[mmanfrin]

I think things like 'such wow' might have more long-term purchase.

Part of the difference is that viral things and memes of old had a longer time to 'burn' and didn't go through the flash overnight explosion that modern ones do. All your base would be posted umpteen times on a forum as it reverberated around the internet. Now all that happens in a day, and people get tired and burnt of it. It also helps that news organizations try to get in on it, which helps to kill off viral things (Harlem Shake, Gangam Style, etc).