History Main / InstantWebHit

* Although some criticism [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment and controversy]] surrounded it, the video ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc Kony 2012]]'' by Invisible Children certainly succeeded at raising awareness of the Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony (notorious for his use of ChildSoldiers.) The 30-minute documentary racked up over 100 million views in just ''six days.'' According to [[http://corp.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/bid/79626/Update-Kony-Social-Video-Campaign-Tops-100-Million-Views those who measure such things]], it's the fastest-spreading viral video in the history of the internet--all the more impressive when you consider that it's a long, serious piece that doesn't involve [[LOLCats kittens]].

* Although [[{{YMMV}} some criticism]] [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment and controversy]] surrounded it, the video ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc Kony 2012]]'' by Invisible Children certainly succeeded at raising awareness of the Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony (notorious for his use of ChildSoldiers.) The 30-minute documentary racked up over 100 million views in just ''six days.'' According to [[http://corp.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/bid/79626/Update-Kony-Social-Video-Campaign-Tops-100-Million-Views those who measure such things]], it's the fastest-spreading viral video in the history of the internet--all the more impressive when you consider that it's a long, serious piece that doesn't involve [[LOLCats kittens]].

-->-- ''{{iCarly}}'' pilot

* A well-known example: JustinBieber became a teen idol after a manager found one of his videos on [=YouTube=], and it involved getting millions of views as well:

* [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/07/09/ This]] ''PennyArcade'' strip.
* [[http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=172 This]] ''PHD'' strip.
* [[http://xkcd.com/396 This]] ''{{xkcd}}'' strip.

* [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-10-15 This]] strip of ''ElGoonishShive'' has multiple You Tube videos get several thousand viewings in less time than it takes the news crew to arrive by helicopter.

* In ''LeftoverSoup'', [[http://www.leftoversoup.com/archive.php?num=209 Ellen is Answering Machine Bitch.]]

* In {{Gordon Korman}}'s ''Son of the Mob'', Vince creates a boring, useless webpage about cats for a school project. The page ends up getting thousands of hits, which confuses everyone. Later he finds out his brother was using the page to run a gambling ring.

* In ''DeathNote'', the cult following for Kira starts on the Internet - in fact, it's the Internet followers who give him his name.

* [[http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=172 This]] ''PHD'' strip is a very {{Egregious}} example.

* Phillipe's disatrous PublicServiceAnnouncement goes viral in [[http://achewood.com/index.php?date=03232010 this]] ''{{Achewood}}'' strip.

<<|MagicalComputer|>>

for videos, this is often the result of an InstantHumiliationJustAddYouTube ploy.

* A well-known example: JustinBieber became a teen idol after a manager found one of his videos on [=YouTube=].

* In the ''MickeyMouseWorks'' short ''computer.don'', Daisy sets up a Web site with an EmbarrassingOldPhoto of Donald, which gets a million hits.

-> Wowee, this is fantastic! Why, this [[video]] could possibly be the most important discovery since... *{{gasp}}* ''[[CriticalResearchFailure air]]''!
--> '''The President Of The Interntet''', {{Eddsworld}}

** Played straight - and a little karmically - in a later episode, when an embarrassing video of Sue dancing to "Let's Get Physical" is posted on YouTube. Within a matter of days it becomes so popular Olivia Newton-John offers her a role in a remake of the music video.

* [[http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=172 This]] PHD strip is a very {{Egregious}} example.
* [[http://xkcd.com/396 This]] {{xkcd}} strip.
* This trope causes Rudy's problems in [[http://www.kevinandkell.com/2007/kk0104.html This]] KevinAndKell episode.

* In ''TheBigBangTheory'', Leonard makes a Web page for Penny to sell her small crafts project. While the others are still discussing the merit of the site, an order of 1000 units comes in.
** And fans being what they are... [[http://www.pennyblossoms.com/ the site actually exists]].
*** Actually that's LoggingOnToTheFourthWall. It existed when the show aired.

** Don't forget the time Sheldon gets drunk and makes a fool of himself at an awards presentation, which also becomes a huge hit on [=YouTube=] by the next morning under the title [[IncrediblyLamePun "Physicist has a meltdown"]].