Calling 2016 an interesting year would definitely be an understatement. In this article, I’ve selected the best of the best viral sensations that defined the year. From hilarious memes to a presidential election that was mind-boggling beyond recognition, it was a spectacle for the ages.
Crying Michael Jordan
Originating from Jordan’s NBA Hall of Fame induction speech in 2009, a still of him shedding a few manly tears became the universal sign for being the biggest loser of them all within the sports world. Soon after, the image became an association for just about every bad thing that could possibly happen to you and the internet trolls had a field day. From sports teams getting spanked all the way to the presidential election, crying Jordan had the last laugh every time.
Joe Biden Memes
With Barack Obama’s presidency coming to a momentous conclusion by the year’s end, it would soon be time for the nation to select someone else to fill his shoes. It was no secret that Obama and his VP, Joe Biden, shared a strong friendship throughout their years in the White House. As millions faced the reality that the dynamic duo would soon have to part ways, the internet blew up with witty and outlandish made up interactions between the two with Biden being the friend that refuses to let go of the now.
Sad Affleck
DC’s highly anticipated "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" film was set to be among one of the best superhero flicks of the year. This first installment was the initial step in leading our infamous caped crusaders down the "Justice League" storyline. As it finally began to hit theaters, audiences poured in and many left highly disappointed by its shallow storyline and exaggerated use of CGI for the character Doomsday. As ratings plummeted, interviews with stars Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill began to probe the questions at every turn. In an interview with Yahoo UK, Affleck’s solemn expression caught the eye of audiences around the web and soon his sad, yet hilarious reaction set the tone for the entirety of the movie's theatrical run. Copies of the interview with sad music playing over the talking and focusing primarily on Affleck’s face made for a great laugh.
The Mannequin Challenge
Randomly springing to popularity alongside the newly released single, “Black Beetles” by Rae Sremmurd, the Mannequin Challenge consisted of a large group of people freezing in mid-action poses as the song played in the background. What started as a local craze quickly swept the nation of colleges, sports teams, and television shows alike. The name of the game was creativity and you best believe there were plenty who went above and beyond to perfect this challenge. Here’s a compilation of the best ones around the world!
Bernie or Hillary?
During the early months of the presidential election in 2016, the Democratic Party was torn between candidates, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Though both were well respected by the party, only one could take the title of running against who would later be Donald Trump. In the final weeks before the decision, there were flyers being made which indicated a particular issue and how each candidate felt about said issue. Once these flyers hit the internet it was only a matter of time before people starting coming up with outrages topics to poke fun at the situation. Clearly, Bernie Sanders fans took this joke in the best way possible.
Damn Daniel!
After a high school teen starting recording a classmate every day for his choice of footwear, white Vans would never be the same. What started out as a joke rapidly evolved into a cultural phenomenon among social media and soon everyone was shouting, "DAMN DANIEL!" The sensation itself is fairly self-explanatory, but it was all the edits which came after that really made this truly hilarious
Creepy Clowns
Yes, clowns are disgustingly creepy, but overall harmless. That notion changed this past Halloween when reports and videos started making their way onto the internet, claiming that clowns were stalking secluded roads, cemeteries, and wooded areas at night. At first what seemed to be something out of a horror movie, turned out to be nothing more than a bunch of pranksters who knew they could get away with scaring the absolute crap out of those who innocently followed the trend. What followed after that were tons of videos claiming that people were being attacked by killer clowns. Some are scary, most will have you laughing your ass off. You be the judge here!
Evil Kermit the Frog Meme
Among the many viral sensations this year, Kermit the Frog in the cloaked hood is the newest and most downright gut-busting funny. The meme’s feature Kermit facing himself with a black hood over his face, basically representing his inner self, telling him to do those bad things he shouldn’t do. Kermit is no stranger to the world of meme’s but his latest appearance takes the cake. Nowadays everyone can relate to Kermit’s inner demons telling him to be naughty every once in awhile.
Harambe
The king of the Cincinnati Zoo. Triumphant, influential, and modest. The life of Harambe the Gorilla was taken to soon. For those of you who don’t know the story, Harambe was shot and killed by one of the zoo’s employees in May of 2016 after a three-year-old child fell into his enclosure. Fearing the gorilla could potentially harm or kill the child, the logical explanation was to kill him altogether. Posts of mourning and criticism of the child's mother took the internet by force. The memes featuring Harambe quickly transformed the backlash negativity from the media and made the gorilla into an iconic symbol. Most notable was the “Dicks out for Harambe” movement, which soon everyone teenager was screaming in their snap chat stories.
