Do you know a dude by the name of Richard Dawkins? If not, then let me introduce you. Internet, Mr. Dawkins. Mr. Dawkins, Internet.
Yes, this, Richard Dawkins, is the man who created the word meme. (Pronounced MEEM, FYI.) His use of the term, however, was way super boring and totally about genetics and evolution and sciencey things. It most certainly was not about anything related to Nyan Cat. So, with that in mind, let us celebrate the Best! Memes! of! 2012! I think Richard Dawkins would be happy to know that we celebrate them in his honor. Hell, without this dude, we could be calling them something like “viral internet pictographs!”
Thanks, Dick!
So, in no particular order, other than the order by which I found them during my web surfing sesh, I present to you The Best Memes of 2012.
#10: Ermahgerd
This was a photo born of reddit, and it didn’t take long for the image to take over our snarky little hearts.
#9: McKayla Maroney
When McKayla took the podium at the Olympics to claim her silver medal, after she’d been predicted/expected to take home gold, she was…unimpressed. The world noticed.
#8: Invisible Obama
When Clint Eastwood showed up at the RNC, he spoke to an empty chair, which he referred to as President Obama. It was awkward. It was awesome. As was the meme from which his senior moment was born.
#7: Ecce Homo Painting
My GOD, this may be, BY FAR, my favorite. After a woman offered to restore an Ecce Homo painting at her church in Spain, we were all gifted with this.
And it was so.
#6: Grumpy Cat
This was another meme born from the bowels of reddit. The cat belongs to some woman in Arizona where he remains, presumably, perpetually annoyed.
#5: Texts From Hillary
After an image of Secretary of State was taken in Libya, a couple of PR friends from DC created a site based on the image. Another fabulous addition to 2012.
#4: Paul Ryan
In the midst of the run for VP, a photoshoot of Paul Ryan was published by Time magazine, and, as Buzzfeed proclaimed, it [was] the best thing ever.
#3: Somebody That I Used to Know
This is a meme that was born of old-fashioned viral workings, from the video to the memes of the video to the face to the memes of the face, all the way to the point where we all NEVER WANT TO HEAR THAT SONG AGAIN EVER AMEN.
#2: Angelina Jolie’s Leg
During the 2012 Academy Awards, Angelina Jolie walked the red carpet in a black velvet dress with a high slit. Nothing about this was remarkable until she insisted upon THRUSTING her right leg OUT of the slit any time she posed for a picture.
#1: Suburban Hard-Ass
This was a meme that saw a rebirth of sorts when a snarky redditor posted the above image. It makes me laugh. Mostly the part of me that is a Mom to punky little kids.
So, what do you think? Did I miss any? Give some undue recognition? Which was your favorite? And, most importantly, how do YOU plan to dominate the viral world in 2013?!
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About Kristine Cook
