15 Viral Moments That Have Defined 2025 So Far
Here's the half-year cultural check-in no one asked for
It’s July 21, the summer solstice. Half the year has passed, and we’ve already lived through what feels like six months of vibes, icks, Pedro Pascal supremacy, a resuscitated wolf species, and a suspiciously rebranded wellness obsession with… creatinine? Somewhere between Labubu plushies and SRK looking like an alien lifeform to the Met Gala hosts, the internet has curated a timeline that’s equal parts unhinged, heartwarming, and delightfully unserious.
This year hasn’t been about one defining trend—it’s been a buffet. A deeply chaotic, serotonin-spiking, meme-laden buffet where nostalgia, AI, and full-sprint celebrity culture have collided. And in the spirit of the longest day of the year, we’re taking a beat to look back at the moments that broke our brains, restored our faith, and made us wonder if the dire wolves are actually back.
Labubu: The Internet’s Creepiest Cutest Child
The chaotic little gremlin known as Labubu went from obscure art toy to emotional support monster. Labubu conquered every platform—from Weibo to TikTok to hearts of all the girlies. Owning one became a Gen Z rite of passage. It’s ugly-cute. It’s mildly cursed. And somehow, it’s the mascot of 2025.
Matcha Got Gentrified to Death
Seriously, asking for a friend, do you even actually like matcha? What started as a wholesome green elixir is now the Starbucks order of TikTok girlies, crypto bros, and everyone in between. From matcha tiramisu to matcha protein martinis, we collectively overdosed by April. The ick has officially set in. If you see someone posting a matcha flatlay in July 2025, it's either satire or a cry for help.
WWIII Memes: When Anxiety Became a Genre
In true Gen Z fashion, the only way to process geopolitical dread was to meme it into oblivion. Twitter (sorry, X) was awash with fake army drafts, banter between two nations who share a love-hate relationship, and reels of people asking Alexa how to dodge conscription. It was morbidly funny. It was deeply online. It was a masterclass in digital coping.
Pedro Pascal Became the Main Character of Cinema
Move over Barbie. Pedro Pascal became the multiverse. He was everywhere: a cowboy, a Jedi, a grieving dad, a hot unicorn, maybe your stepdad? With each new franchise cameo, we joked he was collecting IPs like Thanos collecting Infinity Stones. The internet’s boyfriend. The industry’s best ROI. The Supreme Daddy. The moment, the man, the myth. The guy with the tank at Cannes 2025.
Jonathan Anderson Quit Loewe—And Fashion Cried
In one of the fashion world’s biggest shakeups, Jonathan Anderson announced his departure from Loewe. It marked the end of an era defined by surreal handbags, dreamy silhouettes, and runway shows that felt like modern art installations. Fashion Twitter hasn’t recovered. Nor have our mood boards.
RCB Won the IPL. Yes, Really.
Every year it was “this might be our year,” and in 2025, it finally was. After a 17-year drought, Royal Challengers Bangalore clinched the title, and the internet melted. Bangalore turned into a carnival. Virat Kohli cried. Meme pages combusted. And RCB fans finally got to stop saying "Ee Sala Cup Namde" with irony.
The OceanGate Doc Dropped (And We Relived the Submarine Trauma)
Just when we thought we’d emotionally processed the 2023 submarine saga, streaming platforms said “trauma sells” and Netflix dropped the OceanGate documentary. Cue renewed anxiety, a wave of submarine memes, and deep dives (literally) into the chaos.
The Horror Of Studio Ghibli x ChatGPT
You think the use of artificial intelligence to turn regular images and memes into Studio Ghibli-style illustrations is, ok? Hayao Miyazaki didn't spend decades creating breathtaking animation to be just so it could be overtaken by algorithm to mass-produced soulless illustrations in mere seconds. “Ghiblification” showed us the real danger of the AI-fication of everything around us. Even Miyazaki raised his concerns.
Mission: Impossible Said Goodbye
The franchise that outlived multiple wars, phones with buttons, and Tom Cruise’s knees finally wrapped with its last movie. And while the final stunt involved Cruise jumping out of an airplane with a fuel-soaked chute (which earned him a Guinness award), what got us most teary-eyed was the nostalgia. This wasn’t just the end of a film series—it was the end of an era! What will my father watch now?
Creatinine Is... Cool Now?
TikTok wellness influencers declared creatine as the new it-supplement. It’s been long popular with athletes and body builders, but this year social media claimed multiple other benefits: it improves memory, helps with recovery, and even helps control bloody sugar. Are you on the creatine-wagon yet? I’m still deciding.
Pedro Pascal’s Death (RIP Joel, Not Daddy)
In The Last of Us Season 2, Pedro Pascal’s character Joel finally met his fate. And trust me, we all wept int that scene. And then in the “baby girl” scene after that scene. But it’s okay because Pascal was simultaneously starring in five other major franchises.
SRK at the Met Gala 2025—And America Flopped
Shah Rukh Khan graced the Met Gala red carpet in custom Sabyasachi (note: he’s the first Indian male actor to do so), in a first and a moment that broke the internet! However, amidst his glamorous appearance, a surprising moment unfolded when he had to introduce himself to the international media, sparking a wave of reactions from fans worldwide. Sabyasachi had to step in to save the day. Cue: the wrath of the global internet.
Alia Bhatt’s Gucci Saree Moment at Cannes
If there was ever a mic-drop moment in Indian fashion, it was Alia’s Gucci-branded saree at Cannes. Not only did she look like a modern-day bride in Gucci, but the look also ignited debates about whether luxury labels truly get Indian silhouettes. Consensus? Alia did, and that’s what matters.
Banu Mushtaq’s ‘Heart Lamp’ Wins the International Booker
A stunning, poetic debut from a relatively unknown voice, Heart Lamp didn’t just win, it made history with the International Booker Prize win. She is the first author writing in the Kannada language to win this award. Truly, a globally proud moment for all of us.
The Dire Wolves Are Back??
Earlier this year, Colossal Biosciences announced the birth of three puppies—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—created from dire wolf DNA that’s been dormant for over 16,000 years. They used CRISPR, they used cloning, they used dogs as surrogates. And just like that, the most metal headline of 2025 was born: “Dire Wolves Have Been Resurrected.” But is it dire wolves or just really good clones? Cue: Jurassic Park theme.