Pop culture

The 21 Funniest Memes of 2019

From the world record egg to Baby Yoda, the internet has had a lot of laughs this year.
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Picture this: Baby Yoda is sipping their coffee, looking back on this year. They remember Euphoria makeup's domination of the beauty space, how Rihanna kept taking over fashion, and all of the funniest memes of 2019. World Record Egg rolls by, flaunting fame that rivals that of Kylie Jenner, who is enjoying the success of her hit single, "Rise and Shine." Everyone is sipping White Claws and storming Area 51—except The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Taylor Armstrong, who is busy being a woman yelling at a cat and really needs to chill. Smudge, the table cat, says so.

Where do I come in? I'm baby, but not as baby as the tiny Valentino bag that Lizzo carried to the AMAs. From Lady Gaga to the VSCO girls, 2019 has been quite the memorable year, and it’s only right that we pay our respects. Below, L’Officiel USA rounded up the 21 funniest memes of 2019. 

World Record Egg

Who would have ever thought that a photo of an egg would be the highest-ever liked photo on Instagram? Definitely not me, but World Record Egg had other plans, persevering to beat Kylie Jenner's first photo of Stormi as the most-liked post on Instagram. After this social media phenomenon dominated the month of January, the rest of the year didn’t seen quite as strange. Somehow getting partnerships with DJ Khaled and the Jonas Brothers, the egg might be the first celebrity of its kind, and we're here for it.

World Record Egg
Kacey Musgraves' Fake Surprise
Kacey Musgraves' Fake Surprise

After Kacey Musgraves heard that she won Album of the Year at the 2019 Grammys for Golden Hour, her reaction was…quite something. While fashion's favorite country star was shocked to hear she was taking home the biggest award of the night, the way she rolled her eyes while exclaiming "What?!?" quickly got the internet (including Musgraves herself) talking. From self-gifting to pretending not to have started a rumor, fans came up with plenty of alternative scenarios where Musgraves' over-the-top reaction would fit perfectly.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Did you see the way they looked at each other? For months after starring in the 2018 box office hit A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper were definitely keeping up their appearances (to say the least), seemingly playing their romantic characters offscreen. At the Oscars in February, the duo performed a steamy rendition of “Shallow,” cuddling up to one another and invoking some serious passion. The video of the performance has amassed 238 million YouTube views, and a lot of tweets as viewers paired themselves with offbeat romances in their lives (think weighted blankets, double texting, and the return of a normal bedtime at the end of awards season). Honestly, the performance deserves its own award.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
I'm Baby
I'm Baby

Inspired by a text message from a mother to her daughter that went viral on Tumblr, "I’m Baby" has managed to infiltrate quite a few corners of pop culture to become one of the funniest memes of 2019. Chances are you've seen it used out of context (but also kind of in context) everywhere from selfie captions to group chats. From Twitter to TikTok and back to Tumblr, the exact meaning of I’m Baby is a little hazy, but it’s typically used as a commentary on one’s childlike naivety. Don't get it? Can't help with that. I'm baby.

Third Wheeling Antoni Porowski

At a hockey game in March, Pete Davidson and Kate Beckinsale (who were then an item) were photographed kissing on the sidelines, right next to none other than Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski. The photo is the perfect encapsulation of being a third wheel, and Porowski’s concerned expression makes the meme even funnier. Nine months later, amidst peak cuffing season, this couldn't feel more relatable (though, to be fair, Porowski could also just be worrying about whether his homemade guacamole solved all of Tom's problems).

Third Wheeling Antoni Porowski
James Charles and Tati Westbrook Drama
James Charles and Tati Westbrook Drama

If you didn’t hear all about this YouTube tea, where have you been for the past eight months? YouTuber Tati Westbrook made a video exposing fellow creator James Charles for some seriously problematic behavior, prompting him to respond with a tearful apology video, which he later deleted and replaced with a video exposing Westbrook. The tea was scalding, and some hilarious memes came from it (thank you, Twitter). There were live follower counts, there were jokes, and there was plenty of colorful commentary.

Chris Evans With Nails

Honestly, the funniest memes of 2019 have been the ones that make absolutely no sense. After Chris Evans mentioned he doesn’t know what Black Twitter is, a user with the handle @WrittenByHanna created some truly beautiful graphics of Evans wearing earrings and acrylic nails. The actor himself even got in on the joke, tweeting, “This gave me a genuine belly laugh.”

Chris Evans With Nails
And I Oop-
And I Oop-

A 2015 video from RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Jasmine Masters resurfaced in May, bringing the internet the glorious meme that is “And I oop-" after she accidentally hit herself amidst passionately telling a story. Naturally, it became the perfect response to any situation that stops you in your tracks, or just to a moment that needs a laugh.

Beyoncé's Courtside Shade

Honestly, bless paparazzi photos for bringing us some of the best content. This photo of Jay-Z talking to Nicole Curran, the wife of the owner of the Warriors, sent the internet into a frenzy. Beyoncé’s smile slowly faded as Curran spoke to her husband, which is all of us when the party small talk goes on a bit too long. We'd expect no less shade from the icon who put together an entire album—the acclaimed Lemonade—when Jay-Z actually gave her trouble.

