Even in a relatively bleak year in internet culture, there were a lot of absolutely fantastic viral moments that happened this year, like the Coldplay affair and all the Cynthia Erivo memes. When it comes to defining which of these moments are “the best” or, in this case, “the worst,” there’s some different criteria involved. The best are the ones that actually make us laugh; the worst are the ones that are a little too niche or felt too hard to explain or understand. I like a good meme that everyone can laugh at. (If at any point I sighed while experiencing it, it’s on the list). These are moments that felt like they relied on overconsumption and consumerism to exist and, ultimately, didn’t really mean anything — even when they virally succeeded. Here, the top five worst ones of the year.
Labubus
These little viral plush guys were all the rage this year. They originated in Hong Kong as an illustration in a picture book series inspired by Nordic folklore created by Kasing Lung called The Monsters. Now these little gremlin-looking toys are everywhere — as little stuffed animals, bag charms and collectibles. They’re sold in “blind boxes” so that you don’t know which one you’re getting. I’m personally not here to yuck on anyone’s yum, yet I can’t help but wonder what new little collectible will take over in 2026 — the Labubu demand is clearly dwindling.
Dubai Chocolate
I’ve never actually tried Dubai chocolate, but you’d be hard-pressed to find me buying a single chocolate bar close to $20. This kind of chocolate is stuffed with a pistachio paste and kataifi pastry pieces. It’s become quite the “luxury” chocolate: One company sold Dubai chocolate-covered strawberries with gold pearls for over $1,000, and other brands also took on the opportunity to capitalize on selling Dubai chocolate items. There’s something audibly satisfying about listening to people crunch into the chocolate bars, but is the whole point of luxury lost if everyone is in on it?
6-7
The entire point of this meme is that it literally means nothing. It originates from this video, where a boy repeatedly says “6, 7” during a basketball game while alternating moving his hands.
The numbers don’t mean anything, the hand gestures don’t mean anything, and yet the saying spread like a virus. It was annoying from the start.
Group 7
In another instance of the number seven being randomly viral this year, there was “Group 7.” Creator Sophia James made a slew of videos on TikTok designating users in “groups” based on which video came up on a person’s algorithm in effort to see which gets the most reach. This video has over 9 million likes, which lead to everyone making funny jokes about the “eliteness” of being in said group. The jokes? Great. The entire point of it being such a big deal? Intriguing, but again, kind of pointless. (Someone will inevitably tell me I’m only writing this because I myself am not in Group 7, and I’d like to beat the allegations before they begin and let everyone know that I am).
“Nothing Beats a Jet2Holiday”
This viral audio comes from an actual commercial for Jet2holidays, a U.K.-based travel provider. The voiceover, saying “Nothing beats a Jet2holiday,” is spoken over the song “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne. It’s often played over pretty chaotic videos, which do often get a laugh, but is there anything more grating than an overplayed audio clip that came from a commercial that’s over seven years old? There’s that tricky number again.
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