10 Best Viral Memes That Took Over the Internet in 2016

Noelle Devoe
Updated

From Seventeen

No question: 2016 was a surplus year for memes. Genius social-media users were screencapping, GIFing, remixing, and Photoshopping so quickly, there was practically a new viral sensation clogging up your timeline every day. Still, some memes stood above the rest. Let's look back and celebrate this year's standouts!

1. Angry Michael Phelps

Gymnast McKayla Maroney's unimpressed face was the go-to Olympic meme - until this August, when Michael Phelps was caught on camera totally mean-mugging rival swimmer Chad le Clos. With that, the torch for Most Meme-able Face was passed on.

2. Mr. Krabs Blur

You know that dizzy, panicked feeling you get when your world is rocked by an unpleasant realization? Say, when you suddenly become aware that a McDonald's crewmember is watching you fill your WATER cup with COKE? A warped screencap from SpongeBob SquarePants in which Mr. Krabs looks caught up and confused perfectly captures that sensation. For at least a month in 2016, it's all you saw on your feed.

3. Caveman SpongeBob

I don't know what it is about SpongeBob SquarePants that's so meme-able, but we couldn't have a best-of list without the cartoon sponge himself. This year it's Caveman SpongeBob, who represents all those situations when your primitive knee-jerk reactions rise to the surface. Like when your doctor asks right in front of your MOTHER if you're sexually active, and you can barely keep from mumbling incoherently and slumping away from the awk on all fours.

4. Name a More Iconic Trio

When someone posted a picture asking the world to name a more iconic trio than Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, Twitter was more than up to the challenge. As awesome as the Kardashian–Jenners are, apparently there's no shortage of trios who are more iconic (starting with Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney, many would say). For example:

5. #UNameIt Challenge

In a world overrun with Christmas carols, the masses were yearning for a Thanksgiving tune. It finally came when someone uncovered a clip of gospel-music legend Shirley Caesar rapping off a list of holiday-worthy comfort food. The clip got remixed with new music, the Internet gave it the challenge treatment and, suddenly, it was everywhere. Under the tag #UNameIt, users began using the tune to create hilarious dance videos and celebrity mashups. A Turkey Day tradition was born.

6. Conceited the Rapper

When New York-based rapper Conceited pursed his lips and side-eyed during a rap battle all the way back in 2013, he probably never predicted his expression would go down in meme history. Once it was re-discovered by Twitter, though, his look of disapproving skepticism became shorthand for You thought! Users began posting the screengrab with captions documenting life's dubious disappointments, like when you take 20 selfies and not one is Insta-worthy.

7. Arthur's Fist

This meme had a humble beginning: An Arthur fan simply pointed out to the Twitterverse how much Arthur's clenched fist (screencapped from a season one episode) resonated with him.

So many emotions indeed. From there, Twitter went wild using the young aardvark's closed hand to symbolize how we endure countless minor annoyances every day.

8. Joe Biden

The interweb has always loved Joe Biden, America's official funny uncle. Now, with the Obama–Biden administration winding down and the Trump–Pence era looming, the meme community has channeled its nostalgia and fear into the funniest Joe Biden memes to date: Petty Biden. In the memes, the veep is cooking up various plots to punk Donald Trump once Trump gets to the White House. The pranks get pettier and pettier - not to mention more hilarious.

9. Evil Kermit

Kermit the Frog has been the mascot of internet shade for as long as I can remember (nobody sips tea like he does), but he really outdid himself in 2016. Somehow Kermie managed to become the meme manifestation of our dark sides, too. It started when one Twitter jokester took a screenshot from Muppets Most Wanted where Kermit meets his evil doppelganger, then used the image to represent the lazy and indulgent inner voice that commands her to do questionable things (like steal cute dogs off the street). The internet instantly related.

10. 2016

This year was rough for a lot of people. From the tragic zoo killing of Harambe the gorilla to the results of the presidential election, there were countless moments when the Internet asked, "Could 2016 get any worse?" Some social media users decided to find dark humor in it all and roast 2016 hardcore. Now, it's the "year" equivalent of Voldemort: We don't talk about 2016.

P.S. RIP Vine.

P.P.S. Darn you, 2016.

You Might Also Like