Beyoncé's Courtside Shade
White Claws
White Claws

If one thing defined Summer 2019, it was White Claw. The spiked seltzer drink has become the metaphorical brand of college students across the country and the new symbol of "basic," joining the ranks of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and anchor tattoos. Their low price point and La Croix-esque flavor made them a hit, and a self-aware meme movement spread across the internet as people just couldn't get enough. The meme actually caused a supply shortage, and later, some White Claw Halloween costumes. 

Where Are You Sitting?

The lunch table meme is one of my personal favorites of the year, asking “Where are you sitting?” alongside a fully labeled photo of a cartoon cafeteria. From there, you must pick a side, whether it's your TikTok aesthetic or your celebrity crush. The funniest memes in the lunch table category group various subjects together, such as this one, which asks you to pick between designers. The table with Raf Simons, Rick Owens, and Thom Browne is totally for the art kids, and we can only imagine the conversation at table 10.

Where Are You Sitting?
Storm Area 51
Storm Area 51

I feel like this is Gen Z’s magnum opus. After a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51” went viral, more than 2 million people RSVPed. They can’t stop us all, right? While it was perceived as a joke by most, some people actually showed up at the restricted site, dressed as aliens and carrying posters, and their dedication brought this into the ranks of the funniest memes of 2019.

Mr. Sandman TikToks

A video of a cat dancing to “Mr. Sandman” went viral on TikTok, and that’s really all there is to this one. It’s just a pure, cute moment, and other (very chill) pets joined in on the fun. BRB, going to watch this on a loop again.

 

Mr. Sandman TikToks
VSCO Girls vs. E-Girls
VSCO Girls vs. E-Girls

TikTok is home to the battle of the ages: e-girls and VSCO girls. The two styles are often considered polar opposites on the app, with e-girls wearing dark clothing, chains, and heavy makeup, and VSCO girls wearing light colors, cutesy accessories, and a generally lighter aura. Need a scrunchie? Here, let me give you my extra; it's wrapped around my hydroflask(sksksksk)! Save the turtles! Frankly, the trend seems a bit too binary for my liking, but you do you.

Fashion Week Frog

The Instagram account @fashionweekfrog was our savior throughout fashion week—and really, fashion month—with poignant Kermit the Frog memes detailing the pain of attending countless shows and events. From seating nightmares to travel hiccups, the famous Muppet's expressions capture the struggles of runway madness more accurately than we ever could have imagined. What else could you want from a meme?

Fashion Week Frog
Gonna Tell My Kids...
Gonna Tell My Kids...

This Twitter-based format is one of the funniest memes of the year. Started as a commentary on the surfacing of Justin Trudeau’s racist college photos, the meme spiraled (like many do) and turned into a hilarious way to compare our favorite celebs to our other favorite pop culture figures. It's basically the new "same energy," and if someone shakes their hips well enough, can you honestly say they're not Shakira?

Rise and Shine

Kylie Jenner just wanted to make an office tour video, but the internet had other plans. The reality-star-slash-entrepreneur woke up daughter Stormi with a sing-songy “Rise and shine” (If you haven’t seen the video, please watch it), and the weird moment quickly launched into memefinity. It wasn't long before Kylie was selling merch with the slogan and her face as a sun (read: the devil works hard but Kris Jenner works harder). She unfortunately missed the Grammy nomination cutoff, but we'll be waiting this time next year.

Rise and Shine
OK, Boomer
OK, Boomer

Finally, a meme to unite the generations! Well, most of them. "OK, Boomer," a phrase which has been around the internet for a few years now, recently gained popularity on TikTok after a musical version by Peter Kuli went viral. Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X alike have used the phrase as a comeback against older figures, primarily when they offer less liberal opinions. Some of the entrepreneurially minded started selling merch boasting the phrase, and with how crowded the presidential primaries have been, an "OK, Boomer" shirt seems like a much safer political statement for now.

Woman Yelling At A Cat

What do you get when you combine a scene from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with a confused cat who doesn't like vegetables? One of this year's biggest, funniest memes. While it originated in May, it got a major second life in November, bringing us back to an infallible format for the ages. From mispronouncing words to some good old-fashioned self-roasting (little Smudge is the procrastinating free spirit in us all), people really ran with this meme, and the internet is better for it.

Woman Yelling At A Cat
Lizzo's Baby Valentino
Lizzo's Baby Valentino

When Lizzo graced the red carpet at the 2019 American Music Awards, the world couldn’t stop talking about her baby Valentino bag, which she carried with two fingers. At lightning speed, the internet got thinking: what if Lizzo and the bag switched places, or what if the bag was normal size? You can check out some of the most hilarious results on the talent's Instagram acocunt.

 

Baby Yoda

Is it controversial to say that this might just be the biggest meme of 2019? Take that risk, I will. After the first episode of Disney+'s Star Wars spinoff series The Mandolorian premiered on November 12, fans noticed Baby Yoda in all their glory, and the meme was born. Beyond the cuteness factor, it's become the perfect way to repurpose other memes like "I'm baby" and "OK, Boomer." Also, I'm gonna tell my kids this was Knives Out (if you've seen the movie, you know).

Baby Yoda

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