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YouTube Turns 20: The Viral Videos That Built an Empire

It’s hard to believe, but YouTube is officially two decades old this year. The video-sharing giant quietly went online in May 2005 with a beta version, then fully launched in November of that same year. Fast forward to 2025, and it’s nearly impossible to imagine life without it.

Whether you grew up on VHS tapes, CDs, or TikTok, YouTube carved out a space that changed how we consume, share, and even create culture. From viral memes to music discoveries to full-blown careers, it gave everyone a stage . . . not to mention endless entertainment. And to celebrate the milestone, let’s look back at 10 videos that helped put YouTube on the map.

“Leeroy Jenkins” (2005) – A group of gamers carefully plotted their next World of Warcraft raid. Then Leeroy, screaming his own name, charged in and got everyone killed. Chaos, comedy, and internet immortality.

“Chocolate Rain” (2007) – Tay Zonday’s deep, unexpected voice and oddly hypnotic lyrics made this one unforgettable. The song became both a meme and a strangely serious anthem.

“Drinking Out of Cups” (2006) – A lizard with a New York accent rambled nonsense, and the internet couldn’t look away.

“Charlie Bit My Finger” (2007) – Two adorable British brothers, one nibble, and millions of laughs. Enough said.

“Charlie the Unicorn” (2008) – A candy-coated fever dream with a message: never trust friends who want to take you to Candy Mountain.

“Shoes” (2007) – A bizarre, catchy ode to shoe shopping that actually snagged a People’s Choice Award for Best User Generated Video.

“Badgers: Animated Music Video” (2007) – Badger, badger, badger… mushroom! snake! If you know, you know.

“Keyboard Cat” (2007) – Filmed in 1984, this furry keyboard prodigy had to wait over 20 years to achieve internet stardom.

“My New Haircut” (2007) – A parody of Jersey bro culture before Jersey Shore made it mainstream.

“Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife” (2010) – Antoine Dodson’s TV interview remix became an instant internet anthem.

Looking back, these videos were more than viral hits. They shaped the early DNA of YouTube, paving the way for everything from influencers to full-scale careers in online entertainment. Some clips were silly, some absurd, some downright strange, but together they made YouTube the place to waste time and find joy online.

Is “The Bear” a Comedy or Drama?

If you’ve ever watched “The Bear” and found yourself wondering, “Wait… is this supposed to be a comedy or a drama?” you’re not alone. The hit FX series about a struggling Chicago sandwich shop has been called both. It’s intense, stressful, heartbreaking, and yet, somehow, it keeps racking up wins in comedy categories.

In fact, “The Bear” has already taken home several trophies as a comedy, and it’s up for Best Comedy Series again at the 2025 Emmys. Which begs the question: are we all laughing through tears, or has someone at the awards shows been mixing up their ballots?

Ayo Edebiri, who plays chef Sydney on the show, was asked to weigh in on the debate. Her answer? Basically, don’t ask her.

“My feeling is that that is a question that is honestly above my pay grade,” she told “The Hollywood Reporter“. “That’s a question for the studios. We get asked a lot about it as actors and they don’t ask the producer, so that’s kind of my answer to that.”

Translation: the cast just makes the food chaos look real. What you call it is someone else’s problem.

The debate isn’t new. Awards voters have been blurring the line between comedy and drama for decades.

Remember when “Orange Is the New Black” started off competing as a comedy, despite making people cry more often than laugh? Or when “Shameless” hopped back and forth between categories? It’s a Hollywood tradition at this point.

So maybe “The Bear” is less about punchlines and more about pressure-cooker comedy. The kind of “funny” that comes when your co-worker sets the kitchen on fire or your boss has a meltdown mid-shift. Not ha-ha funny… more like, “if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry” funny.

Either way, Ayo Edebiri is officially out of the classification game. Call it what you want, just don’t expect the actors to settle the debate. For now, it looks like “The Bear” will keep cooking in the comedy section—whether or not it actually makes you laugh.

Want to Sleep In Longer? Science Says Exercise Before Bed

If you’ve ever wished you could hit snooze just a little longer, science has a weirdly simple tip: do a few squats before bed.

