The Best Memes of 2017

I love memes. I just love 'em. There a hundred percent the best part of internet culture, as we’ve basically perfected the art of the inside joke that everyone is in on.

But also, it's cool how memes are so relevant culturally today. Not just in the haha-funny internet sense, but in the actual spread/infectious idea sense of the word (literally, look up the definition of a 'meme'). I might write a separate blog post about it. Heck, I could write a whole essay about it. But I have more than enough of those to do, and I don't wanna be known as the person who made memes dull. So, I'll stick to the type of memes we all know. Plus if nothing else, this list will help you out by revealing the official names of some of this memes.


There's just one thing I want to point out. I don't buy into exalting things in pop culture that everyone's talking about, but at the end of the day is mediocre or just dumb or not that funny. So don't expect to see any of those basic, unfunny, normie memes like E*f Tn The Shelf or C*sh Me Outside around here. 

Redbone



I'll be honest in saying that I didn't really get this meme when I first heard about, and I'm still not sure I do now. But I love that song, love that album and Childish Gambino in general, but I'm a sucker for music based memes. From what I do understand of it, it's pretty funny, and there's something about it that comes across as classy, or maybe I'm overthinking it. Plus, it did have a significant on my life, my friends and of course, my timeline, which I think are the main criteria for a top meme, in my opinion 

Right In Front Of My Salad?

I think I thought this was funnier that everyone else,  and I was saying it quite a lot, in text and in real life. But this is the perfect example of a meme that came in hard and fizzled out hard  On the face of it, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but in my  opinion, you can add it to almost any question of outrage, which is what makes it funny and memorable to me. Plus I suppose it's origin is pretty funny too...

The Babadook

The babadook is the perfect example of how ridiculous memes and their origins can be. One categorizing mistake on Netflix has led to the gay icon we needed in 2017. This was another one that infiltrated itself into my everyday life, and I loved every bit of it
variations

Salt Bae

2017 came in hard and strong with the memes. This turkish god from all the way back in January - a lifetime in internet years - was quickly adopted by Twitter and their ilk for some reason as, well their bae. I just appreciate that this one added a bit of flair to the world of popular memes.

Meryl Streep

This one was right up my street because I'm always shouting lyrics anyway. Meryl Streep and her surprisingly large mouth made that commonplace for me for about a month, and for that, I thank her.



Roll Safe

One of my favourite thing this year is was black culture with appropriately celebrated online. This first came in the form of Roll Safe. Although he had a viral hit a few years ago in smaller circles in terms of his Fire In The Booth, this snap propelled him to new, international noteriary. Probably the most intelligent meme of the year, in that you have to be smart to come up with ideas that dumb. Either way, it's interesting to see something that close to home blow up on such a huge scale. Ironically I now feel a little over protective of it, but I'll save that for another day


You're doing amazing sweeting

Know your meme would have you believe that Kris Jenner encouraging Kim in some vapid photo shoot is the original proprietor of the meme and that this is the definitive version of the meme. While it may or may not be the the origin of the phrase, Black Twitter did its thing and flipped it on this head to usurp it for its own purposes. Now, Taraji P. Henson filming the La La Land/Moonlight snafu at The Oscars this year is the more popular iteration of the meme, and that's the only one I will acknowledge; I definitely won't give credit to that hellish family. Nevertheless, this is truly a memorable one just because it's so versatile and can be used to encourage all sorts of behaviour, plus I literally say this in my daily life all the time, which I suppose is another prerequisite for important memes to me.

Spongebob

First of all, I don't know about you but the first thing I think when someone says "The Spongebob Meme" is "Which One?". I can't blame Spongebob; it is a very meme-able show. But this one with it's mocking inclinations is right up my street as well, I myself have a very sarcastic, mocking personality that suits the jarring tone of this meme. This mocking tone of mine can sometimes be taken the wrong way by strangers and friends alike, but this particular spongebob meme made it acceptable and a common accepted joke, which I appreciate

Big Shaq

Objectively speaking, this was probably the best meme of the year. When I talk about Black British excellence being celebrated, this is really the pinnacle of it. It's just a solid, funny meme that everyone seems to be able to get into, where London culture and comedy is at the heart of this. But on top of that, there's just so many layers of the songs and the other 'source' content that is funny within its own right. Also, I think it's great for the young, black comedian to be getting exposure on a stage like this. I do wonder, however, how the joke can possibly translate to a international scale. I can't imagine if you live outside of London and are not au fait with the Roadman culture that the satire is properly coming across, let alone if you live in the States. Perhaps that's why so many thought it was serious. But that's another problem - grime/UK rap is not big at all in the US yet. Meaning, for alot of Americans this joke song is their first real exposure to Grime music. Ah.
Nevertheless, a solid, organic meme that seemed to come out of nowhere and that personally really enjoy.




Conceited

This is reaction gif I have used countless times in countless scenarios since it became popular, and I imagine it will be used by many for ages to come. It's exaggerated enough to be funny, but universal enough to be funny to everyone, which really widens it appeal. It's gotten to the point that I actually make this facial expression in daily life. It understated, but also automatically iconic.

Drew Scanlon

Essentially, this gif reaction is up here for all the same reasons I just pointed out for the Conceited meme. But the main reason for this being my favourite meme of the year is because it's everything that meme is, but more so. The amount of emotions this man goes through in this two second clip is so complex as I've never seen captured before in a gif that I'm so appreciative it exists. Exaggerated but also relatable to literally everyone that would come across it. I also use this exact facial expression every day, but somehow more than any other. Honestly, I don't even use the words excuse me anymore; I just use this gif. More than any other meme we've seen on this list or this year, I'm certain that it will be used and referenced years from now, that this will have that most coveted position of a classic meme.







Next Week: The big one -  My Best Albums of 2017