‘Damn Daniel’ Viral Video: How Being An Overnight Internet Sensation Has Its Highs And Lows

“Damn Daniel” has quickly become the viral video meme of the week. There’s no doubt that it will also become one of the most popular phrases of 2016.

So, what is this “Damn Daniel” meme, you ask? It’s a Snapchat video featuring a California high school student named Daniel Lara being complimented for his various outfits paired with his white Vans sneakers. His friend, Joshua Holz, is heard saying the now classic line, “Damn, Daniel!”

Here’s the tweet and video in question, in case you’re wondering.

Damn Daniel pic.twitter.com/Va10hmpePO

— josh (@josholzz) February 16, 2016

It’s a joke that some millennials and most older adults won’t understand. Only teens and young adults think that this viral video is hilarious.

Of course, the boys behind the “Damn Daniel” meme made their first-ever TV appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Joshua Holz revealed that he had no idea that the video would become such a big hit. Believe it or not, the boys had no intentions of becoming the latest internet sensations after they shared their Snapchat video with their friends.

Just days after it was released, the video quickly became viral and received over 45 million views. The “Damn Daniel” tweet has received over 320K retweets and over 420k likes. Ellen DeGeneres asked the high schoolers to be on her show on Wednesday, Feb. 24. The boys were obviously shy about their overnight fame but acted adorably when asked how the “Damn Daniel” meme started.

During their interview, the 14- and 15-year-old boys revealed that they both received marriage proposals from girls across the country. Daniel sheepishly admitted that he’s in no rush to get married, but he doesn’t mind the sudden attention. He added, “The girls are just a huge bonus out of all of this.”

In addition, Daniel’s love for his white Vans led the company to give him a lifetime supply of the sneakers on the daytime talk show. Meanwhile, Holz was gifted with a “Damn, Daniel I Was On Ellen!” surfboard from DeGeneres.

There’s no doubt that we will never hear from these guys ever again, unless they come up with another viral video. The very same thing happened with “Alex from Target” and the girl who started “The Dress” social media debate last year.

Becoming an overnight sensation can also bring its share of lows. Holz, the kid who shot the “Damn Daniel” video, got swatted at his home earlier this week. A swatting involves creating a fake emergency or describing a horrific crime in order to generate a large police response to an unsuspecting victim’s home.

The Riverside Police Department received a prank call that a woman was shot in the head with an AK-47 and they arrived to his home at 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Feb. 23.

But when they arrived to Josh’s home, they found a family outside that wanted to speak with the officers. It was obvious that no one was shot inside the home, and that the seemingly serious phone call turned out to be a hoax.

The officers quickly cleared the scene and determined that no one at the Holz residence was involved. Cops told TMZ that even though there are no suspects involved with the prank call, the incident is still under investigation. They’re working to find out the identity of the prank caller.

That wasn’t the first bizarre thing to happen to the Holz family this week. They also received several prank calls to their own home, though “nothing nearly as dramatic” as the swatting incident, said Lt. Christian Dinco with the Riverside Police Department.

The “Damn Daniel” meme was also the subject of an unfunny internet hoax early in the week, claiming that “Daniel” was mugged and robbed of his white Vans. And now that the viral video is growing in popularity, it’s safe to say that Daniel Lara and Joshua Holz will be the subject of other pranks in coming weeks.

[Photo Courtesy of Joshua Holz/Snapchat/Twitter]