A new study from the University of Otago in New Zealand found that light exercise in the evening can actually help you sleep longer the next morning. The key word here is light. We’re not talking full-on cardio or late-night CrossFit. Just a few minutes of movement, spread out over a few hours, and you might get an extra half-hour of sleep.

Here’s how it worked: Researchers had participants do simple exercises like chair squats, standing knee lifts, and calf raises every 30 minutes during the four hours before bed. Each round of movement lasted just three minutes, so by the end of the night, they’d only done 24 minutes of exercise total.

Still, the payoff was solid. Compared to when they were couch potatoes, the participants slept an average of 27 minutes longer.

They didn’t go to bed earlier, they just woke up later—without an alarm clock dragging them out of bed.

Now, if your reaction is “you want me to work out eight times before bed?”—we get it. But these aren’t sweaty, heart-pumping workouts. We’re talking about getting up during commercials or between episodes and doing a few leg lifts or pacing the room. Even a little dance party counts. Just keep it chill, because high-intensity workouts too close to bedtime can actually make it harder to fall asleep by spiking your heart rate and body temperature.

The best part? You don’t need a gym, equipment, or even to change into workout clothes. These micro-moves are meant to be done at home, in your living room, while you’re watching TV or doom-scrolling TikTok.

So if your mornings feel like a battle against your alarm clock, try sneaking in some light movement before bed tonight. Your future, better-rested self just might thank you.

If you were curious about good squat form, check out this cigarette ad:

Collectible tobacco or cigarette card, ‘Get Fit’ series, published in 1937 by Lambert and Butler’s Cigarettes, depicting a male athlete demonstrating step by step instructions on various callisthenic or aerobic exercises and stretching for a healthy fitness routine, here chair assisted squats (Photo by Nextrecord Archives / Getty Images).

Is “The Breakfast Club” the Best High School Movie of All Time?

It’s officially back-to-school season, and what better way to celebrate than by ranking the movies that made us all wish detention was a little more fun? “Entertainment Weekly“ just dropped a ranking of the 50 Best High School Movies of All Time, and topping the honor roll is none other than “The Breakfast Club” (1985).

The iconic John Hughes classic, famous for locking five teens from completely different cliques in a Saturday detention, beat out stiff competition for the top spot.

Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez, on-set of the Film, “The Breakfast Club”, 1984. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Coming in second was “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982), the film that gave us Spicoli, Phoebe Cates, and endless surf-bro wisdom.

All Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) wants out of life in the 1982 comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a good buzz, good surf, and a good time. (Photo by John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Third place went to Richard Linklater’s cult favorite “Dazed and Confused” (1993), which immortalized the phrase “Alright, alright, alright.”

(Photo by Gramercy Pictures/Getty Images)

Here’s how the rest of the Top 15 shaped up:

  1. “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955)
  2. “Heathers” (1989)
  3. “American Graffiti” (1973)
  4. “Clueless” (1995)
  5. “Sixteen Candles” (1984)
  6. “Election” (1999)
  7. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986)
  8. “Say Anything” (1989)
  9. “Mean Girls” (2004)
  10. “High School” (1968)
  11. “Easy A” (2010)
  12. “Carrie” (1976)

The list is basically a crash course in teen angst, cafeteria politics, and questionable prom night decisions. What’s interesting is the range: from James Dean’s brooding in the 1950s to Emma Stone’s razor-sharp wit in “Easy A”, the ranking shows just how much the high school experience has been reinterpreted on screen.

For anyone who’s ever argued about whether “Clueless” or “Mean Girls” is the superior queen bee comedy, or debated if Ferris Bueller is actually a hero or just a world-class slacker, this list has plenty of fuel for conversation. And if you’re a completist, you’ve now got a 50-movie marathon ahead of you.

German Game Show Features Long-Distance Shopping Cart Returns

I tried this in a Kohl’s parking lot once and had to pay a guy $600 for denting Toyota Corolla.

German game show “Schlag den Star” (“Beat the Star”) has an excellent segment in which contestants must successfully return shopping carts from 30-50 feet away.

It took over 6,000 years, friends, but we may have finally reached peak civilization. How do we make this an Olympic sport?

Volkswagen Is Charging Extra to Unlock Full Horsepower

If you thought streaming services were bad with their endless subscriptions, wait until you hear what Volkswagen is doing.

