Reader’s Vote: Rank 2024 Pop Culture Moments That Caught You Off Guard The Most

In September 2024, Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo from Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, melted the internet’s heart. Born in July and named through a public vote with over 20,000 participants, her name means "bouncy pork."

Moo Deng’s popularity exploded after videos of her antics, such as splashing around, shrieking at zookeepers, and trying to nibble people, went viral on TikTok. The buzz became so intense that the zoo had to limit visitor time and launch a 24-hour livestream to meet global demand.

Her fame sparked more than just joy. Moo Deng’s story shone a light on the critical endangerment of pygmy hippos, whose habitats are rapidly disappearing due to deforestation.

The World Wildlife Fund estimates that fewer than 2,500 of her kind remain in the wild.

The 2024 Paris Olympics had the world glued to screens all summer, with each event sparking new viral moments.

Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec went viral for his calm, low-tech stance during competition, which contrasted sharply with his rivals’ advanced gear. The image circulated so widely that other athletes mimicked the pose in celebration.

In pole vault, French athlete Anthony Ammirati made headlines after accidentally clipping his groin on the bar and missing the finals. Meanwhile, Armand Duplantis not only won gold but also broke his ninth world record. A viral Instagram clip captured the moment he ran into his girlfriend’s arms after the win.

In 2023, the film world witnessed the Barbenheimer phenomenon as two major blockbusters premiered on the same day. Nearly a year later, at the 2024 Oscars, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer swept the night with 13 nominations and seven wins.

The night was especially momentous because three cast and crew members earned their first Academy Awards for their work on the film.

Nolan, often hailed as one of the greatest directors of his generation, finally received long-awaited recognition for Best Director. Robert Downey Jr experienced a career milestone with his first Oscar win, proving he could deliver beyond the Marvel universe. Cillian Murphy, praised for his gripping performance, took home Best Actor.

South African singer Tyla turned heads at her Met Gala debut in a Balmain gown made of sculpted sand. In a Vogue interview, Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing shared that the look was designed to embody the night's theme, representing the shifting sands of time.

The bold design was crafted from three shades of sand and detailed with microcrystal studs. Because the dress was so fragile, Tyla could not ascend the stairs on her own and was instead carried by a team member.

A YouTube video of her giggling as she was lifted up the steps became one of the 2024 Met Gala's most memorable highlights.

It was a big year for animal stardom in 2024, and Messi the dog led the charge at the Oscars.

Messi, a 7-year-old border collie, starred in the 2023 film Anatomy of a Fall and received widespread praise for his performance as a guide dog. One standout scene had him convincingly feigning poisoning.

Wearing a bow tie, Messi made waves on the Oscars red carpet and even appeared in Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue, where the host gave him a special shoutout.

Later in the night, Messi went viral again for a GIF showing him clapping along with the audience after Robert Downey Jr.'s acceptance speech.

In February 2024, House of Illuminati hosted Willy’s Chocolate Experience, a Glasgow event inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was billed as a magical, family-friendly outing, but quickly became notorious for its spectacular failure.

Attendees expecting candy gardens and chocolate fountains were met with an abandoned warehouse decorated in flimsy plastic props. The "treats" were underwhelming: a quarter-cup of lemonade and two jelly beans. Many children were even scared by the actors' low-budget costumes.

The BBC reported that police intervened when outraged families shut down the event and demanded refunds for their £35 tickets. Organizers later apologized and admitted to using AI-generated marketing materials they had no means to replicate.

It takes an “impressively terrible movie,” as described by Trinitonian, to earn a Marvel title just 10 percent from critics and 53 percent from audiences.

Even Dakota Johnson, the film’s star, admitted she expected the worst. In an interview with Bustle, she remarked, “Art does not do well when it is made by committees.”

According to multiple reviews, Johnson appeared to anticipate the outcome during filming. Critics noted that she and other cast members gave performances that felt flat and disengaged.

Rapper Michael Render, also known as Killer Mike, walked away from the 2024 Grammys with three wins out of three nominations for his self-titled album, Michael. But the celebration took a sharp turn when he was detained and booked by Los Angeles police just minutes later.

A video posted on X by The Hollywood Reporter’s Chris Gardner showed Render being escorted from Crypto.com Arena in handcuffs. The surprising twist sparked online speculation, especially given his stage name.

Authorities later stated that the incident stemmed from a physical altercation and confirmed that he had been charged with misdemeanor battery. Render avoided further legal trouble by completing community service.

In late 2024, YouTuber Anthony Po sparked a new trend with a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest. Held in Washington Square Park, New York, the event was promoted both online and through fliers inviting anyone who could pass for the actor to compete.

Po offered a $50 prize to the best impersonator. Things got chaotic on October 27 when Timothée himself showed up, Po was fined $500 for organizing an unlicensed contest, and four attendees were arrested.

NPR News noted that Po’s idea quickly went viral. Copycat contests for stars like Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Jeremy Allen White started popping up in cities around the U.S., often promoted with street fliers and low-budget prizes.

Jimmy Donaldson, known online as Mr. Beast, became the most-subscribed YouTuber with 447 million subscribers by October 2025. He is widely recognized for his large-scale philanthropy, including a project building 100 wells in Africa to provide clean drinking water to nearly half a million people.

