Goodbye and Thanks for All the Memes
The Internet's Funeral Speech
As we take our tentative steps into 2025 and all that it holds ahead for us, I wanted to look back at something we all too often take for granted. In fact, you wouldn’t be able to read this post without it, unless you’re standing behind me. I don’t think either of us wants that.
The Internet has been many things to many people over the decades: a tool for innovation, a platform for connection (see also ‘division’), and most memorably, a relentless fountain of humour and absurdity. Just like us.
In this eulogy, I gather you not to mourn its death but to celebrate the fleeting cultural moments that made it so unforgettable for us all.
From iconic memes to viral trends and platforms that defined eras, this is a tribute to the Internet's unique ability to unite us in laughter, nostalgia and collective chaos.
Join me as we revisit the quirks, legends and lessons of an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Dearly beloved,
Ladies, gentlemen and anthropomorphic Shiba Inus, we are gathered here today not in sorrow, but in celebration, to bid farewell to the beloved chaos that is internet culture.
Like a chaotic child, the Internet gave us GIFs, failed challenges and moments of viral brilliance before abandoning them in a heartbeat for the next shiny trend.
Though fleeting, these moments united us, brought us laughter and perhaps even taught us something about ourselves.
Seated in the front row of our ceremony, we see Grumpy Cat, solemn and dignified, though her unimpressed gaze speaks volumes.
To her right, the “Rickroll” himself, impeccably dressed, humming Never Gonna Give You Up under his breath.
In the back, “Charlie Bit My Finger” is sharing a poignant moment with “Keyboard Cat,” who softly plays Chopsticks on a tiny piano.
The atmosphere is charged with nostalgia, and dare I say, a hint of buffering.
The Birth of a Digital Dynasty
The Internet wasn’t just a technology; it was a cultural revolution.
When it came into our lives, we marvelled at its potential and limitless possibilities. And then, we uploaded a picture of a loaf of bread that looked a bit like Jesus.
From the humble beginnings of dial-up chatrooms, where ASL (age, sex, location) was our mantra, to the rise of YouTube and TikTok, we created a world that was equal parts genius and absurd.
The early days were an experimental era.
The “Dancing Baby”, a pioneering GIF from the 1990s, pirouetted into our hearts and onto our CRT monitors.
A strange mix of mesmerising and unsettling, it heralded a new way to communicate, not through words, but through shared experiences of the absurd.
Dancing Baby, like so many, walked so others could run or, in the case of memes, captioned cats and rage comics could sprint.
The Zero Wing “All Your Base Are Belong to Us” phenomenon quickly followed, reminding us that the Internet thrives on inside jokes, even poorly translated ones.
These early memes were not polished or algorithmically boosted; they spread through sheer, raw virality, forwarded emails, rudimentary forums and whispers in school canteens. They were chaotic and unrefined, just like us.
Honouring the Icons: Memes as Royalty
Let us now pay tribute to those who defined an era. These are the memes that didn’t just entertain us but shaped our cultural lexicon.
“Bad Luck Brian” wearing his signature plaid vest, nods graciously. A legend of schadenfreude, his face encapsulated every awkward misstep we’ve ever made.
Whether it was failing an exam we forgot to revise for or stepping in chewing gum on a date, Bad Luck Brian was there to laugh with us or, perhaps, at us.
Just behind him, “Overly Attached Girlfriend” clutches a framed photo of Internet users with a wide-eyed intensity that has only slightly softened with time.
Her devotion was both terrifying and endearing, a reflection of the clingy tendencies we all feared we might possess.
“Success Kid” pumps his tiny fist in solidarity with the fallen. His legacy of perseverance lives on in every small win we celebrate, from finding matching socks to getting eight likes on a Substack note. He reminds us that triumph, however small, is still worth celebrating.
And there, walking in late as always is “Distracted Boyfriend,” still turning his head to ogle new trends.
His poor girlfriend looks exhausted, much like the users who tried to keep up with his constant evolution. “Ermahgerd Girl” and “Scumbag Steve” exchange knowing glances, their faded glory still evident in their mischievous smirks.
Acknowledging the Platforms: Where We Lived and Laughed
As much as we loved our memes, they needed homes, and what homes they were.
We mourn the loss of MySpace, where we agonised over top friends and drowned in autoplay music.
Tom, our collective eternal friend, sits here with us today, a lone tear streaming down his iconic profile picture.
MySpace wasn’t just a platform; it was a stage, a place to express our individuality through garish backgrounds and glittering cursors.
Tumblr, once the moody, misunderstood teen of social platforms, sends its regards from exile.
