To commemorate another wild year, here is our look back at the most viral moments from North Texas in 2024.
Phred Phlintsone Takes on Trump
Drivers in on the Square in Denton during the election may have noticed a rather intense older white man. Going by the name Phred Phlinstone, he was a one-man anti-Trump campaign this year. At one point he stood in the street and held up a sign comparing President-elect Donald Trump ("broke-ass bitch") to Taylor Swift ("billionaire"). At another time, he held a sign with Trump's head in a toilet that read, "Sometimes you need to flush twice." This is likely a reference both to Trump's repeated runs for the White House and his bizarre claim in 2019 that people need up to 15 flushes to get their poop down the drain.Phlinstone became a viral Reddit sensation, so our own Simon Pruitt headed down to talk to him. The man brandished a gun at Simon (he's fine), and said that he has spent his retirement doxxing neo-Nazis (a proud Dallas tradition) and protesting. Other than that, he doesn't talk much to people, seeming to prefer to let his signs speak for themselves.
Vladimir Takes His Cybertruck for a Spin
The Tesla Cybertruck is a divisive vehicle. An electric vehicle in an oil town, a drivable NFT or an SNES polygon model that escaped into real life — one thing that's certain is that it's an attention-getting vehicle. Vladimir (last name withheld) is the owner of Handy&Man handyman services in Dallas, and he loves to use his Cybertruck in viral videos.His greatest hit came this year when he drove around town with a clothes dryer running in the back of the truck. A video of this got millions of views and a personal shoutout from Tesla head Elon Musk before Vladimir took the video private. The attention led to many calls from prospective customers, but unfortunately a lot of them wanted him to do their laundry.
Jason Kelce Calls Dallas a Butthole
Jason "My Brother is Dating Taylor Swift and Also Went to the Super Bowl" Kelce, took a shot at Dallas in December during a Monday Night Football pre-game show. The newly minted co-anchor interrupted co-host Scott Van Pelt's observations about AT&T Stadium to refer to Dallas as a butthole. He also called the city an armpit, but once you've invoked the turdiest part of the external human body, adding "armpit" seems like a step back.The rest of the panel immediately erupted into "C'mons" and Kelce backpedaled unconvincingly to say he was joking. Big talk from someone from a city nicknamed Shittsburgh, but the moment gave Kelce some time in the spotlight that didn't involve being his brother's third wheel. Speaking of Taylor Swift ...
The Smashing of a $4,000 Taylor Swift Guitar
Waxahachie man Gary Estes, 67, attended the Ellis County Wild Game dinner and charity auction, a function that raises money for local youth and agricultural education. He bid $4,000 on a guitar covered in pictures of Taylor Swift from her recent $2-billion Eras tour. (Contrary to some reports, it was neither signed by Swift nor ever played by her.) Then he smashed it to pieces on camera.Why would someone do that? There were a lot of theories. Some thought it was a rebuke of Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Others speculated it was simply someone who really hated Swift's music. Estes later said that the whole thing had simply been a joke, but if so, it still has some deeply misogynistic undertones. Regardless, more than 20 million people watched him do it, making him one of the most viral moments on 2024 period, let alone from North Texas.Omg lol!!!! Guy bought a signed Taylor Swift guitar at a live auction for $4,000, only to destroy it 🔥🔥😭😭 pic.twitter.com/zj5kHdygbU
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) September 30, 2024
Death Metal Chappell Roan Cover Band Seeks 70 y.o. Drummer
It's been a very big year for Chappell Roan, winning too many best-artist awards to count and burrowing into at least 65% of the population's brain with the late blooming hit "Hot to Go." It's hardly surprising that some cover acts would spring up in her step, but Whitechappell Roan took things in a pretty weird direction.Started by Eli Snider, the frontman of North Texas alt-rock band Chimney Dream, the whole thing began as a joke Craigslist ad: "Looking for 70 year old drummer for death metal/slam band that covers Chappell roan songs."
The quirky post was seen by Roan's actual drummer, Lucy Ritter, who posted it on Instagram. Major publications such as Sterogum followed.
Initially, the ad specified no compensation, but was later amended to payment in the form of tapioca pudding. When we last checked in with Snider, he admitted he has yet to fill the role yet, but he holds out hope.
Cheerleader Armani Latimer Goes Bare
A recent and sweet viral moment came via Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Armani Latimer. During a Dec. 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, she performed for the first time with her head bare. Latimer has alopecia, an auto-immune disease that causes hair loss, and has previously performed with a wig. The video of Latimer taking the field is incredibly sweet, with her teammates cheering her on and Latimer clearly overcome with emotion. Hoping to raise awareness of alopecia, Latimer made the dramatic decision to go without a wig live in front of 80,000 fans rather than a photoshoot or private social media video. It was a brave, heartwarming moment that was well worth the attention it got.
@gma Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader @Armani Latimer has gone viral after she taking to the field this week without her wig to raise awareness for alopecia as part of the #MyCauseMyBoots initiative. “You being different or not having hair … it should never deter you away from reaching for your dreams and your goals.” 💙🤍 #alopecia #alopeciaawareness #dcc #dallascowboys #dallascowboyscheerleaders ♬ original sound - Good Morning America
Ringo the Chicken Is Legit Dreadful
There is a legend in North Dallas around the QuikTrip gas station at Forest Lane and Abrams Road, and they call him Ringo. The hood-as-heck golden-feathered rooster has been spotted in the neighborhood repeatedly, his unkempt head feathers so matted that they hang down in front of his face like dreadlocks. In short, he is the perfect cryptid for 2024. Rumors of Ringo fighting crime have not been substantiated by the crack Dallas Observer feral fowl fact-checking team due to lack of existence.Ringo built a viral fan following on TikTok thanks to user Deon Spelling, who put the bird on the internet and exposed him to 2 million viewers. Like many a G, Ringo was finally tamed by the love of a woman, animal sanctuary guardian Liesl McQuillan. She scooped up Ringo, got him some medical care and has apparently toned down his wild streak.
But if you're in North Dallas and you hear a cock crow, step off. Ringo does not play.
A Very Weird Hymn to Trump
If you hate-watch the world of fundamentalist Christian conservatives, you probably saw "The Chosen One" by Natasha Owens. Just as Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies, the Dallas singer released a song overtly comparing Trump's conviction to the persecution of Jesus of Nazareth. The lyrics speak for themselves.
I’m not saying
He’s something divine
He gets in trouble bigly
Time after time
He’s controversial
But one thing is true
Imperfect people
A perfect God can use
I’m standing with the Chosen one
Ain’t no stopping what the Lord’s begun
He’s only human
Like you and me
Just a chosen one
The chosen one
Every politician has their screwball followers who take things too far, but Owens has built a summer home on Too Far Mountain and now lives there year-round while waiting for the feds to raid her compound. How people can continue to see a man legally found liable for rape as an agent of God's will says something either about them or about that particular aspect of God. Regardless, it was a very viral moment that stood out this year.
