The Milk Crate Challenge Is All The Rage Right Now

By now you've probably seen someone nearly break their neck via the Milk Crate Challenge, the newest Internet phenomenon sweeping the United States as people try to complete one of the hardest challenges known to man. The premise is simple: walk up and down a pyramid of milk crates without falling.

But let's be honest here, the beauty of the Milk Crate Challenge is the agony of defeat. The art is in people nearly breaking their necks all in the name of creating video content. No, we don't want to see people end up in a wheelchair the rest of their lives, but life is dangerous and the Crate Challenge separates those willing to snap their backs from those who would much rather watch others gain Internet fame.

According to Know Your Meme, the Milk Crate Challenge gained steam on August 13 when Facebook user Kenneth Waddell posted a video of a Milk Crate Challenge happening in a park. "On August 16th, 2021, Jordan Browne would upload another video to Facebook, this time reposting a TikTok from TikToker @taylorxxlauren," Know Your Meme reports. "The TikTok when posted to Facebook by Brown received roughly 30,000 reactions and 5.3 million views in one day. The video shows more people attempting and failing the challenge."

And the rest is history.

The origins of the challenge seem to date back to 2011 when a YouTube channel posted a video of a guy falling off six milk crates. It was a Jackass-type bit where a guy tries to run up the milk crate pyramid and ends up taking an awful fall. Internet experts believe this one video is where the current idea originated from.

As with any other Internet trend, it didn't take long for brands to stake claim to their part of the meme. Things got heated Monday when Pabst Blue Ribbon called out the Sam Adams Beer Twitter account for creating a Beer Case Challenge meme after PBR had already made that joke. That led to the Sam Adams social media team sending a DM apology to the hipster beer brand.

Meanwhile, in the 'hood, the Milk Crate Challenge stays true to its roots (from all the way back on August 13). People keep trying to climb that mountain and they keep falling. Or they get pushed off the mountain.

The Milk Crate Challenge hashtag on TikTok is up to 7.9 million views as the content keeps rolling in. Charlotte Motor Speedway came up with its own challenge Monday and even cops are getting in on the action.