Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” reimagined for the second (by way of @memequeen and @esixus on Instagram, all screenshots Hyperallgic)
As all of us vie for a distraction from the world’s woes, an alleged affair uncovered by way of the Jumbotron at a Coldplay live performance has turn into the meme of the summer season.
Over the previous week, the web has been reveling in poking enjoyable at a viral clip from the band’s sold-out gig at Gillette Stadium outdoors Boston. The footage, taken through the live performance’s “kiss cam segment,” appears to have unshrouded a potential extramarital rendezvous between Andy Byron, the chief govt officer of New York-based knowledge agency Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the pinnacle of the corporate’s HR division — a minimum of primarily based on the couple’s embarrassed response when the digicam panned over to them. Instantly, Cabot covers her face and turns round; Byron merely geese down out of the body.
Coldplay by accident uncovered an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one in every of their current live shows. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025
“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” lead singer Chris Martin stated uneasily into the microphone.
Two days after the incident, Astronomer introduced Byron had been positioned on go away, and someday later, he had “tendered his resignation.” Cabot, who sits on the corporate’s board of administrators, has additionally eliminated her LinkedIn profile. Coldplay has now begun issuing pleasant warnings to concertgoers concerning the Jumbotron.
Certain, it’s a reminder that we stay in a relentless surveillance state, however it’s additionally chef’s kiss-level meme fodder, yielding all the pieces from recreations of Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893) and new interpretations of Greek antiquity to a resurgence of years-old viral moments. Individuals are evaluating the caught canoodlers to different scandalous pairings, from Fleetwood Mac lead vocalists Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham to … sure, Vice President JD Vance and his sofa.
All the time a possibility to resurface the disguised Taylor Swift fan (by way of @DerekNeverFails)
Not JD Vance and the sofa once more … (by way of @20gimsack and @madrid_mike)
Many on-line jokes middle on the connection between convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump, which has been beneath intensifying scrutiny amid his administration’s alleged mismanagement of the so-called Epstein information. Others have targeted on speculations that Katie Miller, the spouse of White Home Deputy Chief of Employees Stephen Miller, is having a romance with billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk after she adopted Musk’s departure from the White Home.
Others have drawn connections between the incident and different meme-ified occasions involving the downfall of rich company executives, from the suspicious string of orca yacht assaults in 2023 to the catastrophic implosion of the OceanGate submersible.
“Coldplaygate” coincided with renewed requires Trump to launch the Epstein information. (by way of @LePapillonBlu2)
We don’t make the principles. (by way of @boredwriter1)
Fortunately, it’s not all so morbid. There’s loads of light-hearted jokes drawing comparisons to Tony Soprano’s ceaseless infidelity, Carrie Bradshaw’s annoying romance with Mr. Huge, and an imagined romance between Elmo and Miss Piggy — proving that “Coldplaygate” actually lends itself to something. One labor group from the UK even seized the second as a possibility to unfold their union message.
The second, which has been immortalized in all the pieces from crochet artwork to portray, has additionally turn into a well-liked reenactment throughout sports activities stadiums and even spawned a free pc recreation referred to as Coldplay Canoodlers. The purpose-and-click recreation created by songwriter Jonathan Mann invitations customers to go looking the stadium’s 65,000 viewers members for Cabot and Byron. As a result of, as we will all most likely agree, The place’s Waldo? is manner too healthful for 2025.
Beneath, we’ve rounded up among the better of this surprising however extraordinarily pleasant viral deal with. Bon appétit!
Nathan Fielder kicking himself for not developing with this (by way of @charliewrich)
Even Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham bought roped into the meme development. (by way of @wittyotter_)