The automaker just rolled out a subscription plan in the U.K. that charges drivers extra to unlock the full horsepower of their electric cars. Yes, you read that right – speed now comes with a monthly fee.

Would You Pay an Extra $22 a Month?

Here’s how it works: take the Volkswagen ID.3, an electric hatchback that technically has 228 horsepower under the hood. Unless you’re willing to cough up £16.50 a month (~$22), you’ll only be able to access 201 horsepower. So, your car is literally being held back until you pay to set it free.

VW claims they’re just “giving people options”

Volkswagen is trying to spin this as “giving people options.” The company argues that some drivers don’t need the full power – like if you’re more of a Sunday driver than a speed demon. But if you want the extra zip, you’ll have to subscribe.

The costs break down like this: In U.S. dollars, it’s around $22 per month or $225 if you pay for the full year up front. There’s also an option to purchase a one-time unlock for $880. Volkswagen says if you go with that one, it stays unlocked even if you sell the car later on. Think of it as DLC (downloadable content) for your vehicle, but with horsepower instead of new skins.

It’s not a totally novel idea

Not surprisingly, people are calling it out as just another way for automakers to nickel-and-dime their customers. And they have a point, becuase this isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like it.

BMW once tried charging U.K. drivers a subscription to use their heated seats, but the backlash was so intense that they scrapped the idea.

Volkswagen insists it’s no big deal

They’re comparing it to gas and diesel cars that have long been offered in different power levels, even with the same engine size. The difference, of course, is that those choices used to be made when you bought the car – not afterward, and with a monthly invoice attached.

For now, the horsepower paywall is limited to the U.K., and there’s no word yet on whether Volkswagen plans to expand it to the U.S. But given how drivers reacted to BMW’s heated seat stunt, they might want to tread carefully.

Would you pay extra to unlock the full performance of your car, or is this a bridge too far? One thing’s for sure: the debate over “pay-to-play” driving has officially hit the fast lane.

Check Out Sydney Sweeney Posing as Dolly Parton

Sydney Sweeney’s new movie Americana is now in theaters, and the marketing team might just deserve its own award. The movie’s turning heads with a series of retro posters that reimagine the cast as iconic country music legends.

Americana stars Sweeney as a young woman chasing her dream of country stardom, and to match that Nashville spirit, the promo campaign recreated classic country album covers—with the cast stepping into some very big boots.

Sweeney herself paid homage to none other than Dolly Parton, posing as the country queen on the 1974 Jolene album cover.

(Most men are bummed she wasn’t recreating Dolly’s Playboy cover.)

Halsey, who also stars in the film, took on the brooding cool of Johnny Cash, recreating the artwork from The Legend of Johnny Cash (2005). If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a lost Cash promo photo.

Simon Rex stepped in for Chris Stapleton, channeling the vibe of From a Room: Volume 2. If the beard fits…

Zahn McClarnon and Paul Walter Hauser pulled double duty with dueling tributes to Willie Nelson. McClarnon posed for a modern take on Shotgun Willie, while Hauser gave us his version of Red Headed Stranger. Yes, red braids included.

And wrapping it all up, Eric Dane honored Dwight Yoakam with a cover inspired by This Time, the 1993 hit album that made tight jeans and heartbreak look effortless.

Americana is clearly embracing country culture—not just through its story, but in how it’s connecting with fans of the genre. These posters aren’t just clever marketing; they’re love letters to the artists who helped define country music’s look and feel.

If you’re a fan of old-school album art, you’ll probably like them. And if you’re a fan of Sydney Sweeney in a Dolly wig? Even better.

Will Taylor Swift Play the Super Bowl Halftime Show? Swifties Think So

Only Taylor Swift could have people dissecting sourdough bread like it’s a Da Vinci Code clue. And yep, Swifties are losing their minds because they think she low-key hinted she’s headlining the Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show.

Here’s how we got here: Taylor popped onto the “New Heights” podcast last week and casually mentioned that sourdough has basically taken over her life. She even said she spends about 60% of her time talking about it. Normal people? They’d laugh and move on. Swifties? They’ve already built a wall of red string on their conspiracy boards.

