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Memes

  • #BowWowChallenge: you just can’t fool the internet, even if you’re Bow Wow

    By on 11 May, 2017

    Social media challenges are seemingly a genre of memes unto their own, but throw hip-hop artist Bow Wow into the mix, and you have yourself a viral fad. Posting a flashy Instagram snap to his timeline this week, the rapper whose real name is Shad Moss, seemingly lined up a charter flight on a jet, fit with Maybach in tow for a trip to New York. "Travel day. NYC press run for Growing Up Hip Hop. Lets gooo. I promise to bring yall the hottest show EVER," he writes on the post. But that was all just an illusion of reality. Travel day....

  • A tweet about chicken nuggets just broke Twitter’s all-time retweet record

    By on 10 May, 2017

    It's not often Twitter users see more than 1000 retweets for a single tweet, let alone 3.5-million, but that's what internet famous nugget-loving teenager Carter Wilkerson achieved this week. Ousting previous record holder Ellen DeGeneres for posting the most retweeted tweet of all time, Wilkerson has single-handedly turned the humble chicken nugget into a meme. HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS pic.twitter.com/4SrfHmEMo3 — Carter Wilkerson (@carterjwm) April 6, 2017 In total, his tweet now boasts over 3.5-million retweets, compared that 2014 Oscar selfie with 3.4-million retweets. While he's still nowhere near that 18-million retweet milestone Wendy's set for "a year of free...

  • 9GAG buries the ‘memeist’ monument ever made to confuse future humans

    By on 3 May, 2017

    Memes, by their very nature, don't last forever on the wide expanse of the internet or popular culture... but they could last a rather long time. That is, if you etch them on a stone monolith and bury them deep beneath the earth. That's exactly what meme aggregator and humour site 9GAG did to celebrate its seventh birthday. When the future generations find it, they will know humans were really funny. #FunLegacy #9GAG Discover the full story on our app (link in bio) A post shared by 9GAG: Go Fun Yourself (@9gag) on May 2, 2017 at 7:46am PDT The site asked its...

  • Thanks to Merriam-Webster, you can now officially call Apple fans ‘sheeple’

    By on 2 May, 2017

    You might've used the word sheeple to describe a certain population of buyers who regularly indulge in the likes of the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. You might've been ridiculed for doing just that too. But thankfully, Merriam-Webster now gives you license to call Apple fanboys "sheeple". Wake up! 'Sheeple' is in the dictionary now. https://t.co/pbXVADEoBm — Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) April 27, 2017 The near two-century-old company added the term to its online dictionary this weekend, defined as "people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced" or "likened to sheep". But it's the example the company gives is what's really setting tongues a-wagging. Quoting CNN journalist...

  • These awful social media trends show that humans are just the worst

    By on 25 April, 2017

    There are always those social media trends that make you roll your eyes and wonder what the internet has come to, but then there are others that take it a step further and make you doubt your faith in humanity. Whether they are trends that are incomprehensibly insensitive and morbid, or ones that are actually physically dangerous, social media has no shortage of either. We take a look at some of the worst social media trends, fads and memes to invade our screens. #DeadPose The dead pose trend is the most recent of those included in this list -- and is also...

  • In Loving Memeory: Afro Circus

    By on 18 April, 2017

    In Loving Memeory is a series that pays tribute to memes that are no longer with us. They may be gone, but they should never be forgotten. Back in 2012, I met my best friend. We didn't stay friends for long. Some could even say it was only a day. But true friendships aren't about time. They're about impact, they're about feelings. And Afro Circus, you made me feel more than anyone else. Our love began when I was 16, scrolling Tumblr late at night like every other socially awkward teen. Someone I followed had reblogged an audio post, declaring the track Carly Rae...

  • Remembering failures: 5 memes that companies wish didn’t exist

    By on 12 April, 2017

    Sometimes technology just goes wrong. These are many, many epic failures in the tech industry. It could be said that an epic fail happen every day in the Silicon Valley and around the world. As Thomas Edison famously said before inventing the light bulb, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Learning from mistakes is a critical step in moving forward and creating great products. But first, you have to get over your wounded pride. When things go wrong, what could be a better solution than to laugh? While that might not be easy for Pepsi or...

