Maeve McCann | Staff Writer
The internet is a weird place; a place where literally anything can go viral and become a moment in pop culture. Internet memes and hyper fixations are probably the weirdest thing about the internet. So, what’s this week’s hyperfixation?
Obviously anything that’s cute automatically has so much potential to become a viral internet meme. For example, the “Four Seasons Orlando baby,” a baby that simply said, “MEEEEE!!!,” and now she’s famous. Her internet fame has allowed her family to travel the world. Not only does being internet famous make you relevant, it also makes you rich. The internet is the number one way we consume media in the year 2024.
This week everyone’s eyes have been on the pygmy hippo, Moo Deng. Miss Moo Deng lives in Thailand and is barely 2 months old. Her caretaker at Khao Kheow Zoo started to post videos of the little hippo living her everyday life. She is chubby, adorable, and silly, what more could you ask for? Eventually these videos caught attention worldwide and she became an internet sensation. Her level of fame reminds me of past internet animals such as JiffPom, a dog that got famous on Instagram. She has managed to capture the hearts of people all over the world. People often pose the question, “which Moo Deng are you today?,” allowing people to relate to the baby hippo.
The first video that caught worldwide attention was a video of her biting her caretaker’s knee. It was so cute because she was unsuccessful at causing any bite marks. Since then, people have fallen in love with her. I recently discovered that she also has siblings, but the internet has taken such a liking to her in particular. She seems to be the most energetic of the bunch. There’s so much harsh content on the internet, but the internet gave us Moo Deng, and for that me and many others are thankful. If you were unaware of Moo Deng until now, welcome to the club.