The evidence, your honor:

Super Bowl 60 is happening at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. Their mascot? Sourdough Sam. You see it.

She said 60%. Not 50, not 70… 60. As in Super Bowl 60.

She thanked Jason Kelce for “screaming for like 47 seconds.” Guess where her 47th Eras Tour stop was? Levi’s Stadium. Cue the gasp.

Listen, even if you’re not fluent in Swiftie, you have to admit this is peak Taylor behavior. The woman does not sneeze without hiding a metaphor in it. Her fans are trained to read between the lines, and honestly, they’re scarily good at it.

Now, before you start planning your glittery football outfits, nothing’s official. Last year, the halftime headliner announcement came in September, which means we might be waiting another month for the NFL to spill. In the meantime, the Swiftie rumor mill will keep churning harder than a KitchenAid mixer full of sourdough starter.

And honestly? If this turns out to be true, it’ll be one of Taylor’s most legendary Easter eggs yet. Forget decoding album dates hidden in her nail polish—this time, she’s serving bread.

So, is Taylor Swift headlining Super Bowl 60? We’ll have to wait and see. But if sourdough ends up being the smoking gun, Swifties deserve their own detective show.

America’s Perfect Day: Sleeping, Eating, and Chilling

If you had a totally free day with zero responsibilities and no to-do list in sight, how would you spend it? According to a new poll, most Americans would opt for something pretty simple: relaxing, eating, and zoning out.

The survey asked people to describe their perfect day, and no, it didn’t involve yacht parties or mountain climbing. It was much more relatable—and frankly, way more achievable. The top activities included getting plenty of sleep, spending time with loved ones, indulging in hobbies, and of course, marathoning our favorite shows.

Let’s break down what a “perfect” 24 hours looks like in America:

  • 6 hours and 54 minutes of sleep to kick things off. Not quite a full eight hours, but that’s before factoring in…
  • A 42-minute nap, just to top things off. Because even on your dream day, apparently, you still need a little recharge.
  • 2 hours of eating.
  • 3 hours with family, and 1 hour 24 minutes with friends—a nice balance of quality time.
  • 1 hour and 6 minutes spent with pets, which we’re assuming includes copious belly rubs and nose boops.
  • 3 hours and 6 minutes of TV time, plus 1 hour 30 minutes scrolling on our phones. (Realistically, we’re probably doing both at the same time.)
  • 1 hour 24 minutes on hobbies, whatever those may be—reading, gardening, or building elaborate Lego castles.
  • 48 minutes shopping and 48 minutes exercising, which cancel each other out in calories and bank balance.
  • And finally, 1 hour and 18 minutes listening to music, which should be a pretty sweet soundtrack for everything else we just listed.

So how often do we expect to reach this dreamy state of lazy bliss? The average American predicts they’ll have 16 perfect days in 2025. That’s roughly one every three weeks—not bad, honestly.

The takeaway? Our ideal day isn’t about excitement or exotic experiences. It’s about comfort, connection, and the joy of doing a whole lot of nothing. And if that includes an afternoon nap and two hours of eating, who are we to argue?

Breaking News: Scottie Scheffler Is Good at Golf

We’re going out on a limb with this one and saying on record that Scottie Scheffler (the #1 ranked player in the world since 2023) is pretty good at golf.

Check out the fairly decent chip shot he came up with for a birdie on 17 at the BMW Championship in Owings Mills, Maryland. He went on to par the 18th hole and win the tournament by two strokes.

You heard it here first, folks. We feel confident saying Scottie Scheffler is at least not terrible at golf. Now he just needs to rack up 28 more wins – and 6 majors – in the next 10 months to match Tiger’s pace by age 30. 👀

Of note: Scottie also trails Tiger 3 to 1 in unflattering car-related incidents.

Tiger had his 2021 car crash, his 2017 DUI, and his wife Elin smashed up his Escalade with a 9-iron after she caught him cheating on her with ~10,000 women in 2009.

Scottie has so far only had the one arrest in 2024, when he drove around a police barricade at the PGA Championship in Louisville, KY, and allegedly dragged a cop down the street with his car. Those charges were later dropped, so he obviously still has much to learn about what the word “champion” means.

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