First published January 24, 2019.
The Hook collected selected viral moments from 2018 into a humorous retrospective, with narration presented as coming from Morgan Freeman. The post that first shared it described that narration as only “allegedly” his, and no production credit confirming it has been found.
From the creation of 'The floss dance' to the yodeling kid to a bit of toilet paper stuck to Donald Trump's shoe, this video is a great little reminder of what went on in 2018 and makes me really hope for a less dumb 2019. These are examples of what circulated widely online during that period, not a complete record of the year's events.
I'm feeling confident, are you?
The video is best approached as a dated selection of internet humor.
(The Facebook video originally embedded here is no longer available.)
A year’s viral moments become a time capsule
A compilation makes unrelated moments share a rhythm. Familiarity does some of the work: a brief clip may once have needed no explanation, while a later viewer has to reconstruct why it was everywhere. That change gives the video another interest as it ages. It records not only events but a period's habits of attention, showing how short-lived prominence can become a recognizable collective memory without necessarily becoming lasting significance.
The date gives recognition a useful anchor, allowing a once-familiar clip to be understood as part of a particular online moment.
Recognising a voice is not a production credit
The headline named Morgan Freeman, but the accompanying text only described the narration as alleged, and a familiar-sounding voice is not enough to establish who recorded it. That caution has only become more relevant: in June 2024 Freeman publicly thanked fans for calling out an unauthorized AI-generated imitation of his voice used to narrate viral videos. For that reason this retrospective identifies the compilation and its publisher without presenting the actor’s involvement as verified. The humour can still be enjoyed on its own terms, while the date keeps a review of 2018 from being mistaken for current events.
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