13 Most Viral Pop Culture Moments of 2022

Rihanna is no stranger to breaking the internet, but there’s no question that her pregnancy announcement was met with one of the biggest reactions compared to her previous virality moments. Of all the things to start the year off, an expecting Rihanna was probably one of the best news to get 2022 started. In true Rihanna fashion, she broke the news in style wearing a quilted Chanel jacket and over $20,000 worth of jewelry. After her announcement, her virality did not diminish in the least, having become a fashion trendsetter by making numerous headlines with her bold maternity looks.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things to come from 2022 is the internet’s obsession with Julia Fox. She began to make headlines after temporarily dating Kanye West, but the former dominatrix has more than proved that she has the ability to star on her own. 

Of the endless pop culture references Fox has blessed us with, one of the most memorable is unquestionably her “Uncut Gems and things like that” video. While being interviewed on a podcast, the internet went crazy with Fox’s exaggerated enunciations in some of her responses. As odd as it is, you can’t help but want to listen to her on repeat.

No wonder she was Josh Safdie’s muse.

It’s the ultimate love story of our time. After 19 years since their first engagement, 2022 was able to bring the reunion of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, but this time, the couple was able to successfully say “I do.” Since their marriage, the world still hasn’t been able to get enough of the couple, with plenty of paparazzi photos to prove it.

For a woman who has access to be dressed by any designer in the world, Kim Kardashian’s decision to wear an iconic dress custom designed for Marilyn Monroe at the 2022 Met Gala was one that is still met with mixed reactions. However, love or hate the look, the socialite had succeeded in creating a major moment on the red carpet and evoking a huge response on social media. 

Reactions were split with some fans praising Kardashian for being able to wear such an iconic dress, while others criticized her and called it tone-deaf to wear such a timeless and important piece from American culture. It didn’t help that the look was also extremely off-theme. The uproar got even more intense when it appeared that parts of the dress were damaged due to fit issues. Looking at the history of the Kardashian family, we doubt this will be the last time she wears something already worn by legendary figures. However, the situation has sparked interesting conversations about finding the fine line between appreciation versus disrespect.

Deemed as the slap that was heard around the world, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars was something that no one saw coming. The virality of the incident was immediate, with social media users taking the event and making numerous memes about it. While physical assault is something to never joke about, there’s no denying the shocking occurrence has established itself as one of the most memorable events of the year.

Within 60 seconds, Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez caused a cultural reset. After years of being pitted against each other due to the love triangle with Justin Bieber, the model and singer officially showed that there’s no bad blood between them. While attending the 2022 Academy Museum Gala, the duo was photographed hugging one another, completely shocking the world whilst simultaneously directly shutting down any rumored drama between them.

Say you don’t cook your own meals without saying you don’t cook your own meals. On an episode of The Kardashians, a scene of Kendall Jenner had instantly gone viral after viewers watched her struggle with her attempt to cut up a cucumber. The bizarre placement of her hands had watchers absolutely baffled by how she made a subjectively easy task look difficult. While it's been proven for years now that the Kar-Jenner clan lives in a completely different reality, it’s moments like these that serve as that constant reminder.

Nobody is going to rain on Lea Michele’s parade—not after she was announced to be Fanny Brice on Broadway. Michele’s confirmation to star in Funny Girl was met with immediate praise, especially from the Gleeks. Having played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl as her Glee character Rachel, the show's fan base was instantly hit with a sense of deja vu as this real-life Glee episode was unfolding right in front of our eyes. For all the jokes, Michele’s performances have been met with nothing but praise by Gleeks and theater enthusiasts alike.

There’s been something in the 2022 air that has been leading celebrities to risk it all and indulge in cheating season. This year has exposed quite a handful of cheating scandals, with one of the most surprising by Ned Fulmer from Try Guys. But it wasn’t Fulmer that received most of the attention, it was the pissed reaction of Eugene Lee Yang in the Try Guy’s statement video that led social media into a frenzy. 

Online users had a huge reaction to the stoic and angry expressions of Yang, considering that’s not a side typically expressed by the entertainer. While the whole situation was devastating, the amusement taken from Yang’s facial expressions was just something that online users couldn’t get over.

After having brief appearances in Eternals and Dunkirk, fans eagerly awaited for Harry Styles to take on more acting roles. This year gave fans exactly what they wanted as Styles took on a much bigger character in the film Don’t Worry Darling. Leading up to the premiere, fans and online users waited in anticipation to see how Styles would do. 

Once the film was released, his character did in fact go viral, due to the surprising transformation from a charismatic husband to a greasy incel. For someone who’s known for his outstanding concerts and amazing voice, it was interesting to see him being portrayed in a completely different light. With the numerous pop culture moments Styles has been a part of this year, there’s no question that his performance in Don’t Worry Darling will remain one of his top ones.

What’s your drink of choice? If your answer isn’t a negroni sbagliato with prosecco in it, then you’re wrong. Of all the topics to send social media into a frenzy, a cocktail was one of the least likely to be predicted to do so. Yet, one watch of Emma D’Arcy telling Olivia Cooke their favorite drink with perfect delivery, and you can understand how the cocktail became a sudden TikTok obsession. Online users immediately took to their platforms to give the drink a try and attempt to make the trending cocktail on their own. One sip from the glass and there’s only one word to describe the drink: Stunning!

It’s been long established that Heidi Klum is the queen of Halloween, and this year she really took it to another level. Klum broke the internet after showing up to her annual Halloween party dressed as a worm. The model has told The Hollywood Reporter that the costume took four months to create and 12 hours to put on the day of the party. While it may not have been the most practical costume, it succeeded in deeming her the winner of Halloween 2022. After showing up on the carpet, social media went haywire about her outfit with the most popular meme being “Would You Still Love Me If I Was A Worm.”

Maybe your favorite part about Wednesday was the inspired gothcore fashion aesthetic, or maybe it was Jenna Ortega's Golden Globes-nominated performance of Wednesday Addams. For us, there's no question that Ortega's self-choreographed dance at the Nevermore Academy's Rave'N Dance took the top spot as our favorite scene in the show. We're not alone in our consensus as the scene quickly went viral, especially on TikTok, and social media users unsurprisingly began to recreate the quirky dance. Now that we've seen Ortega's dance skills, fingers crossed that we get to see more in Wednesday Season 2.