No matter how serious life gets, there’s always time for a laugh. And what better way to turn that straight line into a smile than with top-notch memes from the “Meme Queen” Instagram account?
Go ahead and treat yourself to some of the most relatable and royally curated jokes found online. But be warned, as the long-term side effects of memes may include increased positive emotions and a sprinkle of procrastination.
Below, you’ll also find a conversation with viral marketing strategist and CEO of Viral Marketing Stars, Katya Varbanova, who kindly agreed to discuss popular memes from the past year.
#1
Image credits: memequeen
#2
Image credits: memequeen
#3
Image credits: memequeen
Even though we’re already almost three months into the new year, it’s not too late to look back at some of the memes we loved in 2023.
Jessica Maddox, assistant professor of digital media, recapped the last twelve months online by saying that memes seemed to be the main way people dealt with, reacted to, and processed the news, whereas senior writer Thomas Germain from Gizmodo (a media outlet) claimed that “judging by what we saw in 2023, it’s clear that the golden age of memes is over.”
To settle this, Bored Panda reached out to viral marketing strategist and CEO of Viral Marketing Stars, Katya Varbanova, who believes that memes in 2023 were brilliant, especially the ones about women’s empowerment.
“A lot of the memes in 2023 had to do with female empowerment, so is it possible that those who claim it was weak may simply be uncomfortable with seeing female-focused trends dominating their screens? Examples: the Barbie movie memes, Girl Dinner, Girl Math, and Tube Girl. I don’t think it was weak. I think it was iconic.”
#4
Image credits: memequeen
#5
Image credits: memequeen
#6
Image credits: memequeen
Naturally, we were curious to know which social media trends from last year were most loved by Varbanova. She told us, “Some of my personal favorite memes were from the Barbie movie, for sure. They were iconic. For the first time in forever, we have a female main character whose life doesn’t revolve around the main character (Ken). And some of the best memes show that.”
When asked why so many people find memes enjoyable and choose them as a medium to process world events, Varbanova explained, “I believe memes are powerful because they communicate visually what is hard to express with words. They are relatable, humorous, and easy to share. They’re culturally relevant and allow for escapism. They truly impact the way the world operates because the memes in 2023 allowed our collective of people who feel the same to finally speak up.”
#7
Image credits: memequeen
#8
Image credits: memequeen
#9
Image credits: Cooperstreaming
Maddox added that memes helped shift the way we use language, elevating and giving new meanings to words like “rizz” and “babygirl,” which already have entered the general lexicon. Additionally, this year was notable for its wide range of meme mediums, from text comments to TikToks to standard still images.
At last, we’re starting our mini meme review with last September, when women on TikTok found out that men think about the Roman Empire unusually regularly. Some of them reveal wondering about the subject weekly and even daily. Many knew the territory’s impact on modern society, along with the reasons why. Other platform users joined in the fun and shared their own “Roman Empires”—topics they think of weirdly often. Popular responses included Salem Witch trials, Meredith Blake from The Parent Trap, and the Eras Tour.
#10
Image credits: memequeen
#11
Image credits: memequeen
#12
Image credits: memequeen
Thanks to memes, we now have the newly coined term Barbenheimer in honor of the release of two very different films, Barbie and Oppenheimer. Someone created a Wikipedia page for it, starting a cultural phenomenon. The movies ended up having a friendly rivalry, contrasting a “girly” aesthetic with dark and somber energy. Those people who turned up to watch both premieres dressed in pink, black, or both.
#13
Image credits: memequeen
#14
Image credits: memequeen
#15
Image credits: memequeen
A promotional photo of actor Kevin James shrugging was seen all over the world as it found a new life after one X user captioned it with “me after 1 double rum and diet.” His sheepish grin, paired with raised shoulders, made it the perfect medium for top-notch memes.
A particularly successful one came with the question “Who put this song on?” referencing times when partygoers played tunes that completely didn’t fit the atmosphere of the gathering. The actor in the photo is sometimes edited to match the genre of the song. Surprisingly, James saw the meme and posted it on Instagram to promote his comedy tour.
#16
Image credits: memequeen
#17
Image credits: memequeen
#18
Image credits: memequeen
In 2023, the internet was obsessed with raving about babygirls and sweeping boyfriends under the rug. The term is used to describe adult men who are so attractive, cute, and comfortable in their masculinity that one would want to protect them. Some sweethearts who made it to the list are Harry Styles, Lewis Hamilton, and Colin Farrel. TikTok is the main place to look for babygirl fandom content. So if you’re in the mood for cutesy edits of Walter White as a catboy, you know where to look.
One of the fan-favorite babygirls, Pedro Pascal, also kicked off a meme in 2023 where he was peacefully eating a sandwich. Paired with pensive piano music, it’s used to represent a sense of inner peace. One TikTok shows Pascal in an office break room with the caption “When everyone at work is drowning in tasks, but I still have five minutes before my break is over.”
#19
Image credits: itsPKav
#20
Image credits: memequeen
#21
Image credits: memequeen
Another honorable mention is the Girl Dinner and Girl Math trends, which showcase womanhood at its best. In the first one, women show an array of snacks that replace their whole meal. This typically includes some fruit, a block of cheese, sliced salami, fancy crackers, and some olives. The latter is sneaky logic that females use to justify their purchases. For instance, if you pay with cash, it’s free, and if an item is on sale, technically, you’re making a profit.
#22
Image credits: memequeen
#23
Image credits: memequeen
#24
Image credits: memequeen
The last meme of the year we’re going to cover today is concerned with the creation of a new word in the dating world: rizz. For those who are a little bit confused, it signifies style, charm, or attractiveness—all of the qualities needed to find a potential partner. This expression attracted so much attention online that it was selected as Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2023 with more than 32,000 votes from the public.
#25
Image credits: memequeen
#26
Image credits: memequeen
#27
Image credits: memequeen
Having taken a brief look at some of the most viral memes of the past year, let’s look at the future and what it holds for this kind of popular content. Something that Maddox anticipates is the rise in video and AI-based memes. However, she adds, “The traditional meme will always be there, no matter what other type of media gets thrown into the mix.”
#28
Image credits: memequeen
#29
Image credits: memequeen
#30
Image credits: memequeen
#31
Image credits: memequeen
#32
Image credits: memequeen
#33
Image credits: memequeen
#34
Image credits: memequeen
#35
Image credits: memequeen
from Bored Panda https://ift.tt/FMxIevu
via IFTTT source site : boredpanda
