It was the cuddle – then scuttle – seen ’round the world.
The viral infamy that’s engulfed Astronomer CEO Andy Byron’s cringe moment with his HR chief at a Coldplay concert has been fueled by a thirst to see powerful execs get their comeuppance, media experts said.
“It was a viral antidote to the corporate cringe most people live and breathe,” digital consultant Dan Roy Carter told The Post.
“It was humanizing, humorous and ultimately a moment for the world to laugh at people in perceived positions of authority or power in an unsuspecting setting.”
The unifying reaction was a classic case of shared “schadenfreude,” where glee is derived from an enemy’s misfortune, pointed out University of Southern California prof Jonathan Gratch.
The enemy in this case: The millionaire execs Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot.
“People hate executives these days and take pleasure in their pain (think Elon),” he added.
People couldn’t get enough.
For instance, the Coldplay scandal has had twice as many social media mentions as one of the last big viral stories: Jeff Bezo’s lavish Venice wedding to Lauren Sanchez, according to data compiled by analytics company Sprout Social.
Google search volume for Andy Byron was so monumental in the days following the concert that other viral trends like the Hawk Tuah girl, Raygun and the Titan submersible paled in comparison.
Footage of Byron, who has since resigned from the company, and Cabot rapidly spread across the internet when the pair was caught getting cozy at the band’s Wednesday show at Gillette Stadium.
The two were embracing, with Byron’s arms wrapped around Cabot’s chest, when the camera panned to them – leading the two execs to panic. Cabot’s hands flew in front of her face while Byron hit the deck, prompting lead singer Chris Martin to speculate they may be “having an affair.”
“He ducked down like shots were fired. It was funny to see. It was so childish,” said Carlos Ramos, a New York City music video producer.
He added that the internet reveled in the ignorance of the two execs, contributing to the wildfire-like spread of the viral moment.
“They both didn’t expect to be on a camera — which is ridiculous in this era — with so many people with phones and cameras. They just froze, caught up in the moment,” Ramos, 50, said.
“CEOs, HR chiefs are not necessarily popular as individuals or roles, this is where you get a certain amount of ‘ooh busted,’” Syracuse professor of communication T. Makana Chock told The Post, agreeing with other experts in her field.
She added that people, even before social media, are quick to judge others, adding to the buzz.
Chock also stressed the clip “told a story in a very few seconds” that then allowed social media users to add their own commentary and creativity to the situation.
In one popular iteration, the Philadelphia Phillies did a riff off the kiss-cam awkwardness.
“Every so often you get something that carries and develops a life of its own outside of the original context,” she said. “It’s a perfect storm.”
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