Image via Complex Original
As memes continue to grow in popularity, they also continue to be made in new ways. Every area of culture, albeit music, technology, pop culture, or fashion, gets the meme treatment, whether it sees one of its leaders experiment (Drake in Dada) or whether an OG cat meme gets a movie deal (Grumpy Cat). In some cases, people are laughing at others' suffering, and in other ones, they are torn because they can relate to a seriously awkward or embarrassing moment.
Thankfully, most memes catch us up on things that happened that we might have missed. Have a laugh with us and leave the first half of the year behind with The Funniest Memes of 2013 (So Far).
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50. Julia Stiles On Things
50. Julia Stiles On Things
Month released: January
We have no idea why Julia Stiles became the butt of this meme, but it is simply her small body on a random assortment of objects. She always has that striking facial expression, and someone put it to good use.
49. Titler
49. Titler
Month released: April
This meme surfaced on Reddit after a few folks were brainstorming ways to make fun of Hitler while watching The Producers. The name Titler was born, and the meme is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: Hitler with tits. What could be better?
48. Invisible Spaghetti
48. Invisible Spaghetti
Month released: April
The invisible spaghetti meme takes advantage of girls and the popular "duck face" that you probably run into on your Facebook news feed regularly. The face resembles someone slurping up a large bite of noodles, and some genius out there took full advantage of these spaghetti slurping sorority girls.
47. Daryl Hates Salad
47. Daryl Hates Salad
Month released: April
Salad is actually pretty good as far as vegetables go, but Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead hates it. This meme spells that out pretty clearly. If you haven't seen Season 3 yet, something major makes Daryl cry, and it isn't salad.
46. Papoose At Summer Jam
46. Papoose At Summer Jam
Month released: June
Earlier this month, Papoose took the stage to join Kendrick Lamar for a surprise appearance at NYC's Summer Jam festival. It was a surprise to many people that Papoose came on stage, and many took the opportunity to clown him for being the self-titled "King of New York." The memes that followed Pap's cameo are worth a look.
45. I Hit It First
45. I Hit It First
Month released: April
In April, Ray J released a song called "I Hit it First," claiming that it wasn't about Kim Kardashian, though using an ironically similar photo of her in a bikini as the cover art. The song sucked, but the Internet took full advantage of the opportunity for parodies. The Taylor Swift one is a classic.
44. Hadouken
44. Hadouken
Month released: April
Hadouken surfaced in April as Japan's hottest new meme. We are not exactly sure what to make of it, but it seems like one person is using the force to blow everyone else away. Okay, obviously they aren't actually using "the force," but it still looks cool.
43. Baauer Harlem Shake
43. Baauer Harlem Shake
Month released: February
If you don't know about the Harlem Shake meme, then you must have been hibernating for the past three months. Over 4,000 Harlem Shake videos have been produced thanks to the song produced by Baauer, and while a lot of them are pretty silly, the few originals have earned the meme the 43rd spot on our list.
42. Superbowl Blackout
42. Superbowl Blackout
Month released: February
Everyone remembers the blackout during the Superbowl that caused a thirty-minute delay in the game and actually seemed to cause a shift in momentum. Since the Superbowl takes place on one of the world's biggest stages, naturally many people weighed in with their opinions, and we are grateful for the ones that did it in meme form.
41. Hitler Reacts to Google Reader Ending
41. Hitler Reacts to Google Reader Ending
Month released: March
The Hitler Reacts joke has been around for a while now, but it saw a resurrection when Google announced it was ending its content aggregator program earlier this year. Whatever Hitler is reacting to, you can be sure it is always going to be hilarious, and we wouldn't be surprised if he actually reacted this way if he were alive today.
40. Swedish Chef Ramsay
40. Swedish Chef Ramsay
Month released: April
Swedish Chef Ramsay is by far the best character from The Muppets, and we are surprised he is only now surfacing in the meme world. If you've ever seen the show, you know Swedish Chef doesn't speak words, he just yells, and that about sums up the meme as well. Either way, the Swedish Chef always cracks us up.
39. Cats That Look Like Male Models
39. Cats That Look Like Male Models
Month released: April
This meme comes from the Tumblr site "Des Hommes et des Chatons," which pairs photos of felines next to male models. Some of the photos just fuel the Internet's obsessions with cats, but others showcase the strangely striking resemblance between the two. Either way, this meme is worth a quick scroll-through.
