The "Charlie Bit My Finger" video, featuring two young brothers from England, Harry and Charlie Davies-Carr, became an internet phenomenon in the late 2000s. This seemingly simple home video captured the hearts of millions and left an indelible mark on internet culture.
The Genesis of a Viral Sensation
The 56-second video was uploaded to YouTube on May 22, 2007. It features Harry Davies-Carr, aged 3, and Charlie Davies-Carr, aged 1. Both seated in a chair, Charlie nibbles on Harry's finger, to the amusement of both. Harry says "Charlie bit me" before putting a finger back into Charlie's mouth, who bites down in earnest. Charlie maintains his grip through Harry's increasing protests until he takes the finger out just as Harry starts screaming. Harry remonstrates with his brother, who giggles.
The Accidental Rise to Fame
Howard Davies-Carr, the father of the boys, said the video was "simply an attempt to capture the boys growing up". While watching the finger-biting scene on his camera after recording it, it "didn't particularly stand out". Originally the video was set to private and he mentions, "I was just about to remove (the video) before it exploded. But once it had (exploded) I had lost control of the clip anyway so I left it." Howard commented on the video: "The clip only went up as I wanted to share it with the boys' grandfather. I was naive about the whole YouTube thing. It became viral and once that happened there was nothing I could do."
Shelley Davies-Carr, their mother, commented on the success: "Susan Boyle has never had the hits we have had. and from there it went viral. I think the British accents have helped make it so globally viewed."
According to a 2008 interview with Shelley, the boys feel embarrassed when they see themselves on television. She also noted that in 2008 they were "shy about their new fame." Howard commented in 2009 that his sons "are now almost legendary.
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From YouTube Sensation to Cultural Touchstone
As a result of the video's inadvertent fame, the boys gained recognition. Following the video, multiple clips were uploaded by their father to YouTube. They feature Jasper, the third child in the family. By the end of 2011, it had been surpassed by music videos Justin Bieber's "Baby", Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", Eminem feat. Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie", Shakira's "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" and Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull's "On the Floor", becoming the sixth most viewed video on YouTube.
The video's lasting impact was underscored by the Davies-Carr family's appearance as mystery guests on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of the '00s on 30 September 2012.
In 2014, during his "After The Oscars Special" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Jimmy Kimmel enlisted the help of many big-name celebrities to showcase some of YouTube's greatest videos. The first video to be showcased was "Charlie Bit My Finger" and was parodied in a video entitled "Bitman Begins" and featured Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and brothers Chris & Liam Hemsworth. Chris played the role of Harry, while Liam played the role of Charlie. The video was a mock trailer for a film featuring the actors. The climactic scene takes place on the roof of a building where Harry wants revenge on Charlie for biting his finger. "Harry" screams the line "Charlie bit me, Charlie bit my finger!" They fall off the roof onto the street below.
In an April 2015 interview, Charlie said he thought it was "a bit odd that loads of people have watched it."
CHARLIE BIT MY FINGER GLITCHED - Wacky Memes
The Financial Impact and Meme Monetization
Also according to the interview, Charlie and Harry's parents have made "thousands" from the video through advertising and sponsorship. It was reported that in 2011 the family made over £100,000 in advertising revenue from the video. The family signed into a partnership with Viral Spiral, a viral meme video management company specialising in viral videos, which has helped place the viral video in meme advertisements for companies like Sprint and helped to create a viral meme brand.
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There was also news of a web series featuring the boys in the works.
The NFT Era and YouTube's Policy Changes
On 23 July 2021, the video was marked as "private" due to a change in YouTube's policies that automatically marked private all "unlisted" videos dated 31 December 2016 or earlier. YouTube announced the change on 23 June 2021 as a 30-day warning before the change took effect.
In May 2021, the video was sold as an NFT at auction for over $700,000.
In January 2024, the video returned to YouTube after being private for thirty months. It has been since been regarded as one of the videos that bridged the gap between family video and phones.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Video uploaded to YouTube on May 22 |
| 2011 | Family made over £100,000 in advertising revenue |
| 2012 | Davies-Carr family appeared on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of the '00s |
| 2014 | Parodied on Jimmy Kimmel Live! |
| 2021 | Sold as an NFT at auction for over $700,000 |
| 2024 | Video returned to YouTube after being private |
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