It’s based on one of the most iconic holiday songs by the band Wham! made up of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.
Anyone wishing to take part in Whamageddon must go as long as possible without hearing “Last Christmas” by Wham!
The goal is to make it to Dec 25 without hearing the band’s famous song, currently number four on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. They can, however, listen to as many remixes, mashups and covers of “Last Christmas” as they like.
Although it may sound like something to joke about, those who participate in Whamageddon take it very seriously.
More than 500,000 internet users visited the official website of this musical challenge in 2022, according to the New York Times.
The hashtag #whamageddon has racked up some 12 million views on TikTok. Internet users are using this social network to exchange various tips and tricks to avoid stumbling across this ultra-popular song during the festive season.
Some also share tips on how to trick their loved ones, although the creators of Whamageddon are in favor of a less underhanded approach.
Because, when it comes down to it, Whamageddon is not meant to be a cut-throat competition but a light-hearted game. It was born some 18 years ago in Denmark, under the impetus of a group of four friends.
“It’s just a funny little thing that a couple of idiots from Denmark did to entertain themselves during Christmas,” Thomas Mertz, one of Whamageddon’s inventors, told The NY Times.
He adds that the challenge is primarily intended to inject a little joy and good humor into a time that can sometimes be fraught with stress and anxiety.
Of course some people don’t mess around with Whamageddon. Social networks are overflowing with testimonials in which participants express how upset they are after hearing, against their will, “Last Christmas” in a store while shopping, in a bar or during a sports competition.
Matt Facer, a DJ who mixes at Sixfields Stadium in England, recently incurred the wrath of Whamageddon fans after playing the Wham! hit during the half-time of a match between Northampton Town and Portsmouth.
“I gave it a spin, thinking it would be quite funny to wipe out 7,000 people who couldn’t avoid it, but clearly it isn’t funny….So I officially apologise to everybody whose Christmas I’ve ruined,” he told the BBC, in the face of the controversy.