38. Thumbs and Ammo
38. Thumbs and Ammo
Month released: March
Thumbs and Ammo takes photos where there normally should be guns and replaces them with a thumbs up. As you can imagine, some of these get pretty hilarious (like a bloody Al Pacino giving a thumbs up), and we give props to the originator. Maybe it could even become a ploy for gun control laws? Now that's maximizing your meme.
37. Pope Francis
37. Pope Francis
Month released: March
Almost as much of a meme sensation as the old Pope resigning was the new Pope coming in. That's right, Pope Francis became popular in the meme world after his appointment and for good reason. An old guy in some fly ass church clothing is bound to be hilarious.
36. Manti Teo's Girlfriend
36. Manti Teo's Girlfriend
Month released: January
The question still remains—did he know she wasn't real, or didn't he? Obviously Teo swindled his way out of a situation that could have been a lot worse, but he definitely got a lot of shit for it. What followed the revelation of Teo's fake girlfriend was just a firestorm of people taking pictures with their arm around air, which was dubbed "Teoing."
35. Robert Griffin III's Knee Injury
35. Robert Griffin III's Knee Injury
Month released: January
RGIII tore his ACL and LCL in a playoff game versus the Seahawks, which required total reconstructive surgery to repair. When any superstar goes down, you can expect some type of meme to follow, and RGII was no exception.
34. Joffrey Bieber
34. Joffrey Bieber
Month released: April
Anything that involves Justin Bieber and Game of Thrones is bound to be huge, and this meme proved exactly that. We don't think Biebs would last one minute in the olden times, but the thought is pretty funny.
33. Desmond Bryant's Mugshot
33. Desmond Bryant's Mugshot
Month released: March
Desmond Bryant, an Oakland Raiders defensive lineman, took one of the more ridiculous mugshots we've seen in a while. Bryant was arrested with criminal mischief (whatever that entails, we don't want to know) and struck this pose when having his photo taken by police. You can imagined the Internet frenzy that followed, after all he looks like Jabba the Hutt.
32. RIP Jason Terry
32. RIP Jason Terry
Month released: March
Jason Terry got flat out posterized by Lebron James in a game earlier this season and was subsequently emasculated all over the Internet with a social media outburst against him. We have to say, the one with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce as pallbearers is pretty clever. Even Terry said he chuckled when he saw it. At least he's a good sport.
31. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Baby
31. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Baby
Month released: January
This honestly might be the most anticipated celebrity baby of all time, even more so than Beyonce and Jay-Z's Blue Ivy. It's Kanye and Kim—they are two extremely controversial people and a definite power couple. You had to know people were going to have a field day with this, and we must admit, we are amused.
30. Chief Keef
30. Chief Keef
Month released: January
When Chief Keef was arrested in January for gun possession, he had to serve 60 days in a juvenile detention center. Loyal fans were saying "Free Sosa" and making memes to show their support, too.
29. Grumpy Tommy Lee Jones
29. Grumpy Tommy Lee Jones
Month released: January
Tommy Lee Jones was not impressed at The Golden Globe awards when Kristin Wiig and Will Ferrell did a skit prior to announcing the nominations. The picture of Tommy's reaction went viral, and it was decided that he looked exactly like Tard the Grumpy Cat. We can't deny that there is a striking resemblance.
28. Daft Punk
28. Daft Punk
Month released: May
Daft Punk recently released their first album in a number of years to much critical acclaim. People had been long awaiting the duo's comeback, and it took a little time for the normal cast of meme characters, from Bad Luck Brian to Grumpy Cat, to weigh in on the matter. What ensued was a boatload of hilarious memes to go along with the anticipation of the new album.
27. Lil Wayne vs. Chris Bosh
27. Lil Wayne vs. Chris Bosh
Month released: February
In February there were supposed reports that Lil Wayne had relations with the girlfriend of Miami Heat center Chris Bosh. The two exchanged words, but the highlight of this beef was the meme that followed. For the record, we side with Bosh, and it seems like Weezy still has his girlfriend Dhea, anyway.
26. When Diarrhea Hits
26. When Diarrhea Hits
Month released: February
We hope that we never have to find out where we will be when diarrhea strikes, but it is funny to think about when it's not you who has the runs. This meme pictures people in the worst possible situations to get diarrhea, and needless to say, it is definitely a good one.
25. B**** I Might Be
25. B**** I Might Be
Month released: May
Rapper Gucci Mane appeared in court once again in 2013, and when asked if he was guilty, he allegedly responded to the judge by saying "B**** I might be." At least Gucci's woes with the law provide us with hilarious meme material like this one.
