From Yelling Goats to Doge: the top memes of 2013

2013 marked a strong year for memes, mostly thanks to the antics of Miley Cyrus and the internet’s healthy sense of humour. Below we’ve compiled what we consider to be the best of the best of 2013, but feel free to tell us what you would add to the list in the comments.

Fake Interpreter

Probably the boldest man of the year award goes to “sign language interpreter” Thami Jantjie, the man who stood next to the world’s most powerful people at Nelson Mandela’s funeral for hours on end and signed absolute gibberish. He might have offended deaf communities the world over, but he delighted the hearts of the internet, and the #fakeinterpreter meme was born, with hilarious Twitter parody accounts to boot.

So football. Prickly pear. Thrice!

— MemorialSigner (@MemorialSigner) December 11, 2013

Scarlett Johannson Falling Down

Award-winning actress Scarlett Johannson can do no wrong, even when falling flat on her face. The original image of the starlett, Scarlett, gliding towards the asphalt during the filming of the science fiction film Under the Skin got the internet treatment and Scarlett in various places spread like wildfire.

Unflattering Beyonce

Everyone expected Beyonce’s halftime performance at the Superbowl to be entertaining, but not for the reasons it ended up being so. A series of unflattering, and that’s a euphemism, photos did their rounds on the web, depicting Beyonce striking a pose not out-of-place at the Olympics’ weight lifting championships.

Twerking

Who doesn’t like twerking? I’m twerking right now while writing this article… and taking a selfie while I’m at it. Excuse me, I need to finish my twerking.

What does the Fox say

Whether you loved it, or hated it, there is no doubt that you now know exactly what the Fox does say. The original video has notched up over 300-million YouTube views and has spurred myriad re-enactments and parodies around the world, even on hit shows like SNL.

Harlem Shake

Who doesn’t like the Harlem Shake? I’m Harlem Shaking right now while writing this article… taking a selfie while I’m at it. Excuse me, I need to finish my Harlem Shake.

Wrecking Ball

“I came in like a Wrecking Ball” has become an anthem for one generation, and a warning for another. You’ve got to hand it to Miley though, she knows how to get the internet going like no one else at the moment. Forget the original, risqué, video, our award for best rendition goes to none other than the great contemporary artist, Nic Cage.

Doge

It’s difficult to put Doge into words, to pinpoint what it is that is so entertaining about a Shiba Inu Dog with or without random words scattered around him? No seriously… can someone please explain Doge to me… please.

Yelling Goat

Taylor Swift is an international success, mostly thanks to her good looks, vocal talent and ‘good gal’ demeanour. Her 2013 single ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ was best known for its gritty storyline and catchy chorus. However, not as catchy as the internet’s favourite version: the Yelling Goat rendition — which kicked off a surge of remixes featuring singing goats..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLI4EuDckgM