A New Hope: The Rise of Chewbacca Mom

147 million views. Most-watched Facebook Live video. Appearances on Good Morning America and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Pretty good week for a simple Star Wars fan.

Last Thursday, Candace Payne set the Internet abuzz with the now famous “Chewbacca Mask” video, taking over social media sites Facebook and Twitter. In only a week, she has achieved “Pseudo-Celebrity” status, garnering shout-outs from some of the most affluent and famous people around (Mark Zuckerberg, J.J. Abrams, Hillary Clinton, and Ellen DeGeneres, to name a few). The opportunity of meeting tech billionaires, world-class directors, and television hosts is really just a feather in the cap – the cap of becoming a global, viral sensation.

Yes, A LOT of people have watched the video. However, many are still perplexed on what this phenomenon is. How did a simple video of a mom wearing a Wookiee mask essentially break the Internet? And how exactly do these viral trends even start? In today's day and age, there seems to be no rhyme or reason behind one video becoming a viral hit and another remaining unnoticed. So then, how are these viral hits born? 

Extravagance in the Mundane

There’s often a misconception that viral videos are extremely elaborate or offer something entirely unique. While most viral trends are, themselves, special, they’re often constructed from everyday objects or commonplace items.

One of the top trending videos of 2016 is the “Damn Daniel” viral segment. That entire video consists of a teenager wearing White Vans, and another pointing it out (albeit in a slightly abnormal, yet surprisingly soothing tone). That’s it. Yet, it has gotten hundreds of millions of views and earned the two teens a few trips to the Ellen Show.

Viral trends and memes are often based on pretty ordinary things: a pair of shoes, a Star Wars mask, or even a water bottle (this video has all the makings of becoming the next viral hit). A high-production value doesn’t guarantee virality – it all depends on how you use an ordinary device to accomplish something in a manner that no one has before.

Relatability

One of the correlations between whether something begins to trend or not directly applies to the audience. As irritating as it may sound, the core aspect of most viral trends is that anyone can do it.

Look at the Dab. The dance move originated in 2012, yet why did it become viral just this year? While Quarterback Cam Newton is famous for performing the dance in the end-zone, the pure simplicity of it allowed for anyone to be able to perform the “highly elaborate” dance.

This idea of simplicity, and thus relatability, is seen with Chewbacca Mom as well. Evidence of this is that in the days following the viral video, most stores and online retailers found their stock of Digital Chewbacca Masks completely depleted.

It seems like everyone has one now, and that’s just what it is. Virality is the result of simplicity and relatability.

Pure Emotion

One of the most important aspects of a viral trend is establishing an emotional connection with the audience. The most common emotion triggered by viral trends is happiness, which often comes in the form of laughter.

Very much like “Damn Daniel” and “The Dab”, “Chewbacca Mom” exudes pure joy and happiness, a feeling that one simply can’t ignore when watching the video. This play on pathos is extremely relevant, especially during a time when media only seems to focus on the dark and the dreary. While they my seem to be simplistic and meaningless snippets of random activities, viral videos play to peoples' most basic emotions. For that short amount of time, the video draws in the audience and allows them to forget about unhappiness and focuses on the redeeming and beautiful aspects of humanity (even if it's kind of ridiculous).  

Videos that focus on happiness as well as bring out laughter from an audience are often those that ultimately achieve virality. 

Final Thoughts

Candace’s rapid journey to the top of cultural relevancy is nothing short of spectacular, not because she was trying to become the next "Damn Daniel", but because she was simply herself. "Chewbacca Mom’s" meteoric rise can be attributed not only to creating magic from the mundane and connecting with the digital world through her charisma and charm, but through being genuine and spreading happiness to others. The key to virality is not elaborate planning and methodical thought, but spontaneous self-expression that gives a new spark back to the world.

---

Erwen (Alex) Zhu is an intended Business Major at the University of California Berkeley and writes as a millennial voice for marketing, social media, entertainment, and cultural impact.

Enjoyed this piece? Follow Alex on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you liked what you read, please share, like, and comment. #StudentVoices