We’ve all seen it: a song, a TikTok, a post so bad that it physically hurts to watch… but you literally cannot look away. For example, if you were alive in 2011, you remember Rebecca Black’s song “Friday.” It’s objectively terrible, but that’s why everyone knew every word. PSY’s “GANGNAM STYLE.” So ridiculous, but the moves are impossible to forget. And Baby Shark? Annoying, repetitive, and somehow always stuck in your head, yet… totally unstoppable. 

Sometimes, “bad” is actually brilliant. The internet doesn’t (always) care that it’s bad. It cares that you’re paying attention.

Being Unforgettable Beats Being Good

Not all viral content is quality content. In fact, some of it is undeniably bad — and sometimes, that’s on purpose.

It’s hard to watch. Almost as if it’s designed to spark a reaction. (Spoiler alert: it is!!)

Pop culture doesn’t care about perfection. It cares about attention. And sometimes, the quickest way to grab it isn’t through refinement. It’s through shock, absurdity, and even discomfort.

We have the Oscars to celebrate the best films of the year, sure. I haven’t watched any of those movies, and two of the winningest Oscar champs are Iain Neil and Edith Head — never heard of ‘em. 

But we also have the Razzies to celebrate the worst films of the year. Some of the most nominated Razzie winners? Sylvester Stallone, Adam Sandler, and Madonna. Those are the names we know, and Grown Ups may just be the best movie of all time. 

Why Bad Sometimes Works

Particularly in an algorithm-driven world, boring content gets buried. 

Content that is “pretty good” barely gets noticed. It doesn’t make anyone stop scrolling. It doesn’t make them share it. And it definitely doesn’t make them text their friend, “OMG, you have to see this.”

But content that is cringe? Confusing? Crazy? 

That makes people feel something. 

And emotion, whether it’s disbelief or secondhand embarrassment, fuels engagement. 

In a world where engagement is the spark that lights the match, being talked about often matters more than being praised for perfection. 

“Cringe” That Went Viral

Rebecca Black’s “Friday”

Friday. The autotune is painful. The vocals are awkward.  The chorus is insanely repetitive, and the lyrics… let’s just say she’s no Taylor Swift.

But somehow, this annoying, over-the-top mess became seriously unforgettable. People weren’t sharing it because it was good. They shared it because they couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even today, over a decade later, comments still pour in: “Yearly tradition to revisit this on Black Friday,” “AI could never do this,” “Who just randomly wanted to listen to this?” 

Rebecca Black went viral not because the song was good, but because it was impossible to ignore. Fourteen years later, the video boasts 179 million views and 1.5 million likes, proving just how chaotic this masterpiece is.

(Though the fact that my intern had never heard of this because she’s WAY TOO YOUNG was deeply offensive.) 

PSY’s “GANGNAM STYLE”

I’m dating myself, again, but I don’t even care, because going viral in the 2010s was the best time to go viral. The GANGNAM STYLE video is random, over-the-top, and full of absurd outfits, props, and cameos. And yet, everyone tried the moves, shared the video, and couldn’t stop talking about it, even if they didn’t understand a word of Korean. I knew it, and my parents knew it: the definition of transcending generations. 

This song wasn’t polished or subtle in any way. Pure humor, energy, and absurdity made people laugh, react, and send it to their friends. Even today, fresh comments keep rolling in: “Bro almost united the whole world,” “This song literally broke the internet,” “Understanding 0%, vibes 100%.” 

“GANGNAM STYLE” came out in 2012, but it’s still pulling in over 5.8 billion views on YouTube and inspiring countless memes, parodies, and reaction videos, proving that ridiculousness, when done right, is perfection in its own way.

Baby Shark

This song was made for kids, but it even made its way to the World Series stage in 2019.

Kids, parents, and TikTokers alike were singing it, sharing it, and turning it into memes and dance challenges all over social media. The song is catchy, repetitive, and so annoying that it had parents begging their kids to turn it off.

Its stickiness is what made it so viral. People weren’t sharing it because it was clever. They shared it because it took over their brains. 

Since it exploded online, Baby Shark has racked up 16 billion views on YouTube and many more across other streaming platforms, proving that even the simplest, most irritating content can dominate the attention economy. 

DJ Mandy

DJ Mandy’s mixes were messy. Like, really messy. But that was the point. The obviously questionable transitions, paired with her unwavering straight face, really intrigued people and made everyone wonder: What is actually going on?

Her TikToks slamming two wildly different songs together with air horn sounds and deadpan reactions quickly blew up online. But the attention she got turned into real-world opportunities. She built hundreds of thousands of followers and caught the eye of fans and brands alike, and it wasn’t long until she was being booked to play live shows.

Her “so-bad-it’s-good” approach built a narrative. That chaos became her thing. People started to see her as this unserious DJ doing it all for jokes. But when she began subtly showcasing her actual skills, the comments shifted.

That was the strategy.

These days, DJ Mandy has moved far beyond bedroom mixes. She’s played at clubs, festivals, and college shows across the country, including cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, with slots at major events like Outside Lands and Nocturnal Wonderland.

The chaos that grabbed attention online now sells tickets in real life. Mandy’s career proves that what starts as “so bad it’s funny” can evolve into real success when attention is used intentionally.

Perfection Is Overrated

So what do Rebecca Black, PSY, Baby Shark, and DJ Mandy all have in common?

None of them were iconic because they were perfect. (Or had a huge budget.)

They went viral because they made people feel something. In an internet culture oversaturated with polished, curated content, perfection often gets ignored. What cuts through the noise is the content that sparks conversation.

On the internet, being “good” isn’t always enough. The unforgettable stuff is what wins.