YouTubeViral sensations may be everyday occurrences in this age, but there was a time when only a special few videos or pictures enraptured the masses. And out of that group, it takes a certain je ne sais quoi to find a place in the Viral Sensation Hall of Fame. In honor of the Internet superstars that have captured our hearts, we're looking back on our favorite trending memories each month. It's time to throw it back, reminisce and LOL at the characters that kept us from getting anything done at work. First up, the British siblings behind Charlie Bit My Finger.
Flashback to May 22, 2007
It's been viewed over 800 million times since it was posted, blowing its YouTube competitors out of the water, but at the beginning Charlie Bit My Finger was just a cute home video of some feisty brothers. The short clip features baby Charlie and his older brother Harry sitting together on a chair. Charlie lovingly chomps his brother's finger, to which Harry laughs and exclaims the famous "Charlie bit me" line. Curious, his older brother sticks his finger back into Charlie's mouth, to which he bites down, leaving Harry whining in pain. "Charlie," his brother says, "that really hurt!" Seemingly amused by his own mischief, baby Charlie giggles with delight—all in an adorable accent, of course.
Behind the Phenomenon
Why would the Internet be so fixated on a 55-second video of two unknown kids from the UK? The Wall Street Journal alludes that the reason may be scientific. A study by Jonah Berger, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, made some interesting discoveries about why vids like this get so many views.
"When we watch Harry and Charlie, we briefly enter into a state of "high arousal," as the autonomic nervous system mirrors the flurry of feelings on-screen. Our heart rate increases and sweat glands open; the body prepares for action. These are the same physical changes that occur when we encounter any strongly emotional content, from a scary movie to a sappy love poem." Berger says, "When people are aroused, they are much more likely to pass on information." In other words, when people are intrigued by something, they're going to share it with others.
Of course, Harry's loveable British accent and baby Charlie's smile probably had something to do with their fame as well.
After the Fact
It should be noted that this video was never meant to be shared with the world. Unlike many clips that go viral, it wasn't created for YouTube. In an interview with the BBC in April of last year, it was said that Charlie and Harry's father, Harold Davies-Carr, only uploaded the video to the site because the file was too large to be sent via email. His intention was for friends to see the video, not for it to go viral. Talk about a happy mistake.
After all the fame and fortune (enough, The Wall Street Journal says, to afford a new house), what has become of these viral icons? For one, their YouTube channel states the Davies-Carr family now has four boys, with the addition of Jasper and Rupert. While they haven't had any hits as big as CBM, they continued to post videos after their success. Sadly, they have not posted anything new in almost a year, but the boys did go on to star in commercials for brands like Delta and Ragu after their success.
It looks as though the family continues to sell Charlie Bit Me merch on Zazzle.com, but have stopped updating their social media sites as of late. The BBC interview from 2015 appears to be the latest update from the family, which shows the boys all grown up. In the clip, Newsround's Ricky Boleto asks the boys how they feel about the video. "It makes me laugh," Harry says, with the same smirk that made him famous almost ten years ago.