Wild Things With Pizza

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Who has the audacity to carry two pies like this? Most of us care enough about pizza to do anything in our power to protect it.

That especially applies when it comes to carrying the food back to your home for devouring purposes.

Domino’s even created the Carryout Insurance Program to make sure your pizza gets from the box into your belly safe and sound.

Truly, we can’t say thank you enough.

But this photo went viral because someone was outraged by this person’s careless carrying methods. Pizzas don’t deserve this treatment.

Photobombed By A Hungry Seagull

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He wasn’t playing around. Pepperdine University professor, Alicia Jessop, was initially excited to visit Maine and sink her teeth into her very first lobster roll.

Who could blame her?

After scouring the internet for the best-reviewed spot, Alicia decided on Fox’s Lobster House in York, Maine. Then she dropped $21.50 on what looked like a delicious lobster roll.

She deserved to treat herself.

Except when she decided to take a photo of her delicious treat, one seagull saw the opportunity to get it’s beak ahead of the game. Thankfully, Alicia managed to capture the unimaginable moment.

Seagulls Have No Chill

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This time it an ice cream fell victim to a bird’s quick attack. UCLA student Kris lost her delicious ice cream cone to another ravenous seagull.

People have to stop waiting before they eat.

While on vacation in Santa Barbara, Kris decided to take a photo of her icecream for Snapchat.

That was the big mistake.

And even though she managed to get the shot with the clear blue sea in the background, she also caught the moment this bird lunged at her frozen dessert.

This Stingray Wanted To Feel Included

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But it ended up terrifying everyone instead. Photobombing is a sport usually enjoyed by annoying uncles and celebrities.

That’s a fact at this point.

So when this group of girls posed for a photo in Stingray City, they weren’t expecting to have a fourth member join them for the snap.

They just weren’t prepared.

This seemingly friendly stingray flashed a smile at the camera while the three girls looked horrified.

Every Bride’s Worst Nightmare

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Seagulls aren’t the only ones snatching happy moments away. A couples’ wedding day is a prosperous occasion, one that focuses solely on the newlyweds’ eternal love and happiness.

But what if that’s not the case?

This bride and groom’s big day was rudely interrupted by another couple when a man proposed to his girlfriend right in front of the newlyweds.

Plot twist…

It was actually the bride’s idea. Apparently, the woman pictured was the maid of honor and sister of the bride.

Does that make it okay?

Since the entire family was there, the bride actually suggested it would be the perfect moment. Isn’t love grand?

The Original Distracted Boyfriend Meme

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He was too dapper to ignore. Looking at another person and appreciating their outfits, chiseled jaw, or cute smile isn’t cheating.

But you have to consider your partner’s feelings.

Because those glances can still hurt. The Distracted Boyfriend meme is the perfect encapsulation of this moment.

But little did we know this instant was captured on camera in the ’50s.

This photo, which appeared in the October 1950 issue of Leatherneck magazine, shows a dapper soldier being oggled by a woman whose partner isn’t too impressed. Who knew you could go viral half a century after the fact?

Do People Look Like Their Pets?

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Or does your pet look like Adam Driver? Celebrity doppelgangers are everywhere. But this cat named Corey enjoyed a very particular 15 minutes of fame.

In fact, he was compared to Star Wars actor, Adam Driver.

Nicknamed Kitty Driver, this furry guy caused a bit of a stir as the photo comparing the two went viral.

Can you spot the similarities?

And if Adam Driver ever wants to meet his feline lookalike, Corey’s Brooklyn-based owner says he’s more than welcome to come over.

A Simple Miscommunication

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Things went from Disney to dank real quickly. A thoughtful mom called her local Dairy Queen to order a Moana theme cake for her daughter.

Kensli Davis was turning 25.

But neither she nor her mother expected a surprise quite like this. In fact, Kensli’s mom picked up the cake and discovered a very green ode to marijuana.

So everyone had a bit of a shock.

“I think they thought that she said ‘marijuana’ because we are from south Georgia and kind of have an accent. So, Moana, marijuana,” Davis explained to Georgia’s WMAZ-TV.

Always. Find. Your. Angle.

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We wish we had this kind of confidence. Taking the perfect selfie takes a lot of hard work; you need to find the perfect lighting, angle, and background.

No wonder it takes people ages to just get one good shot.

But one person who knows how to do all three things without an ounce of embarrassment is New Yorker Jessica George.

How do we know?

Someone filmed her leaning her phone on a subway seat and capturing these sultry photos. She was later nicknamed, Subway Bae. And we’re not mad at it.

Hate Making Small Talk?

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This Uber driver took care of any guesswork when it comes to a cursory chat. Many of us want to just sit in awkward silence when we get in an Uber.

Usually, it’s more ideal than making chit-chat on the way to the airport.

However, this driver decided to change the game with his conversation menu. A rider took a photo of the quaint list of topics.

And obviously, the photo went viral.

The best part? The driver offers a silent ride option. We think that’s worth five stars!

Don’t Make An Enemy Of The Photographer

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It will cost you. When Mike Tague went to a wedding, he invited his boyfriend, Andrew Mercer, along.

The two men likely knew a photographer would be there to capture intimate moments and action shots.

They certainly didn’t expect, however, to be featured in such a… visually interesting image though.

So imagine Tague’s surprise when he found this candid shot of himself and his guest.

Somehow, the photographer’s image completely stretched out the poor fellow’s face.

In fact, it looks like Tague was the unfortunate subject of one of those wonky circus mirrors.

Or worse, he nearly resembles one of those genetically modified creations in Spy Kids. But at least he had a sense of humor about it.

The man told Mashable:

My first reaction was ‘This is so ugly that I hope nobody ever sees it.’ But then I thought that my friends and family would really enjoy seeing a messed up, ugly, crazy version of my face in such a nice setting. And the contrast with Andrew really helped make it funny, at least to me.

Watch Out For Giant Cow

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Well, actually you can’t miss him. The internet discovered this picture of a huge steer in 2018 and lost its mind.

And it’s not hard to understand why.

The Australian cattle is spotted like a dalmatian. Plus, he stands inches and feet above his peers.

And what do we call this good boy?

He answers to the name, Knickers. And the Holstein actually leads all of his other peers around the grazing lands.

But we have to wonder…

Do the other cows get scared of Knickers or think of him as one of the herd?

Subway, Eat Fresh Or Eat Feet

A customer watched this Subway employee sit behind the counter at work and dig right into her toes. And seemingly she had no shame.

At the very least, the employee could have hidden her unsanitary behavior.

She could have visited the bathroom; she could have sat in the breakroom where no customers would glimpse her toe clippings.

And should we talk about the fact that she’s way too close to the cookies?

What if one of her nails landed squarely on a macadamia nut variety? It would blend right in, and the patrons would be none the wiser.

There certainly is more to this story.

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Maybe this Subway worker just absolutely needed to get off her feet. Who knows. She could have experienced horrible pain that needed to be attended to immediately. And if that’s the case, we feel for her.

However, we also feel that anything toe-related should be taken care of when there’s no food in sight.

And at the very least, this entire Subway location needs to retrain their employees. Seriously, people need to know that food maintenance just doesn’t go well with fresh food.

Did we miss any other absurd viral photos?