Looking back at 2015, it’s hard to find a way to sum up the entire year. Technology advancements and social justice initiatives, the politics and economics of the world and the music, movies and books of 2015 can’t be compacted into a single newspaper article. However, one way we can stand the test of our memories and time is through memes. Through social media, people have created memes and the best ones have spread and are widely known cultural references. The word “meme” comes from “mimesis” which means “that which is imitated.” It means “an element of a culture of system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation.” With memes being so popular (and hilarious) I decided to sum up 2015 with a meme of each month.
Here they are:
January: Not all men.
This meme makes fun of those who do not understand feminism and use “not all men”¦” as an excuse for the male gender. Yes, not all men behave in the same manner, but there are enough men who do for it to be a problem. This meme really brought a different perspective to those who thought in this way before and contributed to more people being disgusted at the concept of meninism and more open to use the word feminist to describe themselves.
February: Super Bowl left shark.
The shark that performed with Katy Perry during halftime and became instantaneously famous after seemingly forgetting his routine. It brought those who don’t really pay attention to the game itself something to talk about.
March: Iggy rapping.
This meme came to light after a radio show asked Iggy Azaela to freestyle, but she did not fulfill that request very well. She became a laughingstock and even had to cancel her tour.
April: Rare Pepes.
2014 brought us Pepe the frog, but 2015 was the year for rare Pepes, namely for good luck. Mainly different filters over the original Pepe that started spreading throughout social media. For example, “spread this Rare Pepe for good luck on your next exam.” Stuff like that.
May: Zodiac Signs.
Similar to horoscopes except for more fun and creative. Personally, one of my favorite memes. I just love knowing what kind of pasta corresponds to my star sign.
June:What are those?
This video included a young man speaking to a police officer, pointing to his shoes and asking, “What are those?” in an enthusiastic voice. The reason the young man was recording this interaction was because of the rise of discrepancies and shootings committed by cops over the past couple of years, especially towards young black boys and men.
July: Starter Packs.
Essentially, necessary items and equipment to do something or be someone. For example, I saw an “I’m not voting for Donald Trump starter pack” where underneath was a picture of a brain.
August: Miley, what’s good?
The end of August brought us the VMA Awards.
Along with that, Nicki Minaj brought her A+ sass game, calling Miley Cyrus out for criticizing her previously. Nicki’s shade sparked a discussion on cultural appropriation and how women should support fellow women despite race and sexuality etc.
September: Why you always lying?
Created by Nicholas Fraser from New York, this meme became insanely popular because it is catchy, funny and relevant. His initial vine that included the song he made was captioned “When she say she got a cute friend for you.” One of the best memes of 2015.
October: Hotline Bling.
This song became instantly popular, but the music video was released in October, featuring Drake dancing adorably with aesthetically pleasing backdrops and dancers. It became a hit, originally because Drake is amazing and soon people started using it as reaction gifs and replacing him with other celebrities.
November: Thanksgiving Clapback.
A Twitter hashtag that was meant to help people answer dreaded annual questions relatives ask during Thanksgiving dinner. For example, a reply to a relative telling you to watch what you eat would be “But you didn’t.” (Hope anyone didn’t actually use these, though. It just seems like unnecessary drama.)
