Oh, glorious internet. You never fail to provide the world with the strangest things from the deepest, dankest corners of our hearts. 2016 provided plenty of fuel for viral memes to surface, from the presidential election to the Rio Olympics and even throwbacks from popular cartoons. No one was ready for the roller coaster of emotions that 2016 brought. While I think we can agree that this certainly wasn’t the best year, at least it produced some of the best memes of all time to help us survive the ups and downs.
1. Harambe
This has to be the most popular meme that surfaced in 2016. The controversy over Harambe’s death spawned all sorts of homages, from the heartfelt tribute of #JusticeForHarambe to the more dark-humored memes. Ever since Harambe the Gorilla was shot and killed when a child fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, the explosion of memes never seemed to stop coming. Harambe’s influence even seemed to sway some voters to write his name down during the 2016 presidential election! While Harambe may not have gotten the supposedly 11,000 votes on election day, this is certainly one meme that gave Harambe a strange second life.
2. Prankster Joe Biden
Speaking of the presidential election, immediately after the results were announced, Joe Biden appeared in a series of hilarious memes. It features petty Uncle Joe in fake, off-camera dialogues. The memes also tend to feature Biden’s best bro, Obama, either trying to talk him out of whatever prank Biden has in mind or sharing a laugh with his VP. Okay, I’ll admit it: for a while after the conclusion of the election, all the petty Joe Biden memes were my way of getting revenge-filled catharsis. I mean, it’s such gold!
3. #PhelpsFace
I remember seeing Michael Phelps make his “game face” during the Rio Olympics and at that instant, I knew that it would become a ridiculous sports meme. The internet did not disappoint. While Phelps claimed that there wasn’t anything in particular that he was thinking about at the time, his sour expression makes for a great mugging face.
4. Kermit vs Evil Kermit
Evil Kermit personifies that little mischievous voice that whispers in our heads. It’s just full of relatable scenarios that can play out in any given day. Evil Kermit is literally your little devil in every internal moral dilemma.
5. Crying LeBron
When the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Finals Championships, the internet made haste in making the basketball legend's emotional moment into a meme. Crying Lebron was made into the very literal face of hard-earned victory, perhaps as a counterpart to the Crying Jordan meme.
6. Arthur’s Fist
Never has the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” been so true. The clenched fist of Arthur Read from the popular children’s show, Arthur, can be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways. There are so many feeings embedded within this single image. Whether that be restrained anger, long-awaited justice for Harambe, or holding back tears to avoid becoming another Crying Lebron, this meme can do it all.
My feels. My heart.
7. Confused Mr. Krabs
Another versatile meme is the image of Mr. Krabs snipped from an episode of Spongebob Squarepants. It is one of the most relatable memes because it captures an all-too familiar sense of total bewilderment.
8. Caveman SpongeBob
Spongebob has had its share of bizarre moments during its long runtime, so it’s no surprise that another meme came out of the show this year. It depicts the perfect reaction reflex to sudden surprises and stressful situations.
2016 may have been a bumpy ride, but at least the Internet stayed reliable. I can't wait to see what new gif(t)s 2017 brings!
