The 12 Memes That Defined 2016 | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The 12 Memes That Defined 2016

Twelve Months of Pure Dank Memes

176
The 12 Memes That Defined 2016

While 2016 may not have been the best year for politics or survival of pop icons, it was a great year for memes. From the death of a gorilla to the dab (which should be beyond dead by now), we were filled with image macros and two frame comics. 4Chan, iFunny, Reddit, and more have been inundated with thousands upon thousands of our best and dankest memes. With so many, it would seem a new one popped up every day. However, there seemed to be one meme each month that would stand out among the rest. It was a tough choice for many memes, but ere are the best memes of each month of 2016.

1. January: How Should a Dog Wear Pants?

This was first posted in late December of 2015, but it dominated social media for most of the beginning of the year. Several variants would later show up, one such asking where a giraffe would wear a tie.


2. February: Pacha "Just Right" Edits

A screenshot from the 2000 movie, "The Emperor's New Groove," of Pacha explaining how the sunset hits the ridge just right was uploaded right at the end of January. It took immediately and became The Emperor's New Meme.


3. March: Is Ted Cruz Actually the Zodiac Killer?

This meme saw a resurgence as the last months of the 2016 presidential election began to wind down. Comparisons between police sketches and Cruz were tweeted and retweeted by millions as well as anything that could be construed as Cruz being related to the Zodiac Killer were shared.


4. April: Confused Mr. Krabs/ When You Wake Up From a Nap

Spongebob Squarepants has been a treasure trove of memes. Whether it be Squidward dabbing or Patrick taking something and putting it somewhere else, the show never fails to provide the materials for dank memes. Here, it is referenced that Mr. Krabs is either just waking up from a nap, or that he is severely intoxicated.


5. May: Here Come Dat Boi

While the phrase, "Dat Boi," is nothing new to the internet, the 3D model of a green frog riding a unicycle was, and the internet had a field day with posting it everywhere.


6. June: Caveman/Primitive Spongebob

Once again making the list, this time Spongebob appears suddenly caught off guard, place in an awkward situation, or confused by something simple. This meme appeared on every social platform, much to everyone's annoyance.


7. July: Harambe


Harambe was shot and killed in May in order to protect a young boy who had fallen into the gorilla's enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. After many people posted sincere tributes on Facebook and Twitter, jokes and memes surrounding Harambe and his death soon followed. Several animal rights groups took issue with the "trivialization" of the gorilla's death and other groups dared to call the memes racist, only egging the internet to post more of the memes.


8. August: Rick Harrison "The Best I Can Do Is..."

Pawn Stars has many in-jokes and catchphrases familiar to its fans, but this is one that went mainstream. Often given low estimates or minimal effort towards something that is worth a great deal more is the most common use for this meme. In a similar vein, a copypasta of Harrison's intro to Pawn Stars entered into the internet vernacular.


9. September: The Button

This is often used to describe situations that are extremely favorable and cause an immediate positive reaction, often suddenly in nature. Slam it like you are answering a question on Jeopardy!


10. October: Meme Wars

The 2016 Presidential Election became even more heated when supporters of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton waged cyber warfare and the Meme Wars were revived. Every meme was up for grabs and no social media site was safe. Pepe the Frog took the biggest hit as during the wars, he was officially labeled as a hate symbol.


11. November: Joe Biden Memes

With the Obama Administration's time in the White House ending, denizens of the net took it upon themselves to poke fun at the bromance between Biden and Obama, the former of the two often acting childish or lovestruck. That or him planning pranks for President Trump to find in the White House.


12. December: Evil Kermit the Frog

Who knew an evil Kermit would be the voice inside all of us, our Id, telling us what we want to hear, instead of what we need to hear. Oh and there is an evil Miss Piggy too for all of those relationship problems.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

101
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

1698
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

3038
How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments