2020 Meme Review
BY RIYA SHAH '22
Ever since the start of Miss Rona’s tyrannical rule, I have become completely (and embarrassingly) in touch with memes. If I’m not studying or watching Netflix, I’m probably scrolling through Instagram, hunting for good memes. And I like to think that the ones this year truly represent our mentality during this unprecedented time: complete insanity. I hope that in the future, historians will look back at these “insightful” primary sources in order to fully understand the way our generation has coped with a deadly pandemic. I can sense your excitement already, so I am happy to present my 2020 Meme Review.
1. Da Vinky?
The internet contains a plethora of extremely intelligent people. But sometimes, even geniuses can be stumped by difficult questions. This is what happened to TikTok wrestler twins Chris and Patrick Voros, who used the trivia filter on Instagram and were asked “Who painted the Mona Lisa?” When the answer was revealed, the twins responded in shock. “Da Vinky?” they exclaimed simultaneously. In my opinion, this video truly reflects internet culture, so I give it a solid 9/10.
2. I ain’t never seen two pretty best friends, it’s always one of them gotta be ugly.
I cannot escape it. Everywhere I look, I see this man: His golden eyes stare into my soul. His words are engraved in my mind. Have I ever seen two pretty best friends? I think I have. But jayrscotty’s confidence is overwhelming. I am in constant fear. 10/10.
3. Mike Pence Fly
When I first saw this live during the Vice Presidential debate, I was confused. “Is that...a fly?” Not to get too political, BUT the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I give this an 8/10 simply because of SNL’s skit on this meme soon after in which a person dressed up as the infamous fly, sort of killing the meme for me. I love Jim Carrey, but in my opinion, that was not it, chief.
4. Gossip Girl
To be honest, any meme format that takes the letters in a phrase or sentence and rearranges them to spell something different is funny to me. In the Gossip Girl meme, a question is asked, and the answer is made up of letters from the name “Gossip Girl.” I’ll give you some examples. How do I look? gorgis girl. Can you speak spanish? si girl. Why did the US invade Iran? oil girl. I find these kinds of memes to be very clever, but I give this a 7/10 since there are many variations already, like the Glee gym teacher quote and the more recent “when the imposter is sus” meme. Speaking of which...
5. Among Us
Among Us has become my new obsession during quarantine. Although the game was originally made in 2018, it blew up over the summer because people were looking for fun and easy games to play with friends while physically separated. It blew up on Youtube and Twitch, but I think a lot of the popularity came from the memes. Among Us memes have really become a pop culture cornerstone, inspiring new slang like “sus” and popularizing new content creators like DisguisedToast and Corpse Husband. I can’t exactly encapsulate all the fun Among Us inside jokes in the community, but I will give it a XQUFDJ/10. If you know, you know.
6. JUAN
The Juan meme is a great representation of humor during the pandemic. The image literally shows a horse on a balcony with the name Juan written on it in bold letters. That’s it, that's the meme. Why is Juan funny, you may ask? I warn you, do not question it. Juan is love, Juan is life. 10/10.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this meme review. There have been so many more memes from 2020 that I couldn’t cover, but these were some of my favorites. Truly, the memes really pulled us through the trainwreck that was last year. The internet can be a scary place, but it also sparks some joy in my cold heart :).
1. Da Vinky?
The internet contains a plethora of extremely intelligent people. But sometimes, even geniuses can be stumped by difficult questions. This is what happened to TikTok wrestler twins Chris and Patrick Voros, who used the trivia filter on Instagram and were asked “Who painted the Mona Lisa?” When the answer was revealed, the twins responded in shock. “Da Vinky?” they exclaimed simultaneously. In my opinion, this video truly reflects internet culture, so I give it a solid 9/10.
2. I ain’t never seen two pretty best friends, it’s always one of them gotta be ugly.
I cannot escape it. Everywhere I look, I see this man: His golden eyes stare into my soul. His words are engraved in my mind. Have I ever seen two pretty best friends? I think I have. But jayrscotty’s confidence is overwhelming. I am in constant fear. 10/10.
3. Mike Pence Fly
When I first saw this live during the Vice Presidential debate, I was confused. “Is that...a fly?” Not to get too political, BUT the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I give this an 8/10 simply because of SNL’s skit on this meme soon after in which a person dressed up as the infamous fly, sort of killing the meme for me. I love Jim Carrey, but in my opinion, that was not it, chief.
4. Gossip Girl
To be honest, any meme format that takes the letters in a phrase or sentence and rearranges them to spell something different is funny to me. In the Gossip Girl meme, a question is asked, and the answer is made up of letters from the name “Gossip Girl.” I’ll give you some examples. How do I look? gorgis girl. Can you speak spanish? si girl. Why did the US invade Iran? oil girl. I find these kinds of memes to be very clever, but I give this a 7/10 since there are many variations already, like the Glee gym teacher quote and the more recent “when the imposter is sus” meme. Speaking of which...
5. Among Us
Among Us has become my new obsession during quarantine. Although the game was originally made in 2018, it blew up over the summer because people were looking for fun and easy games to play with friends while physically separated. It blew up on Youtube and Twitch, but I think a lot of the popularity came from the memes. Among Us memes have really become a pop culture cornerstone, inspiring new slang like “sus” and popularizing new content creators like DisguisedToast and Corpse Husband. I can’t exactly encapsulate all the fun Among Us inside jokes in the community, but I will give it a XQUFDJ/10. If you know, you know.
6. JUAN
The Juan meme is a great representation of humor during the pandemic. The image literally shows a horse on a balcony with the name Juan written on it in bold letters. That’s it, that's the meme. Why is Juan funny, you may ask? I warn you, do not question it. Juan is love, Juan is life. 10/10.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this meme review. There have been so many more memes from 2020 that I couldn’t cover, but these were some of my favorites. Truly, the memes really pulled us through the trainwreck that was last year. The internet can be a scary place, but it also sparks some joy in my cold heart :).
