The Most Shocking Live Entertainment Moments Of All Time (And Their Social Media Impact)
It was the slap heard ‘round the world!
Some are calling it the most rewatched bit of content since a Zapruder film. There are conspiracies out the wazoo analyzing what exactly happened.
Here’s what we know:
At the 94th Academy Awards, presenter Chris Rock remarked that Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald dome looked exactly like a sequel to G.I. Jane. Although he initially laughed, Will Smith inexplicably strutted on the stage and abruptly smacked the presenter with an open palm.
Right. In. The. Face.
The blow instantly created a divisive firestorm on the internet. Some applauded Smith for supporting his wife; others criticized his blatant display of violence toward humor. None perfectly encapsulates this conundrum more than Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o’s emotional journey, sitting right behind Smith:
LUPITA'S JOURNEY IN THIS MOMENT !!! pic.twitter.com/hnJYPgyMIo
— Gabe González (@gaybonez) March 28, 2022
With a very public strike, Smith slapped the social media world silly. According to Trending TV, it is the highest engagement all-time, since the chart launched, garnering 32.8 million engagements in one day.
It all goes to show: even in an age of streaming, literally anything can happen on live television. Some moments have been so stunning, that they have directly influenced the social media landscape, irrevocably changing it forever.
These are The Most Shocking Live Entertainment Moments Of All Time (And Their Social Media Impact).
Taylor Swift, Interrupted
What happened: The VMAs isn’t exactly the most prestigious award show. In fact, it’s a good excuse for music artists and celebrities to get wasted. That’s basically what happened in 2009.
Let’s set the scene: Taylor Swift showed up in a Cinderella-style carriage. Kanye showed up with a bottle of Hennessy. What could possibly go wrong?
As the night went on, the cognac in his bottle rapidly drained. When the rapper stormed the stage, the liquor was gone. Grabbing the mic from the night’s wholesome princess, he acknowledged the “You Belong To Me” singer’s accomplishment, before quickly launching into a tirade that Beyonce was robbed of the award.
There’s about a thousand different Kanye moments that could have been put here. The Pete Davidson troll, Adidas enthusiast, and ex-Kardashian clearly has a lot to say.
The most iconic — even mimicked in this year’s Oscars by DJ Khalid — saw Ye coining the immortal “Imma let you finish”.
The man formally known as Kanye West, Yeezus, and Pablo later claims he made Taylor’s career, openly believes Harriet Tubman was a fraud, and actually ran for president in 2020. He was banned from this year’s Grammy awards due to “concerning online behavior”.
Social media impact: MTV has since taken the video down, leaving a legacy of blurry bootlegs. However, the incident created the first pop culture phenomenon on Twitter. None of this was lost on Jim Cantiello, who served as the MTV News correspondent at the time: “Kanye storming the stage was the first time I realized how powerful Twitter was”.
Why we care: At the time, Twitter was still in its infancy, only three years old. Even in its early evolution, it was fully capable of driving the conversation forward during crucial pop culture moments; discussions that is had daily and tea that is still sipped on the regular. A viral moment can make all involved immortal in the pop culture lexicon.
On The Road Again… With O.J.
What happened: In 1994, after being subpoenaed to surrender for murdering his wife, former football star O.J. Simpson led a cavalcade of policemen on a low-speed car chase for two hours and seventy-five miles. Los Angeles streets emptied, with most locals retreating to bars to watch the incident unfold. Simpson was later arraigned and ruled not guilty. However, his flight, subsequent suicide note, and abundance of evidence caused the public to believe otherwise.
Social media impact: Contemporary digital news coverage was completely revolutionized by hyper-coverage and media frenzy. Media spectacle also dug deeper, demanding the public to reflect upon the intersection of race and gender — commentary that is still debated while analyzing current events.
Why we care: Almost 95 million people tuned in, ranking as the most viewed broadcast of 1994. The attention ranks as the 18th highest viewership in history, and the 14th total that involved an NFL player (yes, Roots counts since Simpson was in the first episode). It was the last mass coverage by print media before the worldwide web took over the news. The cultural impact remains infinite: coverage includes books, a mini-series starring Cuba Gooding Jr., and an Oscar-winning documentary.
The Green Dress
What happened: At the turn of the century, red carpets were family affairs, where actors and actresses dressed fairly conservatively. During that year’s Grammy Awards, Jennifer Lopez proved that Prince was wrong: it was time to party like it was 2000… not 1999.
Jenny from the Block wore the now infamous green Versace gown, sporting a sheer neckline that plummeted down past her naval. Fashion tape was applied liberally.
The images were the first to break the internet. Executive chairman Eric Schmidt of Google said at the time: “it was the most popular search query we had ever seen”.
Social media impact: It’s considered the first viral image. J. Lo’s dress birthed the “Google Image Search”. By introducing the website feature, the search engine brought accessibility to image-driven information, as well as text. Later, this served as the template for social media giants, such as Facebook and Instagram.
Why we care: Image is everything. It's proven that visuals communicate vital information and increase engagement better than any other medium. What was once a limited page of text with links has evolved into a search query that reveals actual images. The Google move green-lit an era of style consciousness on a global and accessible scale.
Hopping Mad
What happened: On a 2005 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Cruise showed that White Men CAN Jump.
Promoting his recent film, the Top Gun star took to the skies, leaping repeatedly on the couch and declaring his love for then-girlfriend Katie Holmes. Oprah was left stunned and probably turned around to give the awestruck crowd cars during the commercial break.
This is peak scientology Tom Cruise — an eccentric (and enthusiast) multimillionaire that has been lampooned so often, it’s now an old joke told by that unfunny guy at a party.
Despite the constant parody, Cruise’s career was untouched. In the meantime, Holmes was replaced in The Dark Knight for wanting more money and being an all-around terrible actress.
Social media impact: Lainey Gossip creator Elaine Lui said at the time: “The rise of the gossip blog quickly accelerated. Celebrities were not being contained the way they used to be”. Added Pop Culture Died website runner Matt James: “The entire incident became a testament to the way public opinion could form online in the pre-Twitter era, and how damaging it could be in the long run.”
Why we care: The couch-jumping snafu resulted in a more democratic and anarchic digital media landscape. It’s called going viral for a reason; no longer could publicists simply quell incidental fires sparked by their wacky celeb clientele. Therefore, the rapid spread of information can help or hinder a narrative, but still bring attention to a particular campaign.
Back To The Fresh Prince…
Why we care: Just look at it this way: after being walloped, even Chris Rock’s comedy show rose 200% in sales. We’re no celebrities, and we certainly take humor better than the Fresh Prince. As you know, social is all we do. Our team understands the importance of engagement, steadfast mission, and promotional focus for your brand.