Internet memes are everywhere on every social media platform and are getting more followers over the past decade. For anyone who might be new to social media, these memes can be downright confusing, and it’s amusing watching you trying your hardest to understand.
For all you newbies, an Internet meme is basically an idea or concept expressed through a photo, a video, an animal, a person, an event, a song, a fictional character, a belief, a GIF, a symbol, a word or anything else. Some Internet memes are meant to be exaggerated in a sarcastic way, which adds a humorous effect to it. As a result, more reasons for social media users to share memes all over the Internet!
Internet memes have since gone viral from its beginning and made few people achieve Internet stardom through the mass sharing of its internet memes. Today, we look at Internet memes stars and what are they up to now.
1. SUCCESS KID
The kid behind this viral meme goes by the name of Sammy Griner. His photo, a boy that exuberates pure joy and excitement – resembling a celebration of a triumph, with the highly satisfied face along with the tiny fist pump – went viral on Flickr when his mother snapped a picture of then 11-month-old Sammy at the beach in 2007. He is now a happy 8-year-old boy and has since used his viral fame to help his father find a kidney transplant. A cutie and an angel! You go, boy!
2. THE OVERLY ATTACHED GIRLFRIEND
2. I’m sure all you Internet meme fans out there would recognise The Overly Attached Girlfriend that has been seen a few million times. It all began from a Youtube video in which Laina Morris sang a creepy, self-written rendition of the song ‘Boyfriend’ from Justin Bieber. Though the persona she put went viral and made her famous, in actuality Laina is a fairly normal 22-year-old woman. She’s now making a comedy career for herself on Youtube that she produces and stars in. She has generated six-figure income from her viral fame. Now you’re wishing she’s YOUR overly attached girlfriend, huh?
3. GRUMPY CAT
Grumpy Cat first became an international star through rapid following on Twitter, which then spread across the Internet. This Internet celebrity – better known as “Tard” in their household – is famous for her permanently “grumpy” facial appearance, which is actually caused by a feline dwarfism disease. Since the first posting, the Grumpy Cat meme has made her (and the family of course!) MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! Believe it or not, there’s a Grumpy Cat book and movie too if you want to learn the fine art of grumpiness.
4. CLARITY CLARENCE
Clarity Clarence: Then and Now
This meme is a photo of a young man in the middle of a ‘lit’ party staring into the distance, as if he is experiencing an epiphany. The captions that are often run along with the meme are the phrases “Oh my God” or “Holy S**t” followed by a sudden mind-blowing realisation. Although there is no trace of the original Clarity Clarence, the Internet claims a student named Will G from Southern California is the actual person behind the meme. There’s even a photo as evidence!
5. BAD LUCK BRIAN
A seventh-grade yearbook picture spiralled out of control (in a good way) for Kyle. The name ‘Bad Luck Brian’ has since generated a massive amount of shares and has been featured on sites like BuzzFeed. He recalls his principal made him retake the yearbook photo countless of time because she thought he was purposely making that face. He now lives in Cleveland and makes a whopping $20,000 off T-shirt sales and advertisements from his viral fame.
Guys, I think I’ve found a way to rise to fame and get filthy rich fast. Upload a random picture of yourself on the Internet, and pray hard that it’s going to be picked up as the next trending meme. Do it now!