However, in 2024, old internet clips resurfaced, casting doubt on his public image. A video shared on X showed Donaldson responding to a racist comment about selling Black people with a joke about paying $300. He was also seen laughing at homophobic slurs and other offensive remarks during the same stream.

In a separate 2017 podcast, Donaldson discussed the idea of sleeping with a then-14-year-old female rapper.

A representative for Donaldson told The Associated Press that he began his career "trying to be an edgy gamer and streamer" and acknowledged he had said "horrible and nasty things." They added that he is now committed to using his platform for good.

Chapelle Roan became a major force in 2024 pop culture after first gaining attention in 2023 with her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.

Her breakout single “Good Luck, Babe” peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and helped catapult the album to wider success. Billboard reported that by July, her Lollapalooza performance broke the festival's all-time attendance record.

In a historic moment, Roan and Sabrina Carpenter became part of the small group of thirteen artists ever nominated in all four Grammy General Field categories in one night. Roan ultimately took home the Best New Artist award at the 2025 ceremony.

Wicked, the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 2024 according to Box Office Mojo, lived up to its hype after pandemic and strike delays. But beyond the screen, its emotional press tour became one of the film’s most memorable storylines.

Before the tour, Cynthia Erivo drew attention online by accusing a fan of erasing her image in a poster edit modeled after the Broadway version. Ariana Grande, meanwhile, faced public scrutiny over her new relationship with former co-star Ethan Slater.

As the tour unfolded, Grande and Erivo appeared inseparable. In multiple interviews, they held hands, teared up, and openly showed their support for one another throughout the Wicked tour.

In an age of heavy media training, their vulnerability felt both refreshing and unexpected.

In June 2024, Justin Timberlake was pulled over in the Hamptons shortly after midnight. Officers described his eyes as "bloodshot and glassy," and People reported that he refused a breathalyzer test despite the officer noting a strong smell of alcohol.
Timberlake claimed he had only one martini and initially pleaded not guilty to the drinking while intoxicated (DWI) charge. Still, his license was immediately suspended in New York.
At his final court appearance, he changed his plea to guilty for a lesser charge of driving while impaired (DUI), paid a $500 fine, and agreed to 25 hours of community service. His license was suspended for 90 days.
Later in June, a TikTok video showed Timberlake joking about the arrest during a Boston concert, asking the audience if anyone was driving.

Another viral moment born of casual media came in August 2024, when Jools LeBron, a cashier in Chicago, made a TikTok explaining how she dresses modestly for work, using her makeup and outfit as examples.

Her charming delivery and the way she repeated the word "demure" caught on instantly. Soon, people across the globe were posting videos of themselves acting "very demure and very mindful." The phrase became a cultural catchphrase, and LeBron turned the moment into a full-blown influencer career, now boasting over 2.3 million followers.

Among the most significant music drops of 2024, Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, stood out as a cultural reset. As the second installment of her Renaissance trilogy, it marked her bold entrance into the country genre.

The album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the country albums chart. She followed the release with her Cowboy Carter tour, which grossed $407.6 million and set a new record for the highest-grossing country tour of all time.

Bianca Censori, wife of Ye (formerly Kanye West), made headlines throughout 2024 for her unconventional fashion choices. The Australian architect drew attention for regularly stepping out in extremely revealing outfits, often barefoot, at restaurants and public events.

Her first major viral moment came in September 2023, when she was photographed walking the streets of Florence in a tan bra, holding a pillow to her chest.

In 2024, she pushed boundaries even further with a string of outfits: a see-through raincoat in Los Angeles, bondage-style clothing at Milan Fashion Week, tiny shorts at the Chateau Marmont, and a fur coat in Tokyo with no visible undergarments.

Censori's outfit choices continued to stir debate into 2025, most recently at the Grammys, where she appeared in a sheer dress with visible lingerie.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, famously known as "Bennifer," have kept fans invested since the early 2000s. They tied the knot in 2022 after two decades of on-and-off romance and two separate engagements. However, cracks began to show in their marriage by early 2024.

Amid the speculation, Lopez announced her ninth studio album and an accompanying film, both centered on her relationship.

Despite the buzz, the album had her lowest debut on the Billboard 200. She also launched a North American tour titled "This Is Me…Now," scheduled from June through August. Fans were let down again when she abruptly canceled the tour via her OntheJLo site.

TMZ reported that Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024, ending their two-year marriage.

Later, in an Interview magazine cover story, Lopez told Nikki Glaser, "I was so devastated to let anybody down, but I just needed to be with my kids and myself and really dig down deep into things that were happening in my life. And I’m glad I did, because it was a really difficult time for me. Probably the hardest time of my life."

It may be a rom-com trope, but real life mirrored fiction when Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater fell for each other while filming Wicked, where their characters also play lovers.

After months of speculation, the pair opened up about their relationship. Both were coming out of marriages when they met in 2023, which may explain their initial silence.

GQ featured a cover story in which Slater said he was proud of Grande and found it tough to watch their relationship picked apart publicly. Vanity Fair later quoted Grande defending Slater and dismissing the negative media narratives surrounding him.

Still, controversy followed. In a 2024 essay, Slater’s ex-wife Lilly Jay wrote about the "emotional brutality of divorcing in the public eye," implying that Slater had been unfaithful.

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