I’ve been doing these for two years now (this is version 3.0), but I have to say, that the concept of “meme” went viral in a mainstream kinda way in 2012. Not only were Internet’s finest catching on, but there were dedicated Twitter accounts to memes (Successful Black Guy, Condescending Wonka, etc). And yes, that dilutes this arena a bit. But hey, fuck you – this is my internet and you can’t have it. I also have to mention that 2012 was a little thin at outstanding memes, but I managed to create a list of 15 and narrowed it down to a solid 10, all of which you can see below the jump.
Previous Year-End Lists: The Best Music Videos of 2012 | The Best Mixtapes of 2012
-grizzly
10. Chandler Dances on Things
Ok, so I was really white as a child and watched FRIENDS. Over time, I realized how bad it is and have since moved past – but then the emergence of this great meme brought highlight to one of the only timeless gags from the show. And who doesn’t like a good gif?
There’s no history, but here’s a Tumblr account with a million of em.
9. Bad Luck Brian
It’s always OK to laugh at other people’s slight misfortunes, right?
8. Inappropriate Timing Bill Clinton
Our former President Bill Clinton was one of two Clintons to find their way into meme superstardom in 2012. While “Texts from Hilary” didn’t make its way on this list, Sir William did. And why wasn’t it called “Bad Timing Bill”? Who got all verbose with it? Anyway, it’s Bill Clinton being a pervert, and that’s awesome.
Inappropriate Timing Bill Clinton
7. Ridiculously Photogenic Guy
This handsome bastard. How does a marathoning man maintain perfectly coiffed hair? We all want answers.
The History of Ridiculously Photogenic Guy
6. Immature High Schoolers
I didn’t even discover this ’til late in the year, and it held plenty of nostalgic value for you if you had a group of guy friends in middle school (I know it says high school, but let’s be honest) who took pleasure in the dick jokes of year’s past. There’s a reason we all liked Superbad.
The History of Immature High Schoolers
5. KONY 2012
KONY 2012 took the internet by storm in what seemed like hours. Let’s not get into the politics of this. It’s an awful thing what’s going on there, but the Facebook soldiers really came to life here. The whole campaign became a mess quickly, and the thing spiraled out of control with the lols. And let’s not forget that the guy behind Invisible Children was arrested before Kony. For streaking in public.
4. Dog Shaming
One of the only feel-good memes of 2012 (or probably ever) and it involves (usually) cute pups being shamed by their owners for doing dumb shit. There really isn’t background necessary, but this whole trend went viral in 2012, and I had plenty of accompanying lulz to supplement em.
3. Grumpy Cat
Tard won our hearts over in 2012. A cat, misunderstood, underrepresented and lacking serious love in his life. Nothing satisfies him because perhaps, maybe, he’s looking for more. Or maybe he’s a dick. Here’s the original video.
The History of Tard, The Grumpy Cat
2. Mckayla Is Not Impressed
The single greatest thing to come out of the Olympics, culminating in the pure joy and awesome caused by her meeting our Great American Leader and causing the internet to explode with feels. Also, let’s show some love for this GD Vault.
The History of McKayla Not Being Impressed
1. Overly Attached GF
This started out as a Bieber dedication, and ended up as my favorite meme of the year. Even better: it produced plenty of spinoffs like Underattached Girlfriend and Misunderstood Girlfriend, which just blew this thing wide open.
The History of Overly Attached Girlfriend
Honorable Mentions:
+ Gangnam Style (Cause it was fuckin’ unbelievably huge, whether it was funny or not)
Worst Memes:
+ What People Think I Do/What I Really Do
Let me know which memes I left off or whatever! Hope you guys had a Happy Holiday and shit.
-grizzly
WEWOREMASKS IS DEAD. 
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