Image via Complex Original
It's the most wonderful time ... of the month. That's right ladies and gentlemen, it is time for your monthly Emoji Power Rankings. We have seen some serious shake ups in the world of emojis as we've marched towards the Yuletide and it's time to see exactly where the chips fell. We have a number of previously unranked emojis storming the top ten while several of your favorites have slipped off the charts and into obscurity. It has certainly been an emojinal month for emoji fans. As you settle in with family and friends and begin your holiday celebration, take time to reflect on the emojis that meant the most to you this year with the definitive Emoji Power Rankings: December's Top 25.
25. Pig
Last Month: 23
This emoji is some pig. Inexplicably, the Pig hangs on at the bottom of our Power Rankings for the third consecutive month. Though we were shocked at first, we've come to realize that as long as men keep sending unsolicited dick pics, this emoji will continue to take care of business.
24. Angel
Last Month: Unranked
Sometimes you have to backtrack after texting something that you shouldn't have. Whether you sent some poorly timed drunken flirtations or a pic that was maybe a bit to personal, the Angel emoji goes a long way towards smoothing over your unseemly behavior.
23. Speak-No-Evil Monkey
Last Month: 13
If you find yourself on Santa's naughty list this holiday season, don't make things worse for yourself by drunkenly broadcasting your sins in the streets. Take a lesson from this silent primate and keep your dirty deeds to yourself.
22. Crystal Ball
Last Month: 19
What will 2014 hold? It's hard to tell what lies before us in the New Year, but we can always speculate, and the Crystal Ball is here to assist with your prognostication.
21. Man With Moustache
Last Month: 16
When this emoji was just a man with a moustache, it wasn't exciting anybody. When users started to realize that this face could be used as shorthand for "creeper" or "potential child molester," this emoji became a staple of insult texts. Man with a Moustache is truly one of the great emoji Cinderella stories of recent months.
20. Alien
Last Month: Unranked
Man has long been intrigued by the possiblity of life on other planets. We have long been intrigued by the popularity of this emoji. These are two of life's great mysteries.
19. Cool Button
Last Month: 24
It actually takes longer to seek out this icon than to simply type the word "cool" in a text message. Proponents of the emoji point to the sleek blue box and clean white font employed in the design. Experts, however, are incredulous: conventional wisdom tells us that these factors won't be enough to keep this emoji in the big leagues.
18. Clapping Hands
Last Month: Unranked
Make it clap. Make it clap. Make it clap for this emoji's first appearance in our Power Rankings! Whether you are doling out legitimate accolades or ironically slow-clapping your buddy's drunken escapades, Clapping Hands is a clutch emoji addition to any text messaging utility belt.
17. Smiley Face
Last Month: 9
It's rare to see the Smiley Face fall to the back end of our power rankings. Don't worry optimism fans, the Smiley Face has not endured a sudden drop off in popularity, it is just crowded at the top during this Yuletide Season. Expect a bounce back month from this workhorse emoji after the New Year.
16. Beers
Last Month: 12
What's better than one beer? Two beers, of course. Using this emoji followed by a question mark should take care of about eighty percent of the communication between you and your friends this holiday season.
15. American Flag
Last Month: 4
Most months, the American Flag is no-brainer top ten selection. Unfortunately, in this season of celebrating Christianity and commercialism, people let their patriotism game slip. When you're at the bar with your friends from high school on New Year's Eve, why not start a chant of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and see if you can't get this emoji climbing back up the charts?
14. Raised Fist
Last Month: Unranked
No matter who you are, solidarity is important. Whether you are a union member, a radical protestor, or a supportive friend helping a buddy through a break up, there is always room to express a little solidarity in our far-too-fractured world.
13. Eggplant
Last Month: 21
The most phallic image in the entire emoji library made its strongest showing to date this month. The favorite emoji for sexting and dirty jokes has thrust its way into our top fifteen for the first time. Who knows how far the eggplant will rise before it flaccidly descends our rankings? Only time will tell.
