Whether you like it or not, internet memes are here to stay. If you have absolutely no idea about internet memes, then you are clearly not spending enough time on the internet, or perhaps even a computer. In 2012, it would be safe to say that this was a year of internet memes. Memes have been around for what feels like forever, but it seems like it was only this year that they exploded in popularity and have even reached internet-challenged individuals. As the year 2012 draws to a close, we will make an attempt to recall the ten best memes of the the past year. Here's Jaxov's Top 10 Best Internet Memes of 2012.
Top 10 Best Internet Memes of 2012
NOTE: Some of these entries contains language that is NOT suitable for children.
McKayla is not impressed
This is one of the many memes that emerged during the 2012 Olympic Games in London, however, one could say that this one is the most popular. McKayla is Not Impressed is a photoshop meme of United States gymnast McKayla Maroney wearing that famous scowling expression while on the winner's podium where she ended up taking the silver medal. A brief expression of disappointment has turned into something massive, and funny!
Best of McKayla is not impressed
Overly Attached Girlfriend
Every guy wants to have a loving girlfriend, right? However, what if the girl just gives you too much affection and attention that it can be downright mental? Overly Attached Girlfriend (OAG) is a series of image macros depicting a needy and very clingy ‘girlfriend’ (Laina Morris). With the disturbing nature of the meme (and look at that expression), there was little doubt that this exploded into a meme.
Best of Overly Attached Girlfriend
KONY 2012
Probably one of the most controversial topics of 2012. Kony 2012 is a vigilant campaign brought to the web in an effort to bring into worldwide awareness the acts of Ugandan guerrilla group leader and head of the Lord’s Resistance Army Joseph Kony before the end of 2012. The said acts refer to Kony's use of children as soldiers and sex slaves. However, since this is the internet, some people managed to make some jokes out of it.
Best of KONY 2012
Call Me Maybe
Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is one of the massive radio hits that swept the world this 2012. I mean seriously, just a few months ago this song is all over the mainstream radio and the web. The annoyingly catchy melody and memorable lyrics certainly helped this song be ingrained in everyone's mind. As per usual, netizens were inspired by its popularity which spawned a plethora of jokes and parodies.
Best of Call Me Maybe
Gotye – “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Here's another song that has been played to kingdom come during the height of its popularity. Somebody That I Used to Know actually was released back in 2011 by Australian singer-songwriter Gotye but it was only during 2012 that the song took off when it was covered by Walk Off the Earth. I think most of you know this song and personally, I'm quite sick of it now. Well, at least we got a good meme out of it.
Best of Gotye – “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Annoyed Picard
If you have encountered and enjoyed Captain Picard's facepalm meme (and legions of other Picard memes), then you'll be glad to know that he's got another meme on his belt. Annoyed Picard is an image macro series featuring none other than Captain Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The image meme depicts the captain's exasperated expression with captions that usually reveals one's frustration accompanied by the rhetorical “how the fuck?”, “why the fuck?” or “what the fuck?”
Best of Annoyed Picard
Ermahgerd
Ermahgerd (also known as “Gersberms” and “Berks”) is an image macro series involving the photo of a young woman holding several books from the children’s horror fiction series Goosebumps. Ermahgerd is actually a lisped pronunciation of “oh my god.” The captions that are usually placed on this meme are meant to sound like a speech impediment caused by the use of an orthodontic retainer. Like most memes these days, this one originated in Reddit.
Best of Ermahgerd
Ridiculously Photogenic Guy
Who knows that looking so ridiculously photogenic while running in a marathon could make you internet famous? Ridiculously Photogenic Guy (RPG) is a photoshop meme that involves the photo of a smiling man called Zeddie Little running in the 2012 Cooper River Bridge Run. This is one of those pictures that went viral the first hour it was uploaded into the web. And being spread by websites like Reddit and Mashable, this meme is bound to be the biggest of 2012. This is a nice positive meme, certainly nicer than what the internet is capable of.
Best of Ridiculously Photogenic Guy
Grumpy Cat
Now, it's LOL cats all over again this year! Grumpy Cat is the nickname given to the snowshoe cat that goes by the name of “Tard.” And yes, the nickname fits like a glove because, just look at him. And as per usual, the original image was posted in Reddit and almost instantly, it was met with a large stream of photoshopped parodies and image macros from Reddit users. And since the internet just love their funny cats, it was only a matter of a short time before Grumpy Cat got so popular and ended up to be one of the best internet memes of 2012.
Best of Grumpy Cat
PSY - Gangnam Style
Was there ever any doubt as to which meme will top the list of this year's best internet memes? Whether you like it or not, you have no choice. There is no way you can escape PSY's Gangnam Style. This is one of the prime examples of going viral over the net. As of this time, the music video is now the most viewed video in YouTube with over a billion views and counting. Personally, while I'm not too caught up in the craze, I appreciate the fact that it was all done in the spirit of fun. And yes, Gangnam Style is the best internet meme of 2012!!
Best of Gangnam Style
So what's your favorite internet memes of 2012?
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