Feeling Trendy?

Which internet trends caught on, which died and which were straight-up dumb?

*Disclaimer: The popularity factors are strictly the opinion of your editor. Please refrain from filling my inbox with hate mail over them.

Trend: Ice bucket challenge

• Origin: ALS patients Corey Griffin and Peter Frates had the idea following Frates’ diagnosis.
• Procedure: The subject dumps a bucket of ice water on their head on video in order to avoid charitable giving.
• Popularity factor (1-10): 5
• Popularity factor for ALS Association and ALS patients, who raised over $100 million: 10

Trend: Planking

• Origin: Technically first done in 1994 by comedian Tom Green, caught fire with Facebook teens in Britain in 2008
• Procedure: The subject lies face-down, often in surprising or unusual locations, with hands at their sides while a friend photographs it and uploads it to social media
• Popularity factor (1-10): 6

Trend: Pillaring

• Origin: People who enjoy classical architecture?
• Procedure: The subject stands bolt upright. Like a pillar. Not much to explain here.
• Popularity factor (1-10): 3
• Popularity factor among architects: still 3

Trend: Teapotting

• Origin: Two teachers in Australia who were bored and wanted to see if they could create a trend. Seriously. I’m not kidding.
• Procedure: The subject raises one arm and lowers the other so as to pose in a way reminiscient of the children’s song and dance “I’m a little teapot.”
• Popularity factor: 4

Trend: Tebowing

• Origin: Based on the touchdown celebration of former NFL quarterback and devout Christian Tim Tebow.
• Procedure: The subject bends down on one knee and lowers their head onto their fist while propping their arm on their upright knee.
• Popularity factor (1-10): 7
• Popularity factor among sports fans: 9

Trend: Cup Song

• Origin: Based on the 2010 song “Cups” by Lulu and the Lampshades, the song became a hit when it was featured in the movie “Pitch Perfect.”
• Procedure: The song is sung while the subject creates a complex series of percussion beats using a plastic cup that a select few will master and countless others will pretend to master.
• Popularity factor (1-10): 7
• Popularity factor among Pitch Perfect fans: 10

Trend: Gallon smashing

• Origin: Bored teenage hooligans at the grocery store.
• Procedure: The subject takes two gallon containers of milk and pretends to slip and fall while hurling the containers in the air and smashing them on the ground.
• Popularity factor (1-10): 2
• Popularity factor among grocery store employees: 0

Trend: Cinnamon challenge

• Origin: First posted to a blog in 2001, but took off somewhere in the YouTube-sphere around 2011.
• Procedure: The subject attempts to swallow a tablespoon of cinammon without inhaling it and choking, coughing or vomiting.
• Popularity factor (1-10): 6
• Popularity factor among health experts claiming the challenge was highly dangerous: 1

To see The Waltonian editors take the Cinnamon challenge, and probably die from spice inhalation, like The Waltonian on Facebook.