Weekly Viral Forecast: Nigel Thornberry, Transformers, And Independence Day

From Nigel Thornberry and Transformers to Cee Lo Green's Patti LaBelle costume, we've got all the viral hits from the weekend and predictions for the week to come! It's the Weekly Viral Forecast for June 27th, 2011.

• 1. Breakout Nostalgia Meme: Nigel Thornberry

  

  References to the character of Nigel Thornberry from the '90s Nickelodeon cartoon The Wild Thornberrys have been popping up all over Tumblr this weekend and has become a trending topic on Twitter this morning in both the US and UK. I haven't yet traced back the source of the resurgence.

• 2. Marriage Equality Passed, NPH To Wed

  

  With New York State finally approving a new marriage equality bill Friday, expect to see the discussion of gay marriage shift to other states over the course of the next week. In related news, Neil Patrick Harris and partner of five years David Burtka announced on Twitter that they will be tying the knot. The moment the date is announced expect the wedding to make big waves.

• 3. Cee Lo Green's Tribute To Patti LaBelle

  

  Last night's BET Awards saw many a memorable moment. At one point a teleprompter malfunction caused presenter to announce both Chris Brown AND Rihanna the winners of the Viewers Choice Award. Actual winner Drake took to the stage, calling the mishap "awkward." But the moment that seems to be making the most buzz this morning was Cee Lo Green's costume tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Patti Labelle.
  Straight From The A has more.

• 4. So Long LulzSec

  

  Hacker group Lulz Security announced Saturday that their "planned 50-day cruise has expired" only a few short days after being bested by rival hacker group TeaMp0isoN. Given how many have pointed out that LulzSec's appearance conveniently coincides with the end of the school year, it could be that the kids have found something more interesting to do with their summer vacation. I'm predicting LulzSec news to die down quickly.

• 5. Transformers Dark Of The Moon

  

  Michael Bay's latest installment in the Transformers franchise releases this Wednesday. This should be a great week for content about giant robots and explosions.

• 6. Dancing Chihuahua

  Although this video emerged over a week ago, it was one of the most shared non-music videos of the weekend.

• 7. Independence Day

  

  With the 4th of July only one week away, you can bet that most people will be thinking of little else than their plans for the holiday weekend.  The final week of June has a long history of being the lowest point in the year for stories on the arts and humanities, with the highest in travel and recreation. Break out the fireworks, grill some burgers, hit the lake, and try not to over-analyze the sociopolitical environment. There will be plenty of time for that in the weeks ahead!