The internet’s latest obsession is the Willy Wonka-inspired event that went terribly wrong in Glasgow. Unsurprisingly, the memes on the epic failure have not disappointed.
Readers have been struggling to wrap their minds around how Willy’s Chocolate Experience by the House of Illuminati backfired so badly that the police were called. The event was scheduled for February 24–25 and was marketed as a “visually stunning and intricately designed setting inspired by Roald Dahl’s timeless tale.” Images of the event promised that attendees would actually be walking through a replica of Wonka’s iconic and whimsical chocolate factory. There were promises of sweet treats and live performances, with images suggesting that viewers could visit the “Imagination Lab” and “Twilight Tunnel,” bursting with color and imagination. Visitors paid roughly $44 per ticket, and some traveled hours, believing they would soon be inside those images in a surreal experience.
However, none of those images were actual pictures or illustrations personally designed for the event; they were all AI-generated. Families were horrified when they arrived in a near-empty warehouse with sparse decorations where each child received a single jelly bean and a quarter cup of lemonade. Willy Wonka’s actor was given a 15-page script filled with AI-generated gibberish, and another actor terrorized children by portraying a creature called “The Unknown.” The police showed up, and House of Illumination was forced to shut down the event early and issue an apology and numerous refunds.
Of course, the internet was instantly captivated by this surreal story, and it wasn’t long before the memes started coming.
The Willy’s Chocolate Experience memes have arrived
Willy Wonka is currently trending on X. However, the posts aren’t about the franchise or the recent hit movie Wonka. Instead, they are almost all exclusively about the epic failure of Willy’s Chocolate Experience.
Many users have been taken with the idea of this nondescript, creepy warehouse housing The Unknown and have begun imagining what else could be hiding in there. Users have already linked Willy’s Chocolate Experience with the supposed disappearance of Kate Middleton and created dozens of “breaking news” headlines about spottings of random or obscure celebrities and characters at the warehouse. It’s only fitting that the Princess of Wales, Hannibal Lector, a plague doctor, and a tater tot selling Reba McEntire would make an appearance.
Users have also found videos and pictures that perfectly represent the dumpster fire that the event was. Any sad or lonely-looking things in a warehouse or depictions of scared and sad humans are a pretty good representation of what went down. Many have also recognized that the event is essentially the real-life version of Krabby Land.
One user also tried to imagine who the creator of Willy’s Chocolate Experience was. It had to have been someone truly diabolical.
It remains to be seen who or what else will be spotted lurking in the depths of the Willy Wonka meth lab/warehouse with The Unknown and how many ways the internet will find to creatively express the horror of the experience.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
