Reminiscing on 7 Of The Most Bizarre Trends From Lockdown
From coffee to the Cuomo brothers, the early days of lockdown were a wild ride.
March is upon us yet again, which means it’s been just about a year since the first lockdown was announced and the world spiraled into a COVID reality.
As we all settled into our homes for quarantine, the Internet quickly devised dozens of boredom-alleviating trends, little activities and videos to take your mind off the outside world for a few minutes and give you something to do while stuck at home. Now, a year after lockdown began, we’re reminiscing on some of the most bizarre—albeit, nostalgically beloved—quarantine trends.
1. Whipped Dalgona Coffee
If you were on TikTok last spring, you know that the viral whipped coffee recipe took the world by storm. What is essentially just sugar, coffee grounds and water frothed together (in a very laborious method that involves 5-10 minutes of vigorous whisking by hand) became a viral sensation for the soft, cloud-like texture of the coffee it produced and the sweet, fluffy taste. For a recipe that couldn’t be simpler, whipped coffee was definitely a rewarding trend which consumed at least a handful of your lockdown minutes every time you made it.
2. Netflix’s Tiger King
11 months ago, Tiger King premiered on Netflix, launching viewers into a weeks-long frenzy over the unhinged nature of the documentary. Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin quickly became Internet memes, with an entire TikTok meme sound devoted to the feud between the two, with celebrities like Jojo Siwa and platform users alike doing dances to it. Tiger King definitely brought some intrigue and interest to an otherwise monotonous time, and it seems like the kind of thing which could really only flourish under such drastic circumstances.
3. Baking—Specifically, Banana Bread
A few weeks into lockdown, we all began to realize it was time to pick up some new hobbies. Many turned to baking—a plethora of recipes hit the Internet, from matcha brownies to focaccia bread, but banana bread seemed to entice all age groups and baking skill levels, a delicious dessert that could double as breakfast and is easy enough to perfect. Everyone seems to have their own spin on banana bread, and some would even make several loaves a day (or make video tutorials with millions of likes, as the one above)—thanks to quarantine, a lot of us will probably never be able to eat it again without thinking of those long first days spent indoors.
4. TikTok Dances
And, of course, with so much quarantine content coming from TikTok, we’d be remiss not to account for the biggest trend on the platform by far: dances. Within the first few days of lockdown, the creative artistry on the app sprung up, with viral dances to songs by Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Sales and more being populated by millions of videos. One of the silver linings of the pandemic, it truly showed the expression and artistry of teens across the app (and supplied us all with some new moves to bust out when the clubs reopen).
5. The Cuomo Brothers
With the entire nation turning into the news each night for updates on the virus, lockdown and possible vaccines, the Cuomo brothers provided some lighthearted comic relief for millions of Americans. The pair would constantly engage in brotherly antics over the air, riffing about calling their mother and being all-around obnoxious to each other in the way that only brothers are. The Cuomos quickly became the stars of the Internet (and CNN), giving some relief to an otherwise grim time.
6. Among Us
Among Us was definitively a later development in the grand scheme of 2020, but it undoubtedly possessed deeply quarantined vibes. The virtual game allowed users to connect with others—sometimes their friends, or, if they choose, strangers—to assume the position of either an Impostor or a player, completing tasks while trying not to be killed by the secret Impostor whilst figuring out who that person is and voting them off. A trendy stroke of genius, Among Us completely enraptured many lives (and a lot of screen time) in early fall before being forgotten, but for those few weeks, it was a much-needed source of fun. Even AOC and Ilhan Omar loved it!
7. DIY Clothing
Being locked up at home but still wanting to don new outfits inevitably led to one thing: making your own clothes out of what you already own, so as to not purchase new fits that no one would even get to see. DIYing instantly became a trend, with tie dyeing being the most popular form of it. Tanks, sweats, hoodies—anything that could be tie dyed would be tie dyed.