2022 was the year of the niche internet micro-celebrity.
As apps like TikTok slingshotted dozens of people from obscurity to millions of views every day, and online life continues to grow increasingly disjointed and siloed, micro-celebs have popped up — i.e. people who are big names in their own special pockets of the internet, but would draw blank stares from most people on the street.
Among our favorites is a guy who's been "playing dead" on TikTok for the last year, a 28-year-old in Seattle who spent his 9-5 job savings making a 3,000-pound tomb for a bag of Cheetos, and a woman who faithfully recreates red carpet dresses with everyday items.
As the Washington Post's Taylor Lorenz noted, online fame for many of these creators is often an unexpected consequence rather than a goal. Sometimes, they parlay their internet fame into a genuine influencer career or big-time opportunities — like a guest appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." But, as quickly as many "nimcels" hit a near-cultural saturation point in their corner of the digital universe, they tend to fade from the general consciousness.
Below, you'll find a few of the niche micro-celebrities that made the news this year and whom you've probably already forgotten about.
Below, nine micro-celebrities we fondly remember (but likely forgot) from this year: