Top 10 Internet Memes and Phenomena

As the internet has progressed, various trends have emerged and gained such widespread recognition that they are now celebrated as Internet Memes. In fact, some enthusiasts argue that you aren't truly part of the online community unless you're familiar with their favorite meme. Here's a curated list of what I believe are the top 10.

To begin, let's define an Internet meme: It's a digital phenomenon that spreads quickly and organically across the internet, shared widely among users. The concept draws parallels to memes as self-replicating units of information, much like a virus.

10. Lolcats

A lolcat, a blend of 'lol' (laughing out loud) and 'cat,' is a humorous image featuring a cat paired with a quirky or funny caption. These captions often mimic childlike language or intentional misspellings, such as 'Call the offis. I iz gonna be latez.' The text typically relates to the image in a clever or amusing way, as seen in the example provided.

This meme has gained immense popularity, leading to the creation of numerous websites, with 'I can has cheezeburger?' being the most famous. Lolcats are now a common sight on social media platforms and online forums.

Visit I can has cheezeburger?

9. All Your Base

The 'All your base' phenomenon originated in 2001, sparked by a flash animation derived from the opening scenes of the 1989 Japanese video game Zero Wing by Toaplan. Its fame largely stems from the 'Engrish' captions—Japanese-style English—featured in the clip. A prime example is the phrase 'All your base are belong to us,' which deviates from the correct 'All your bases belong to us.'

Although its popularity has slightly declined in recent years, the meme remains iconic, with new videos occasionally surfacing on YouTube that creatively reference it.

8. Goatse

First, the image above is not goatse – it is too graphic to display on this page (though a link is provided below for those curious...). This infamous image gained notoriety when it rapidly spread across internet forums, as trolls would deceitfully share links to it, claiming it led to something intriguing. The issue became so severe that Slashdot had to update their system to display link destinations in comments, preventing unsuspecting users from falling victim to the prank.

It has recently resurfaced in the public eye after accidentally appearing on CNN and being referenced in a cartoon form on the BBC. The image originally came from a site named goatse.cx (a pun on 'goatsex'), which featured a highly disturbing depiction of a man exposing himself in an offensive manner.

7. Kikia

Kikia marked the beginning of flash shock sites, sparking a wave of similar content that persists today. It starts innocently with a cartoon of a young boy, Chinese text, and soothing music, but abruptly transitions into a terrifying animation of a screaming face, accompanied by a loud, jarring sound.

The original Kikia was uploaded by a user named Netspooky on the Taiwanese platform Kimo. Many of the startling images used in these screamers are sourced from the iconic horror film, The Exorcist.

6. Dancing Baby

The dancing baby, also referred to as baby cha-cha, emerged as one of the earliest Internet memes in 1996. It features a 3D animated baby, initially designed as a demonstration for 3D Studio Max. The baby grooves to music and gained fame through its appearances on the TV show Ally McBeal, where it symbolized the protagonist's anxiety about her biological clock.

View the original dancing baby

5. ORLY Owl

ORLY, short for 'Oh Really,' typically showcases a snowy owl accompanied by the caption 'O RLY?' This is often met with a 'YA RLY' reply, sparking entire conversations filled with internet slang. The meme first appeared in August 2003 on the Something Awful forums, with the original photo taken by John White and shared on alt.binaries.pictures.animals in 2001.

Its popularity soared to the point of being featured in a GameBoy Advance game. The caption has since transcended owl images, appearing on a wide variety of photographs.

view a gallery of O RLYs

4. The Hamster Dance

The Hamster Dance is among the earliest Internet memes, debuting on Geocities during its prime. It showcased rows of animated hamsters and rabbits dancing in various styles, set to an accelerated clip from Roger Miller's song 'Whistle Stop.'

Created in 1998 by Canadian art student Deidre LaCarte as part of a sibling competition to attract the most web traffic, the meme pays tribute to her pet hamster, Hampton Hamster. Personally, I find it somewhat eerie.

3. The Star Wars Kid

The Star Wars Kid phenomenon began when a video clip of Ghyslain Raza, a 14-year-old French Canadian high school student, was leaked online. The footage, filmed in his school's studio, was left behind in a basement. The original owner of the tape found it and shared it with friends, who thought it would be a humorous prank. They converted it to a WMV file and distributed it via the Kazaa peer-to-peer network.

Within two weeks, the video was downloaded millions of times. To date, it has been downloaded over 900 million times, cementing its status as one of the most popular viral videos. In July 2003, his parents sued four classmates for $250,000, resulting in an out-of-court settlement.

2. Snowclones

A snowclone is a cliché based on a familiar phrase or idiom, repurposed in new contexts. It was initially described as a versatile, widely recognized, and often overused expression that writers and journalists adapt into countless humorous variations.

One of the most famous (and frequently overused) snowclones is 'In Soviet Russia, Y Xs you,' which originated from comedian Yakov Smirnoff. He famously quipped, 'In Soviet Russia, party finds you,' during his standup routines.

Visit the snowclones database

1. Loituma Girl

Loituma is among the more recent Internet memes, emerging in 2006. The name derives from the Finnish band Loituma, known for their traditional singing and instrumental styles. In 1997, they were honored as Ensemble of the Year at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival.

The meme first appeared as a shockwave flash animation featuring a 4-frame loop of the Bleach anime character Orihime Inoue spinning a leek, set to a 27-second clip of the song. The animation loops endlessly, and while the visuals have been adapted in various ways, the song remains a constant.