How the Grinch stole twerking - one of the many great image mash-ups of 2013
Whenever a major news story broke or a noteworthy event happened in 2013, the memes swiftly followed. We’ve rounded up the best of them so you can wave goodbye to the year that was in it with a good laugh.
Whether it was the resignation of a pope or the twerking of a pop star, the birth of a royal baby or the end of a beloved TV series, a government shutdown or a Superbowl blackout – the internet community rushed to have their image and GIF-based say on the matter.
Kicking off some of the best memes derived from the year’s top news stories, we have reactions to January’s horse meat scandal in the UK and Ireland. If you recall, the drama unfolded when undeclared horse meat was discovered in pork and beef products in various supermarkets, and a sense of humour about the whole affair was found online.
January also marked the beginning of Edward Snowden’s campaign to expose the online spying habits of the National Security Agency of the US. The world at large has been following Snowden’s story since, from an empty seat on a plane to temporary asylum in Russia. Meanwhile, meme-makers couldn’t decide if he was a hero or a traitor.
Back in February, memes welcomed the bowing out of Pope Benedict XVI.
Not long after that, a new pope was chosen who looked awful familiar.
That same month, American football fans were stricken by a Super Bowl blackout, which led to a quick-off-the-mark social media marketing move from a pack of clever cookies.
In summer, Google Glass Explorers – or, Glassholes – finally got to try their fancy new gadget. Some, like Robert Scoble, didn’t seem to want to take it off.
In May, we waved goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson, who stepped down as manager of Manchester United Football Club after 26 years at its helm.
And in July, we welcomed a newborn prince to the world.
In August, Batman fans had a lot to say about the casting of Ben Affleck in the role of the Dark Knight for Batman vs Superman.
While later that month, Breaking Bad fans bade farewell to Heisenberg and co.
August also put Miley Cyrus on-stage at MTV’s Video Music Awards and prompted a widespread need to know what ‘twerking’ is. Throughout the year, Cyrus’s antics have inspired as many memes, mash-ups and parodies as they have headlines – plus some Halloween costumes and, even, Christmas decorations.
Nearing the end of the year, when the US government went into shutdown-mode in October, there was nothing else to do but make memes about it.
In the tech world, September saw the launch of Apple’s new iPhones, prompting responses from fanboys and haters alike.
Finally, in November, the next-generation console wars were fought between Xbox One and PlayStation 4 fans.