12. Money With Wings
Last Month: 20
This emoji hit a little bit too close to home for many holiday shoppers, sending Money With Wings flying up this month's charts. As we rack up credit card debt so we can afford all that holiday cheer, we can see money we haven't even made yet fluttering out of our wallets.
11. Party Popper
Last Month: 11
Even those of you new to the emoji game could probably guess that this emoji's popularity will likely peak come Midnight on January 1st. That doesn't mean that you can sleep on this emoji in the last half of December. When work shuts down for the year, the Party Popper emoji starts putting in work.
10. Thumbs Up
Last Month: 8
So many text messages are long-winded expressions of yes or no questions. Many emoji power users have learned that a thumbs up or thumbs down emoji can take care of about 95% of your text messaging workload, freeing your actual thumbs from the drudgery of typing on a touch screen.
9. Fire
Last Month: Unranked
This emoji is on fire, both literally and figuratively. After months on the outside of our Power Rankings looking in, fire is making a real run this month. For those trying to discuss something (or someone *winking emoji*) too hot for words, fire is the move.
8. Crazy Ghost
Last Month: 3
The Crazy Ghost has become the preferred symbol of those looking to get, or who already are, turnt up. There is a transcendent level of revelry that is beyond happiness, beyond drunkenness, that lands squarely in the realm of sheer sloppy euphoria. Emoji users understand that this is an occasion when the Crazy Ghost is the only way to express yourself.
7. Woman Raising the Roof
Last Month: 5
Most non-seasonal emojis have tumbled down our list this month. With the excess of sloppy holiday parties and female staff getting turnt up at said parties, this emoji has stayed strong through the holiday season. Raise the roof, Woman Raising the Roof emoji: you may not be the greatest emoji, but you have staying power.
6. Laughing Crying Face
Last Month: 2
Last month, we predicted a huge tumble down the Power Rankings for this emoji. The Laughing Crying Face is everywhere, and we all know that familiarity breeds contempt. Against all odds, this emoji has hung on to a top ten spot for yet another month. Laughing Crying Face shouldn't get too comfortable though, as it looks like this emoji has nowhere to go but down.
5. Wave
Last Month: Unranked
People are starting to take notice of the Wave; this emoji is one of a handful of previously unranked emojis to shake up the top of our list this month. There is no better way to let the world know that you are swept up in a trend, in a lady's embrace, or in anything at all, than with this emoji. In fact, you can use this very emoji to describe how enamored you are with the Wave, which would be a total meta-emoji power move.
4. Santa Claus
Last Month: Unranked
Santa Claus is coming to ... the top five of our power rankings! Ahead of his worldwide ride delivering new smartphones to the world's privileged children, Father Christmas gets some much deserved love from our emoji experts.
3. Christmas Tree
Last Month: Unranked
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, how lovely are your pixelated branches. The Christmas Tree is back for its annual leap to the top of our Power Rankings. You arborphiliacs out there shouldn't get too comfortable though. If past performance is any indicator, in less than a month, this emoji will be chopped down from its high position in these rankings.
2. 100
Last Month: Unranked
A surprise contender has skyrocketed up the rankings this month on the strength of fan demand. After last month's snubbing of the "100," a furious email and comment writing campaign was launched on behalf of the emoji. The emoji experts at Complex Tech had no choice but to take notice. While the "thumbs up" emoji is a way to show your approval, the "100" is the go-to emoji for those celebrating absolute perfection.
1. Smiling Poop
Last Month: 1
This emoji is about to celebrate its 80th consecutive week atop our Power Rankings. This simple emoji perfectly reflects the human condition, both beautiful and terrible as it is. While your day may be, well, complete shit, there is always a potential silver lining smiling around the corner. By the same token, even our greatest successes can be flushed away in an instant of bad luck. In short, we are all the Smiling Poop emoji. #bowdown