24. Pretty Girls Making Ugly Faces
24. Pretty Girls Making Ugly Faces
Month released: January
It is fascinating to take something ugly and make it beautiful. Somehow that seems to get everyone's attention, and although we aren't completely sure why, it is actually quite humorous. Then again, double chins and ugly faces seem to make everyone laugh a little, so we aren't too shocked.
23. Call Me Maybe Translated
23. Call Me Maybe Translated
Month released: January
We all thought Call Me Maybe had seen its last days, but it was resurrected in meme form in early January with a series of translations that are pretty different from the original lyrics. Despite the song's debut over a year ago, it is good to know that someone with a lot of free time out there is milking it for all its worth and entertaining us.
22. North Korea's Secret Weapon
22. North Korea's Secret Weapon
Month released: March
People on the Internet really give North Korea a lot of shit. This meme originated when someone Photoshoped an image of Kim Jong Un holding a floppy disc and posted it to Reddit under North Korea's secret weapon. Does anyone even use floppy discs anymore? Let's just hope they don't blow us up for this.
21. Les Mean Girls
21. Les Mean Girls
Month released: February
You can't really go wrong with Mean Girls and Les Miserables, which are two pretty stories (and films) by just about anyone's standards. It is amazing that a movie that came out when Lindsay Lohan was relatively put together is still relevant, and it is hilarious to imagine Russell Crowe acting like a teenage girl.
20. Underly Attached Girlfriend
20. Underly Attached Girlfriend
Month released: February
In late 2012 there was the Overly Attached Girlfriend, which was hilarious, but not as good as Taylor Swift pictured in the Underly Attached Girlfriend. We can't argue that Taylor deserves the bad reputation; after all, she does fly through guys, but as as long as we're aren't the ones getting our hearts broken (and then getting songs written about us), we'll keep laughing.
19. J.R Smith "You Trying To Get The Pipe?"
19. J.R Smith "You Trying To Get The Pipe?"
Month released: February
For those of you who aren't familiar with this story, Smith received a direct message via Twitter from a female fan who was planning on attending one of his upcoming games. Like any professional athlete would, Smith, riding high off of his late season heroics, assumed the fan was sexually interested in him and boldly responded (publicly), "You trying to get the pipe?" Thus, this gem was born, and Smith went on to suck in the playoffs.
18. Balls Replaced with Cats
18. Balls Replaced with Cats
Month released: April
It's amazing to us this wasn't done before, because anyone with Photoshop and a brain is capable of producing Balls Replaced with Cats. Either way, we have to give credit where credit it's due, and this is certainly hilarious. We are pretty sure it is the contrast of the athletes' faces looking so intensely at a kitten. It really is too good to be true.
17. Resigning Pope
17. Resigning Pope
Month released: February
The Pope resigning was one of the craziest things to happen in 2013 so far. The Pope resigned? Is that even allowed? Apparently so, but that didn't stop the event from receiving a significant amount of backlash. Perhaps the least serious and most hilarious of the responses were the memes created in his honor. At least he doesn't have to worry about leaving a legacy.
16. Excited Harvard Band Member
16. Excited Harvard Band Member
Month released: March
This Excited Harvard Band Meme ranks just outside our funniest memes of the year so far. The shot was taken from the NCAA tournament when No. 14. seeded Harvard pulled off a stunning upset over No. 3. seeded New Mexico, and shortly after, the picture became an Internet sensation. This is what happens when nerds get excited.
15. Bad Luck Leonardo DiCaprio
15. Bad Luck Leonardo DiCaprio
Month released: February
Can you believe that Leo still has yet to win an academy award? The guy gives incredibly convincing performances in practically every one of his movies but just can't seem to bring home the hardware. Naturally, the Internet decided to capitalize on this phenomenon, and thus Bad Luck Leonardo DiCaprio was birthed. While we hate to see Leo suffer, we have to admit that the meme does illicit a few chuckles.
14. How Animals Eat Their Food
14. How Animals Eat Their Food
Month released: April
How Animals Eat Their Food originated from a YouTube video featuring a comedy sketch of two guys, one of who is demonstrating how different animals would approach eating a salad. A week after its upload to YouTube, the video had gone viral and a series of GIFs and parody videos have followed.
13. Injured Derrick Rose
13. Injured Derrick Rose
Month released: May
There was a lot of talk this year about Derrick Rose's lack of play this NBA season. He was cleared by Doctors for practice in February but opted to sit out the entire season and through the Bulls' playoff run. Everyone was wondering when D. Rose would run out of the tunnel and put up a surprise forty-point performance, but that never happened. Instead we got this hilarious meme.