With its quirky fandoms, endless “Superwholock” memes and irreverent humour, Tumblr was a place where niche communities thrived.
Though it has faded into obscurity, it will always be remembered for its unrivalled creativity, and for banning adult content, which many argue was its tragic downfall.
It is joined by Vine, the bright star that burned too briefly but gave us six seconds of comedic genius. “What are those?!” and “Road work ahead? Uh, yeah, I sure hope it does” echo in our hearts, proving that brevity truly is the soul of wit.
Meanwhile, Facebook, like the ageing relative who overshares, remains alive but… let’s just say it’s not the life of the party anymore.
Once the hub of Farmville invitations and minion memes, it now feels like a digital retirement home, where your aunt posts chain messages about angels and cake recipes.
And now, we come to Substack, the trendy new kid in town, a polished platform that has given writers a haven to share their thoughts and monetise their creativity (in theory).
But like MySpace before it, Substack may one day face its own reckoning.
Picture this: a future where every newsletter starts to autoplay Never Gonna Give You Up upon opening, triggering a mass subscriber exodus.
Perhaps, in its twilight years, Substack will be repurposed into a platform for ranking the best AI-generated inspirational quotes, only to be quietly retired by 2030.
Tom from MySpace will be there to welcome it with open arms, whispering, "I’m new here, if you subscribe to me, I’ll subscribe to you”.
Viral Trends: Gone, But Never Forgotten
In the second row, we spot viral trends: The Ice Bucket Challenge dabs a teardrop from its forehead, still proud of raising millions for ALS, even if most of those who did the challenge didn’t do it for charity, but for views.
Still, its presence reminds us that sometimes, the Internet’s collective power can achieve real-world good.
“Planking” dapper in its horizontal stance, lies across several seats, refusing to conform to the sitting arrangement. Though brief, its popularity demonstrated our love for absurd, low-effort participation.
“Harlem Shake” starts a brief commotion before the officiant clears their throat. This chaotic trend of abrupt dance breaks was a fleeting but joyous moment, proving that organised chaos can be hilarious.
Who remembers “Gangnam Style”? Once the first YouTube video to hit a billion views, it paved the way for TikTok’s dance obsessions.
Psy, its creator, became an international sensation, though he has since returned to Korea, probably wondering why the world collectively horse-danced for months.
And who could forget the “Yanny vs. Laurel” debate? They sit apart, still locked in eternal disagreement.
Their moment in the spotlight reminded us that perception is subjective, and the Internet loves a good argument. See also ‘X’.
The Quirks We’ll Always Treasure
The Internet was our playground of absurdity. We clicked on clickbait headlines like, “You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!” only to find out we absolutely could believe it.
We debated whether a dress was blue and black or white and gold until our eyes crossed. These moments were trivial but unforgettable, uniting us in shared confusion and laughter.
We laughed at Doge’s broken yet endearing English: “Such wow. Much amaze.”
Today, Doge has traded the Comic Sans captions for a reflective smile, but the charm remains.
Doge reminds us that sometimes, simplicity is all we need to find joy unless it becomes a Government department in the 2025 Trump Administration. Because of course.
And let us not forget the meme lords who emerged from Reddit, the subreddits that nurtured countless inside jokes, and the brave souls who embraced the chaos of 4chan to bring us Pepe the Frog (and its more wholesome incarnations).
These platforms were the fertile ground where meme culture flourished.
The Internet Today: A New Generation
Though we mourn the loss of what was, the Internet remains alive and thriving.
TikTok dances and BeReal updates dominate, while AI memes attempt to recreate the spark of those we’ve lost.
It’s a brave new world, but let us not forget the pioneers who came before.
To the “Galaxy Brain” meme, who understood layers of irony before it was cool; to “Hide the Pain Harold” whose forced smile got us through the worst meetings; to every platform, trend and video that united us in shared absurdity, we salute you.
Our Legacy in Every Pixel
As the funeral draws to a close, we take solace in knowing the Internet’s spirit lives on.
It has always been a mirror, reflecting our quirks, our creativity, and, occasionally, our sheer stupidity.
Memes may fade and platforms may close, but the laughter they brought us remains. After all, the more it changes, the more it stays the same. Just like us.
As we log off from this ceremony, let us carry the wisdom of the Internet with us: to find humour in the mundane, to embrace change with open arms, and to always, always save screenshots because you never know when a future archaeologist might need to understand why we were obsessed with a man dancing with a giant chicken nugget.
Goodbye, and thanks for all the memes.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. How many of the Internet’s greatest hits do you remember? Were you a MySpace guru? an MSN Messenger keyboard warrior or are you too young to remember any of it? Let me know in the comments below.
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