These 10 tweets captured the zeitgeist in 2024
While it's experienced a mass exodus (or X-odus) recently, it's clear that X, formerly known as Twitter, remains a culturally relevant force. Despite the advent of Threads and Bluesky, X continues to be a launching pad for major moments on the Internet.
Here are the 10 tweets that defined 2024.
10. This quote tweet instigating a discussion around whether or not reading is a privilege
Only on this app could there be discourse over whether reading is a privilege or a right. In a quote tweet, X user @twitchyspoonie argued that people need time, education, ability, and access to read books, after the original poster urged people to read more. And so, the quote tweeting of the quote tweet continued, with other users pointing out that reading is as much a necessity as food and housing and that reading is actually one of the most accessible hobbies out there.
9. MrBeast promoting his giveaway
After apparently making over $250,000 on his first X video, MrBeast promised to give away $25,000 to 10 random people who retweet his post and follow him. Some X users have suspected that the metrics of the original post were rigged and that the video was promoted as an undisclosed ad. In any case, the giveaway post itself went down in X history as one of the most retweeted posts of all time, picking up three million retweets.
8. Kendrick Lamar dropping his most vicious takedown of Drake
Sometimes, the tweets that go viral are no-frills promos. Here’s a case in point: Kendrick Lamar dropping “Not Like Us” in the heat of his feud with Drake. While Lamar only posted his track title and YouTube link, he managed to stir up 167,000 reposts and 527,000 likes. Drake released "The Heart Part 6" after this, but Lamar undoubtedly put a period on this saga with lines like "say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young" and “tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A minor.”
7. Kesha seemingly referencing Katy Perry in a subtweet
On the day that Katy Perry posted a teaser of her song “Woman’s World,” Kesha cryptically (or perhaps not so cryptically) tweeted “lol.” The song, which was promoted as a feminist anthem, was produced by Dr. Luke, who Kesha has previously accused of abuse. It's a simple tweet, but many people interpreted it as a dig at the hypocrisy in the situation.
6. Elon Musk sharing an image of Donald Trump raising his fist
Even on his own platform, X owner Elon Musk remains a polarizing figure. But we can’t talk about the tweets that defined 2024 without considering this post, in which Musk shared a photo of Donald Trump raising his fist following an assassination attempt. Capturing a pivotal moment during the 2024 election, this post went down as one of the most liked tweets of all time with 3.4 million likes.
5. Wolf Blitzer sharing his Wolf Spritzer
It’s just a normal picture of someone appreciating a good drink off the clock, right? In this fun tweet, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer posted a pic of himself enjoying a Wolf Spritzer (get it?) at El Presidente. Not long after, President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential election, pulling the anchor back to work.
4. Charli XCX offering Kamala Harris a stamp of approval
Not long after Wolf Blitzer was rudely interrupted by the grind of American politics, Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for POTUS. Referencing her chart-topping album, pop icon Charli XCX broke the Internet with three simple words: "kamala IS brat." In case you somehow forgot, the Harris campaign never once hesitated to capitalize on that neon green momentum.
3. This post summing up the Luigi Mangione discourse
The day Luigi Mangione was arrested for the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the Internet collectively lost its mind. Between thirst posts, Super Mario memes, and earnest discussions about healthcare injustice, it was tricky to choose just one tweet about the situation. But this tweet pretty much captures the breakneck speed at which information spreads online and the celebrity fixation around the alleged killer.
2. This post capturing the 2024 pop buzzword salad in political and corporate marketing
At first, this tweet feels like a Mad Libs of 2024 online buzzwords. But if there's a post that shows how politicians and corporations have tried (and often failed) to endear themselves to the public with pop culture references, it's this one.
1. This woman posting a picture of herself with her thesis
Cambridge scholar Dr. Ally Louks innocently posted a photo of herself posing with her completed PhD thesis on olfactory ethics. A normal person, of course, would congratulate someone on accomplishing such a feat, but the more belligerent side of X panned her niche research topic and made unsavory attacks against her. Still, her studies prove to be more relevant by the day with tweets like this and this.
The Daily Dot looks back at the year that was in our 2024 Year in Review.
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