  • #ZumaMustGoChallenge: South Africa’s newest dance mocks protesting grannies

    By on 11 April, 2017

    South Africa has a rich history of struggle songs, with the likes of Siyaya, iYoh Solomon and Senzeni Na uniting protesters for decades. So when three white grannies tried to create their own, they should have realised the ridicule they'd be subjecting themselves to. Thus, the #ZumaMustGoChallenge was born. On 7 April, tens of thousands of South Africans took to the streets to protest President Jacob Zuma. But it's well known that South Africans know how to make light of a tense situation, and when journalist Mamaponya Motsai uploaded the video of three white grannies singing their own creation, she gave Twitter just...

  • 5 viral memes of recent years built on lies and fake news

    By on 29 March, 2017

    Memes -- the rulers of the internet, along with baby animal photos and cat videos. Often a source of humour or political insight, memes are enjoyed by millions of internet users and often go viral due to sites like Facebook, Twitter and 9gag. However, memes have also acted as a pervasive way to share myths - and many of us have been unpleasantly surprised by memes on friends' social media feeds that we just know aren't true. Here are a few viral memes filled with lies that we've seen over the years… Irish slavery meme Every time I see this pop up on my...

  • Magician make-up artists paint their lids with all the memes of the wind

    By on 29 March, 2017

    Some people save images and repost them online with a half-baked caption. Those people are lazy. They are not like the incredible make-up artists on Instagram and Twitter who spend hours painstakingly painting their favourite memes onto their eyelids for the ultimate millennial look. Bold and Brash - Squidward Tentacles (2001) pic.twitter.com/TiYApsIuam — what in menstruation (@thai_brows) March 13, 2017 Jenny is the non-binary creator of the trend and goes by thai_brows on Twitter. They told Mashable that Spongebob is in their head so often that when their boyfriend mentioned a rash, Spongebob's Bold and Brash was all they could think about. Painting your favourite memes...

  • Oh no, baby! What is with this brand new meme?

    By on 24 March, 2017

    If you haven't seen this meme yet: what are you doing, baby? Every now and then a meme is formed out of pure joy and love, and this may just be the first of 2017. College student Nick Joseph and his friend Dan Rue have a knack for getting in trouble and dancing their way through it -- and it's delightful to watch on screen. On 4 March, the duo posted the first vlog of their #ThatsTheOne series on YouTube. The series follows them as they crash weddings, steal primates and 'trespass' on basketball players' mansions. My personal favourite sees the two stealing...

  • #CupBlowingChallenge: The newest viral teen fad

    By on 23 March, 2017

    First we lay flat on random surfaces. Then we choked on cinnamon. We created chemical burns on our hands. We flipped bottles skillfully. And now we're blowing cups. And all things considered, it's definitely an improvement. The new fad taking the internet by storm does not put anyone in harm's way -- yet -- and, much like bottle flipping, it's all about focus and determination. It all started when one talented young man used magic and the speed of his own breath to cause one cup to fly perfectly into another. Im a magician. 🐐 A post shared by Pablo 🤙🏽💥 (@deandre__6) on Mar 15,...

  • Inventor of ‘On Fleek’ Peaches Monroee seeks royalties

    By on 22 February, 2017

    Vine user Peaches Monroee shot to fame with the vine that changed the course of the English language. If you've ever used the phrase "on fleek" you have her to thank for it -- and now she wants you to pay up. Monroee has set up a gofundme to raise money for a cosmetic and hair line she wishes to start. As a nursing student, she doesn't have the funds to get them going herself, and is asking for the money she "deserves" to make. "Everyone has used the phrase/word but I haven't received any money behind it or recognition," she writes. While it may seem...

  • #HurtBae leaves South Africans deep in their feelings

    By on 16 February, 2017

    Forget #SaltBae and #ThePeoplesBae, South Africa has found a new bae to fawn over. In a YouTube video released by The Scene, two exes sit face-to-face to discuss why they broke up. Kourtney and Leonard dated while they were in college and throughout their relationship he slept with "countless" other women. In the video, they discuss how their romance blossomed and the break up that followed. Kourtney would go through his phone, questioning his conversations with other women. He admitted to his infidelity and promised he'd change. He didn't, and she eventually walked in on him and another woman. She said she still...

  • Kale Salad: the Twitter account honouring meme creators

    By on 14 February, 2017

    Tired of seeing the Dory accounts and Common White Girls of the world get thousands of retweets for stolen content? You're not alone! Plenty of Twitter users have had their relatable content taken and posted on accounts with millions of followers without credit. If you've been on Twitter for a while, you'll understand the dilemma. Accounts like @Dory and @CommonWhiteGirl both have over a million followers. @KardashianReact has over 800 000. But the people they take content from have at most tens of thousands -- though it averages at around 5000. While this may seem inconsequential, many of the original creators...