12. Sexually Oblivious Female
12. Sexually Oblivious Female
Month released: February
Sometimes the girls that look the nerdiest end up being the freakiest, so don't judge a book by its cover. That is not the case with the Sexually Oblivious Female, who, no matter what, just can't take a hint. Even your catchiest pick up lines won't work on her, and you'll practically have to spell out any sexual innuendos. Either way her ignorance is our bliss.
11. Menswear Dog
11. Menswear Dog
Month released: February
One of the major trends of late 2012 and early 2013 is the rise of these animal sensations all over the Internet. Everything from alien cats to grumpy cats and ducks giving advice have been made, and we always get a kick out of animals acting like humans. On that note, Menswear Dog is one of the top hilarious memes. After all, what is more funny than a dog wearing a suit? Almost nothing.
10. Grumpy Cat Movie
10. Grumpy Cat Movie
Month released: May
Unless you live under a rock, you are most likely familiar with the Tard, aka Tardar Sauce aka The Grumpy Cat. If you didn't know, due to her Internet popularity, Tard recently signed a movie deal, and of course this was followed with a series of memes showing her feelings on Hollywood. Tard always kills it in the meme game; after all, a pissed off, movie star cat is a pretty good combination.
9. Surprised Patrick
9. Surprised Patrick
Month released: March
Spongebob characters are still hilarious and maintain a wide demographic of audience members, from small children to stoned college kids. For some reason, the pink starfish character, cleverly named Patrick Star, has turned in to a lovable Internet meme, and his googly-eyed surprise expression might pop up where you least expect it to, so be ready.
8. Screaming Goats
8. Screaming Goats
Month released: February
Screaming goats are exactly what they sound like. We are honestly surprised that it took someone this long to put together a two-minute clip of goats bleating replaced with human screaming. It didn't take a genius, and it is definitely a little strange but hilarious nonetheless.
7. Actresses Without Teeth
7. Actresses Without Teeth
Month released: March
It sounds a little bit catastrophic to take some of the most beautiful people on our planet and make them look heinous, but that is what us Internet users do, and we have to say, it's actually quite entertaining. Rumor has it that Anne Hathaway might even do her next movie without any teeth at all...JUST KIDDING.
6. Dogs in Tights
6. Dogs in Tights
Month released: April
Okay, so we lied—dogs in tights might actually be more hilarious than dogs wearing suits, especially since one is Photoshopped. This meme is legitimately dogs stuffed in pantyhose. Maybe it is a little cruel, but it does make for a great laugh. Our question is, how did these owners possibly manage to convince their dogs to pose in tights like this?
5. Chris Bosh Still Looks Like A Dinosaur
5. Chris Bosh Still Looks Like A Dinosaur
Month released: April
No one really knows how the idea first came about, but it is definitely true and now almost universally accepted that Chris Bosh looks like a dinosaur. The dude is straight up awkward-looking, and you know what the Internet does to people like that. He also used to play for the Raptors. Coincidence? We think not.
4. "Started From The Bottom"
4. "Started From The Bottom"
Month released: February
Drake's single became much more than just a song that frequented club speakers and radio airwaves. Maybe it's his unique voice, or because this hook is just catchy as hell, but Drake had everyone claiming that they "started from the bottom" in early 2013.
3. Unflattering Beyonce
3. Unflattering Beyonce
Month released: February
We didn't even think it was possible for Beyonce to look ugly, but someone captured this shot from her halftime performance at the Super Bowl (which might have even drawn more attention than the game), and Internet users had a field day. The one time Beyonce is caught looking ugly, the picture goes viral and explodes in different meme forums everywhere. We hope it's not a sign of the end times.
2. Drake Wears Dada
2. Drake Wears Dada
Month released: May
Drake gets a lot of shit in the rap game for his "soft" background, and now we see why. A picture of Drizzy surfaced sporting these throwback threads, and he looks, well, not cool. It's true that the '90s was a different decade, so we can't really judge, but come on Drake, you should know that combining the styles of Flava Flav and the Fresh Prince isn't going to work in your favor.
1. Miguel Leg Drop
1. Miguel Leg Drop
Month released: May
If you missed this, Miguel tried to bust a move at the Billboard awards, and it didn't end so well. He actually landed right on top of a fan who was sitting in the front row, which resulted in hilarity for anyone that was watching. As we all expected, the Miguel Leg Drop meme followed shorlty, which was even more hilarious than the actual event itself.