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Urlesque counts down the top 100 viral videos in the history of the web.


#30 - Miss Teen South Carolina

The beauty queen's flubbed response was a worldwide hit. Why? Fashion model, college student, and former Miss Teen South Carolina, Lexington's own Lauren Caitlin Upton became an Internet and TV sensation when her incoherent response to a question during the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant was basically all anyone wanted to talk about for a week during September of that year. Like many memes who came before and after, Caitlin was parodied in many mainstream avenues and appeared in Weezer's 2008 video for their song 'Pork and Beans.' -JB


#29 - Dramatic Chipmunk

"Dramatic Chipmunk" is the Tina Fey of internet memes ... there ain't a single person who doesn't like him/her. Versatile, compact and endlessly hilarious, Dram-Chip is actually a prairie dog that appeared on a morning show in Japan... and happened to look at the camera at just the right time. The little devil burrowed through the intertubes and resulting remixes have included Dramatic Look Bond, Darthmatic, and Angry German Kid: Dramatic Chipmunk Vs. Angry German Kid. Niche much? See also: Dramatic Lemur and Dramatic Cat -SL


#28 - Back Dorm Boys

Wei Wei and Huang Yi Xin helped spawn the lipdub phenomenon when their renditions of Backstreet Boys songs performed in their college dorm room (while their roommate paid no attention in the background) hit the web in 2005. They received mainstream attention in the U.S. with an appearance on Ellen, and while they have dropped of the stateside radar, they are still riding their meme to stardom in China. Lipdubs have gotten more elaborate since early forays, with more synchronized movements and production. -RV




#27 - Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, 'Crank That'

The now 18-year-old rapper and his hit song 'Crank That (Soulja Boy)' are a both a result of homegrown viral buzz when he posted the song on MySpace and YouTube -- with an additional challenge to his followers to learn the dance. The song became a number one hit by September 2007 and eventually earned him a Grammy Awards nomination. The video is one of the first widespread examples of fans on the web taking to YouTube to copycat dance moves. The rapper even posted an instructional video on how to do the dance to aid his fans. -KR


#26 - Exploding Whale

Once upon a time in 1970, the Oregon Highway Patrol tried to blow up a whale carcass. No really, like, with dynamite and everything. Thankfully, local news footage of the attempt (and eventual apocalyptic storm of falling whale guts) lives on as a YouTube staple. The web loves its funny news pieces. No one is completely sure when the infamous footage first hit the web, but apparently it inspired its very own website. -JA