The Memes That
Shaped the Internet

Grumpy Cat, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, became an iconic internet meme known for her permanently grumpy facial expression caused by feline dwarfism and an underbite. The meme originated from a photo posted on Reddit in September 2012 and quickly spread across social media, spawning countless parodies and merchandise. Grumpy Cat remains one of the most recognizable and influential memes in internet culture.

Success Kid is an Internet meme featuring a baby clenching a fistful of sand with a determined facial expression. Originating from a 2007 Flickr photo, it evolved from the 'I Hate Sandcastles' meme to represent small personal victories and good fortune. The image has been licensed for commercial use and used in notable campaigns, including a White House immigration reform tweet and a GoFundMe for the subject's father's kidney transplant.

Rickrolling is a bait-and-switch prank that involves posting a hyperlink that is supposedly relevant to the topic at hand in an online discussion, but re-directs the viewer to the music video of "Never Gonna Give You Up," a 1987 dance pop single by English singer-songwriter Rick Astley. Since May 2007, numerous versions of the music video on YouTube have garnered hundreds of millions, largely driven by the widespread practice of "rickrolling" and subsequent resurgence in popularity of the song over the following decade.

Doge is a slang term for 'dog' primarily associated with pictures of Shiba Inus and internal monologue captions in Comic Sans font. The meme originated from photos of Kabosu, a Shiba Inu owned by Atsuko Sato, posted in 2010. It has spawned numerous variants and remains a popular internet meme.

Distracted Boyfriend, also known as Man Looking at Other Woman, is an object labeling stock photo series in which a man looks at the backside of a woman walking by while another woman, presumably his romantic partner, looks on disapprovingly. The meme originated from a stock photo taken by Antonio Guillem and posted on iStock in November 2015, gaining widespread popularity in early 2017 through social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

A meme image titled "apple needs to make a new iphone mini" from Reddit's r/memes community. The meme humorously suggests that Apple should release a new iPhone Mini model, playing on the desire for smaller smartphones. It reflects user sentiment about product preferences and is often shared in discussions about tech trends.

A reaction image depicting a person with an extremely confused expression, used to convey bewilderment or disbelief. The meme originates from a stock photo or candid shot that became popular on Reddit. It's humorous because it exaggerates the feeling of being overwhelmed by confusion in everyday situations.

This meme features a humorous take on the Star Fox franchise, likely using a screenshot or artwork from the game to create a relatable joke. The title suggests a lighthearted, silly interpretation of the characters or gameplay. It contributes to meme culture by referencing a classic Nintendo series, appealing to fans of both gaming and memes.

This meme contrasts a casual invitation to go grocery shopping with an exaggerated call to hang on for dear life. It humorously highlights overreactions to mundane situations, originating from a Reddit post by user WHAWHAHOWWHY.

A meme image posted by u/Howwy23 in the r/memes subreddit. The image is a JPEG with a humorous take on surprise releases or announcements. It received 22 upvotes and 9 comments.

This meme features the text 'Spare me some Adderall' as a humorous expression. Originating as an original content (OC) post on Reddit by user genius23sarcasm, it jokingly depicts a craving for the stimulant medication, often used to convey a need for focus or energy.

A meme image featuring a screenshot with the caption 'Stop taunting me.' Posted to r/memes by user Gnome_Sane, receiving 23 upvotes. The image is hosted on i.redd.it.