2016 was the best of times and the worst of times for memes on the internet.
Remember those videos of people frozen in place during the Mannequin Challenge all over your Facebook feed? Your friends randomly shouting “Daaaamn, Daniel” at your shoes? That image of Arthur’s clenched fist all over your Twitter feed? Those are all memes. And they exploded this year.
So why did it seem like 2016 was the Year of the Meme?
“It became more mainstream,” Karen North, a clinical professor of communication and director of University of Southern California Annenberg’s Digital Social Media program, said.
“This year, it became known, appealing and engaging to a broader group, and therefore, there were not only more people creating, but more people sharing memes,” North said.
North gives two main reasons behind the huge reach of memes.
The first is mechanical, North said: “We probably reached a certain level of saturation of hand-held devices and sharing platforms. … All of a sudden, there’s no waiting time before you can share and see something.”
The second reason is psychological. People like things to be predictable. Memes … play into that,” North said.
People want to be part of a group, and they want to try to be the person to one-up a well-known trope.
“To the extent there is uncertainty, a meme is a situation where you have something that’s understood and predictable — there’s no uncertainty — and then people play with it and give you a little fun twist.”
North said this was the year that people really were “actively seeking out” memes.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular:
Confused Mr. Krabs
If you are a fan of “Spongebob Squarepants,” you know Mr. Krabs as the penny-pinching boss of the main character. This year, Mr. Krabs evolved into a meme in a fever dream-like state, meant to symbolize any situation where you are utterly confused or panicked. It’s the perfect — and hilarious — meme for a confusing world.
Prankster Joe Biden
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have a widely known bromance. Biden has even referred to Obama as his “brother” and “best friend forever.”
In this meme, which was widely shared after the election, Obama actually plays the big brother to Biden, imagining scenarios where the president has to reel in his aviator shades-loving VP like an unruly child.
Me at the beginning of 2016 vs. me at the end of 2016
In true 2016 fashion, 2016 itself has become a meme. The last 365 days, which has been equated to a dumpster fire, has left many feeling a little haggard and a bit worse for the wear. Thus, this meme was born.
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