Video calls have been increasingly catching us off-guard ever since the pandemic brought about a rise in work-from-home situations.
When the pandemic began, Zoom and other video calling services such as Google Meet and Microsoft Teams proved invaluable for both work meetings and staying in touch with friends and family. However, if you don't know what you're doing, these video calling platforms can be tricky to use, sometimes to hilarious effect. Many businesses still require employees to work from home. Although many homebodies enjoy this type of work, it can be difficult to stay focused when there are snacks in the fridge, kids screaming at each other and the dog whining to go outside while you're reading emails.
While we do keep the challenges in mind, we cannot ignore the awkward and horrifying yet hilarious moments we face while attending our online meetings. Our mic might switch on exactly when we're badmouthing the boss to our partner or our camera might turn on at the exact moment we get up to grab something from the fridge in our underwear.
Here are 25 Zoom mishaps that some netizens got into that they would love to forget. However, we are not sure their colleagues who enjoyed a good laugh would want to forget these any time soon:
The plight of lawyer Rod Ponton, who couldn't figure out how to turn off a filter while using his assistant's computer for an important legal call, had everyone chuckling at the humor in it.
Occurring in 2017, long before the pandemic, this is still a classic video-calling fail while Professor Robert Kelly maintains his composure.
After their teacher accidentally drops a call, a group of second graders in the United States realize they are still being recorded.
Jessica Lang, a Suncoast News Network reporter, had her humiliation escalated when her father walked onto the screen with his beer belly on full display, hinting that it might be time for her to move out.
Donny was clearly not wearing pants in his Zoom meeting and can be seen scratching his butt right after the call is over. His co-workers tried to get his attention but he was totally oblivious.
When discussing COVID-19 pandemic developments, the House of Representatives was all business. The events even turned one Congressman "upside down," and it was difficult to take him seriously after that.
For the duration of their Microsoft Teams meeting, this boss was unable to mash the potato filter. Lizet Ocampo, the incident's Miss Potato Head, had a good sense of humor about the incident and even said, "I am a potato boss."
In one of the most epic Zoom fails, a young girl can be heard complaining loudly about her teacher's class instructions. When her teacher overhears the entire thing, her mortified expression says it all.
A woman leans back in her chair during a video chat, only to fall off in the middle of a meeting. She wasn't hurt, but she had to leave to find a new seat. The only problem was that she had forgotten to mute her microphone, so everyone on her team could hear her cursing about the situation.
Wearing a morph suit, a man attempted to blend into the background of his fiancée's Zoom calls. Needless to say, his plan failed when he was seen walking by with his coffee.
By wearing the same Hawaiian shirt to 264 Zoom meetings, this woman trolled everyone. Nobody on her team made a comment about her outfit. She wore the shirt one last time on her last day at work before putting it away for good.
During a broadcast, John Nicolson of the UK Parliament's cat Rocco's fluffy tail can be seen on the screen, unapologetically interrupting the very serious matter.
While dialing into a meeting, this Ohio senator driving in his car used a fake Zoom office background and was busted soon enough.
In the middle of a conference call, a man leading a group of students stands up and he is seen in his blue boxers. He awkwardly attributes it to "a little glitch."
In the background, this BBC News correspondent's daughter can be seen adjusting a unicorn photograph. Much to everyone's relief, Scarlett, the girl, eventually finds the ideal location for the frame.
Parish council meetings were already a contentious affair before this one became a worldwide sensation. Surprisingly, Jackie Weaver had been hired as a clerk to keep order. Unfortunately, she discovered why the hard way.
It's understandable to want to stay on a work call to appear eager while also going about our daily lives. However, most of us should know how to turn the video and the microphone off.
This video went viral for a while before it was discovered to be a hoax (thanking the lord). It's still funny, and it should serve as a reminder that before you do something... private, you should know exactly how to disconnect a call.
A Texas city council meeting was cut short when the mayor went to the restroom but left his microphone turned on.
During an online Zoom Class, this bright and responsible student began playing Call of Duty with his microphone turned on.
This participant not only left the mic on but let his butt do the talking when he accidentally made everyone hear his farts. He apologized in the end.
Most of us feel hungry while on a zoom call but getting caught can be embarrassing.
Like a few other BBC reporters, this one was also interrupted by her child.
While this man's aim was to not get embarrassed by his child's interruption, we're afraid he might have to be more worried about his mismatched outfits.
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