The Brief: The egg that beat Kylie Jenner's record for the most-liked Instagram post of all time appears to be hatching.
DEEP DIVE
Last week, a photo of a chicken egg broke the world record for the most likes on an Instagram photo, passing Kylie Jenner’s previous record-holding photo of her baby. This egg currently has over 50 million likes on one photo and millions of followers. The egg’s official account, @world_record_egg can be distinguished from fan accounts and impostor accounts by its blue checkmark verification.
This record-breaking egg appears to be itself breaking. Two more pictures of the egg have been added to its account, depicting growing cracks on its shell. Although they were posted without captions, these pictures, which have not attracted as much attention as the original egg photo, seem to be an indication that the “World Record Egg” is hatching. This has led people to speculate about what lies inside of the egg. Does it contain a baby chick? Is it hard boiled? Maybe it’s a Pandora’s Box situation.
It’s also possible that the cracks on the egg mean that it is breaking, not hatching. This all depends on whether or not it’s been properly incubated, or, more realistically, what its creator has planned for it.
Whatever its story is, this egg’s journey to viral fame is remarkable. As virality is often unpredictable and this egg seems to be breaking all the rules, it’s hard to tell what will come next for this humble egg. If it hatches its contents could set a new world record, or get lost in the capricious cycle of internet memes.