People Who Became Famous For Dumb Reasons

Face it, we live in a day and age where, more and more, everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. They want to go viral - no matter how they do it. But that's really nothing new.

Reddit started discussion, of the "dumbest reasons someone became famous in the U.S." Different decades brought us different dummies - I mean, stories.

Do you remember some of these? Balloon Boy, Hawk Tuah, and all of The Kardashians.

Every era finds a stupid new way for people to become famous. In the 1970s, it was being a groupie, in the 80's, it was some outrageous Studio 54 outfit, in the '90s, being on cable, in the 2000s, being on reality TV, in the 2010s, being on social media, and in the 2020s, being an "influencer."

It's a list of "dumbest reasons someone became famous in the U.S." Here are some memorable - and some you'd rather forget - examples.

1. Balloon Boy - Remember this one? In 2009, the Balloon Boy hoax went viral when a couple claimed their six-year-old son was trapped in a homemade balloon 7,000 feet up in the air. There was a balloon - but their son was at home in the attic. Early example of the ridiculous going viral.

2. Hawk Tuah. She is literally the textbook example of the dumbest reason someone became famous...

3. Honey Boo Boo.

4. Almost every 'reality TV star'

5. Bhad Bhabie - the "Cash Me Outside" girl from Dr. Phil.

6. Kim Kardashian - famous for her father being one of O.J. Simpson's lawyers, and *ahem* a leaked sex tape.

7. The rest of the Kardashians. Who are famous for, well - Kim.

8. The Jenners, who are famous for the Kardashian's. Because of Kim.

9. Octomom. She had 8 kids - at once. for a total of 14!

10. Singing horribly on "American Idol". William Hung made a whole career out of being a train wreck of a singer. Thankfully, this has become less of a thing than it once was.

11. Jake Paul for “boxing," and whatever it is he does.

12. Eating a bunch of hotdogs. Seriously.

13. Smashing a kneecap before an ice skating competition.

14. Scalding a crotch with hot McDonald's coffee. No, this person didn't become as personally "famous" as they probably would have in today's world, but the lawsuit did become legendary.

So there you have it. Just a few people who became famous for dumb reasons.