David Beckham’s 40th birthday plans: Take the party to Marrakesh; launch hashtag #DB40; join Instagram to share behind the scenes photos. Check, check and check.
The former soccer player turned pop culture icon hits 40 on May 2. But that hasn’t slowed Beckham down. Just two weeks ago, he delivered a social media smackdown to his 16-year-old son Brooklyn Beckham that went viral.
The younger Beckham shared a video of himself in which he bragged about reaching 1 million Instagram followers on his mother’s birthday. Step aside, millennial. “I’ve got 52 [million]” David said proudly in the background.
Beckham was actually referring to his Facebook followers and may have exaggerated that figure a little (he has 50.3 million). In fact, he does have some catching up to do. Until now, Facebook is the only social platform the athlete had used. Previously, fans on Instagram or Twitter have had to make do with glimpses of Beckham through his wife Victoria and son Brooklyn’s feeds.
Now, he’s created his own account on the mobile photo-sharing app. Beckham launched his account with a black and white shirtless shot lying in bed, telling fans “I can’t wait to start sharing all my special moments with you.” Already, the feed has 453,000 followers who’ve been patiently waiting for his first snapshot.
#Ismydadcoolerthanme asked Brooklyn in his photo caption two weeks ago. It looks as if the world is about to find out.
9 Overnight Internet Sensations: From 'Alex From Target' to 'Hot Mug Shot Guy' (Photos)
Alex Lee, a 16-year-old bag boy at a Dallas Target store, became known simply as "Alex From Target" after a customer snapped his picture and posted it on Twitter. Lee became an overnight Internet sensation and landed a one-on-one with Ellen DeGeneres.
Alex Minsky went viral after his modeling shots hit the web. An Afghanistan vet, Minksy lost a leg after his Humvee ran over a roadside bomb. Instead of hiding his prosthesis, Minsky flaunted it on camera. His pictures became so popular, the California native was invited to New York to sit down with the ladies of "The View."
Chris Crocker, the boy in front of bedsheets tearfully begging people to “Leave Britney (Spears) alone!" got his big break after his video garnered an astounding 4 million views in two days. The YouTube clip inspired dozens of parodies by big-name celebs. He signed a show deal with Logo TV and has since proudly made a transition into gay porn.
Antoine Dodson was interviewed by a local TV crew after an intruder attempted to rape his sister. The interview became an Internet sensation and even got its own auto-tuned song by The Gregory Brothers which sold thousands of copies on iTunes.
Jeremy Meeks became "The Hot Mug Shot Guy" after he was arrested on gun and gang-related charges and his mugshot was posted on the Stockton, California police department's website. Women swooned, and Meeks made the news and reportedly signed a modeling contract worth $30,000.
Sean Kory hit it big after his own mug shot hit the web. Kory was arrested in Santa Cruz, California in November for allegedly assaulting a man dressed up as a Fox News reporter at a Halloween parade.
Chris Kohrs, also known as "The Hot Cop of San Francisco," became a global obsession earlier this year after a stranger on the street snapped his photo. A Facebook page started by one of his fans garnered an eye-popping 50,000 followers in less than a week.
EJ Johnson, son of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, went viral after paparazzi caught him coming out of a West Hollywood restaurant clutching a Birkin bag while holding hands with a male friend. Johnson landed a lead role in E!'s "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills."
Tardar Sauce, better known as "Grumpy Cat," became a Tumblr sensation, soon landing the feline its own movie.
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Teen Alex Lee became a star after an off-the-cuff photo became a social media phenomenon. Here’s TheWrap’s list of people who rode the wave of viral popularity.
Alex Lee, a 16-year-old bag boy at a Dallas Target store, became known simply as "Alex From Target" after a customer snapped his picture and posted it on Twitter. Lee became an overnight Internet sensation and landed a one-on-one with Ellen DeGeneres.
