Current:Home > ScamsAre you playing 'Whamageddon'? It's the Christmas game you've probably already lost -Blueprint Wealth Network
Are you playing 'Whamageddon'? It's the Christmas game you've probably already lost
View
Date:2025-04-14 17:18:25
Last weekend, a DJ caused a stir in Britain after playing the hit Wham! song "Last Christmas" at a soccer game in front of about 60,000 people.
A week earlier, another DJ had done the same at a match with 7,000 people, prompting him to apologize in an interview with the BBC.
Why? These tune-slingers had just "whammed" their audience, potentially knocking tens of thousands of people out of a long-running Christmas game.
Confused? Let's back up.
There is a game called Whamaggedon that's popular this time of year — especially in Britain — which consists of not listening to the holiday classic by the '80s pop duo.
From Dec 1-24, if you listen and recognize the original version of the song, it's game over. Listening to remixes and covers is fine.
"The very moment you have that 'Oh no' feeling in your brain, that's the moment you're out," said Thomas Mertz, who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, and created the game almost two decades ago with some friends.
It's all for fun, there are no prizes, and if you do get "whammed," as Mertz called it, you just drop out.
Mertz made it clear that the song isn't the problem. In fact, he plays it repeatedly the week before the game starts, and again as a sort of celebration after he gets whammed. But he said in the early 2000s in Denmark, you pretty much couldn't go anywhere without hearing those dulcet tones.
"We were thinking, like, it's frustrating and it's getting to the point of being annoying. But rather than becoming upset about it, we turned it into a game," he said.
The challenge eventually became a hashtag and a Facebook page. It also blew up when Wham! lead singer George Michael died in 2016.
"That created a social storm of attention that the next year kind of launched it into a much, much bigger thing than we ever imagined it could become," Mertz said.
As for tactics, Mertz said he has seen two methods to avoid losing.
"The most effective thing is what people already have, which is noise-canceling headphones," he said. "They are the best tool, hands down, to survive."
A little bit of obliviousness also helps: "A lot of people tell me that they are the kind of people who kind of go through life a little bit oblivious to their surroundings, and they have an easier time of it than most, I think, because they just don't pick up on music."
Listen to All Things Considered each day here or on your local member station for more stories like this.
In Britain, some pubs have even taken the song out of their Christmas playlists, so as to not ruin the game for people. But the whole point of the game is that there is a risk of listening to the song, Mertz said.
So for those who are still in the game, best of luck. For those who are already knocked out, or just want a bit of Wham! magic this holiday season, have another spin of the Christmas classic.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Human remains recovered from car in North Carolina creek linked to 1982 cold case: Reports
- Tom Sandoval Compares Vanderpump Rules Cheating Scandal to O.J. Simpson and George Floyd
- 'Rust' movie shooting trials begin: What happens next for Alec Baldwin and his armorer?
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Joe Alwyn Shares Rare Look into His Life Nearly One Year After Taylor Swift Breakup
- Jurors can’t be replaced once deliberations begin, North Carolina appeals court rules
- OpenAI, Chat GPT creator, unveils Sora to turn writing prompts into videos: What to know
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- DC man says he's owed $340 million after incorrect winning Powerball numbers posted
Ranking
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Love Is Blind’s Chelsea Responds to Getting “Dragged” Over Megan Fox Comparison
- Hiker rescued from mountain with 90-mph winds, bitter cold atop Mount Washington
- Indiana lawmakers vote to lift state ban on happy hours
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Louisville police suspend officer who fired weapon during 2023 pursuit, injuring 2 teens
- Enbridge Wants Line 5 Shutdown Order Overturned on Tribal Land in Northern Wisconsin
- Ruby Franke, former '8 Passengers' family vlogger, sentenced on child abuse charges
Recommendation
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Teams combine for three hat tricks in Wild's record-filled 10-7 victory over Canucks
Honduran ex-president accused of running his country as a ‘narco-state’ set to stand trial in NYC
Neuschwanstein castle murder case opens with U.S. man admitting to rape, killing of fellow U.S. tourist
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Unions oppose plan to move NBA, NHL teams to northern Virginia, another blow to Youngkin-backed deal
Why director Rob Reiner changed the ending of 'When Harry Met Sally'
White House is distributing $5.8 billion from the infrastructure law for water projects