What is 51 Things in My Room?

It's a YouTube video fad where creators film fast-cut montages of personal items around their room, originally started by HurricaneAubrey in 2008[1].

Where did 51 Things in My Room come from?

YouTube user HurricaneAubrey posted the first video, titled "51 things i found around my house," on November 11, 2008. YouTube featured it on the homepage the same day[1].

What does 51 Things in My Room mean?

It's a show-and-tell format for the internet age. The number represents how many personal items a creator chooses to show off in their video[1].

How do you use 51 Things in My Room?

Film close-up shots of items around your room, edit them together with quick cuts and background music, and title it with the number of things you featured[1].

Is 51 Things in My Room still popular?

The fad peaked around 2008-2011, when the original video had over 2.3 million views and nearly 5,000 related videos existed on YouTube[1]. It's largely inactive today.

Who made the first response video?

YouTuber AmazingPhil uploaded the first derivative on November 12, 2008, one day after the original was featured on YouTube's homepage[1].

How many views did the original video get?

As of August 2011, the original had 2,336,772 views and 756 video responses[1].

Why did the trend spread so fast?

YouTube featured the original on its homepage the day it was uploaded, and the platform's video response feature at the time made it easy for others to chain their own versions directly to the original[1].

Does the number have to be 51?

No. While the original used 51, creators made versions with anywhere from 5 to 1,000 items[1].

51 Things In My Room

2008YouTube video faddead

Also known as: Things in My Room · 51 Things I Found Around My House

51 Things in My Room is a YouTube video fad from 2008 where users film quick-cut montages of personal items in a show-and-tell style. The trend kicked off when YouTube user HurricaneAubrey posted her original video on November 11, 2008, and it was featured on YouTube's homepage the same day2. Thousands of response videos followed, with creators swapping out the number "51" for counts anywhere from 5 to 1,000.

Overview

The format is simple: a creator films close-up shots of random personal items around their room or house, edited with rapid jump cuts between each object. Background music plays throughout (the original used a track by Kevin MacLeod), and each item gets a brief moment on screen before the camera moves on1. The appeal was part self-expression, part voyeurism. Viewers got a peek into someone else's life through their stuff, from game consoles and plushies to transit cards and homework. The quick editing style kept things punchy, and the low barrier to entry meant anyone with a camera could participate.

On November 11, 2008, YouTube user HurricaneAubrey uploaded a video titled "51 things i found around my house"1. The video featured rapid close-up shots of Aubrey and her various belongings, including a Nintendo DS collection and New York City metro cards, all set to music by Kevin MacLeod1.

YouTube officially featured the video on its homepage on the same day it was uploaded1. Getting a homepage feature in 2008 was a massive boost. YouTube's homepage was still hand-curated by staff at the time, and a front-page spot could send a video's view count through the roof overnight.

Origin & Background

Platform

YouTube

Creator

HurricaneAubrey

Date

2008

How It Spread

The response was almost immediate. YouTuber AmazingPhil uploaded the first derivative video on November 12, 2008, just one day after the original was featured1. Other users quickly followed, and the format snowballed into a full-blown participatory fad.

As response videos piled up, HurricaneAubrey updated the original video's description to acknowledge the trend she'd accidentally started1. While the original concept involved exactly 51 items, creators quickly ditched that specific number. Some went small with just 5 items, others went absurdly large with 1,0001.

By August 22, 2011, the original video had racked up 2,336,772 views and 756 video responses1. A YouTube search for "things in my room" with various numbers returned 4,980 results at the time1. The trend was a product of its era. YouTube in 2008-2009 still had a strong video response culture, where reply videos showed up directly beneath the original2. This mechanic made participatory fads like "51 Things in My Room" spread faster than they would on the platform today, where video responses were eventually removed as a feature.

How to Use This Meme

The format is straightforward:

Pick a number of items to feature (51 is traditional, but any count works)

Film close-up shots of each item around your room or house

Edit the clips together with fast cuts, spending only 1-3 seconds on each object

Add background music (royalty-free tracks are common)

Title it "[Number] Things in My Room"

Fun Facts

The original video was featured on YouTube's homepage the same day it was uploaded, a rare instant boost that helped ignite the trend1.

Kevin MacLeod, whose music appeared in the original video, is one of the most prolific royalty-free composers on the internet. His tracks show up in countless YouTube videos across every genre1.

The fad produced 756 direct video responses to the original upload alone1.

YouTube's now-defunct "video response" feature was a key driver of the trend's spread, a mechanic the platform later removed entirely2.

Derivatives & Variations

Number variations

Creators swapped 51 for other counts, with videos ranging from "5 Things in My Room" to "1000 Things in My Room"[1]

AmazingPhil's response

Phil Lester's version, uploaded November 12, 2008, was the first of hundreds of response videos and helped legitimize the format for other creators[1]

Frequently Asked Questions

References (2)

1
List of Internet phenomenaencyclopedia
2
51 Things in My Room - Know Your Memeencyclopedia