Benedict Townsend

She cashed in. When J-Lo, the Kardashians, Maybelline, the White House, even NASA jumped on the trend, she was able to turn brand deals into life-changing income. And this isn't uncommon, but it's a cautionary tale. Remember Hoctour? Hoctour! How could you forget Hoctour? The US trademark database has over 30 applications for it, including one by the woman who actually said it. Not demure.

She cashed in. When J-Lo, the Kardashians, Maybelline, the White House, even NASA jumped on the trend, she was able to turn brand deals into life-changing income. And this isn't uncommon, but it's a cautionary tale. Remember Hoctour? Hoctour! How could you forget Hoctour? The US trademark database has over 30 applications for it, including one by the woman who actually said it. Not demure.

And this messy business of viral ownership started on Vine. I'm Benedict Townsend, host of Scroll Deep, a show that's chronically online so you don't have to be. And this is Vine. Six seconds that changed the world. The biography of the little app that could and then didn't.

And this messy business of viral ownership started on Vine. I'm Benedict Townsend, host of Scroll Deep, a show that's chronically online so you don't have to be. And this is Vine. Six seconds that changed the world. The biography of the little app that could and then didn't.

Of all of Vine's features, the app's greatest triumph, the democratization of content, the thing that allowed anyone to rise to the top spot, that's what made it a cultural force. While the origins of the most iconic Vines may be lost, forgotten to the sands of time, they still live on.

Of all of Vine's features, the app's greatest triumph, the democratization of content, the thing that allowed anyone to rise to the top spot, that's what made it a cultural force. While the origins of the most iconic Vines may be lost, forgotten to the sands of time, they still live on.

Today, TikTok's riffing on Vine energy and YouTube compilations of TikToks that taste like Vines are still bringing the greatest hits to a new generation. But the same thing Vine was celebrated for, that allowed people to go from complete obscurity to genuine stardom, may also have been the app's biggest blind spot.

Today, TikTok's riffing on Vine energy and YouTube compilations of TikToks that taste like Vines are still bringing the greatest hits to a new generation. But the same thing Vine was celebrated for, that allowed people to go from complete obscurity to genuine stardom, may also have been the app's biggest blind spot.

You're not likely to know the name Brandon Moore, but you've very likely heard his iconic video.

You're not likely to know the name Brandon Moore, but you've very likely heard his iconic video.

Officer, I got one question for you.

Officer, I got one question for you.

In 2015, Brandon, who went by the creator name Busco, posted a video of a police officer in the act of arresting one of his friends. The officer looks up at the camera, and we're all expecting some kind of protest against the arrest to follow, but no. With a quick pan down, he zooms into the officer's clumpy black work shoes and exclaims, We're one of those!

In 2015, Brandon, who went by the creator name Busco, posted a video of a police officer in the act of arresting one of his friends. The officer looks up at the camera, and we're all expecting some kind of protest against the arrest to follow, but no. With a quick pan down, he zooms into the officer's clumpy black work shoes and exclaims, We're one of those!

Bridget Todd is the creator and host of iHeartRadio's tech podcast, There Are No Girls on the Internet. Based out of Washington, D.C., she's also a former Vine addict.

Bridget Todd is the creator and host of iHeartRadio's tech podcast, There Are No Girls on the Internet. Based out of Washington, D.C., she's also a former Vine addict.

I would bet that even if you've heard the phrase on fleek before, this might well be the first time you've heard Peach's name. Real name Kayla Newman, Peach's Monroe went mega viral in 2014 after she posted a Vine admiring her perfectly plucked eyebrows, coining the phrase on fleek. The term, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as extremely good or very attractive in style, became a sensation.

I would bet that even if you've heard the phrase on fleek before, this might well be the first time you've heard Peach's name. Real name Kayla Newman, Peach's Monroe went mega viral in 2014 after she posted a Vine admiring her perfectly plucked eyebrows, coining the phrase on fleek. The term, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as extremely good or very attractive in style, became a sensation.

When Ariana Grande picked it up, it reached new levels, and brands jumped on the bandwagon, keen to show that they too were hip and cool. The same thing happened to Bosco, a.k.a. Brandon, of What Are Those?

When Ariana Grande picked it up, it reached new levels, and brands jumped on the bandwagon, keen to show that they too were hip and cool. The same thing happened to Bosco, a.k.a. Brandon, of What Are Those?