The 10 memes that went viral in 2020

The year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most difficult periods of the last decades. However, in the midst of confinement and uncertainty, the ingenuity of Internet users turned social networks into a space for humor. Spontaneous phrases, television scenes, and everyday moments were transformed into memes that quickly went viral and helped thousands of people smile in difficult times.

Here are some of the most popular memes that marked 2020 on the internet:

1. “Wow, it's me!”

A Mexican reporter was reporting on a tree falling on a vehicle in the State of Mexico. During the broadcast, he realized that the affected car was his and reacted with surprise, saying: “Oh my gosh, it's me!”. The scene went viral and was used to represent unexpected situations.

2. "Dude, already"

This meme was born from the second season of the series You, where the character Love Quinn discovers her partner's dark secret. The protagonist's expression of disbelief quickly transformed into a popular reaction on social media.

3. The angry girl

A video of a girl making gestures of annoyance while sitting between two adults went viral on the internet. Her uncomfortable expression was used to represent situations in which someone simply no longer wants to be in a certain place.

4. The men who dance with a coffin

The meme known as “Coffin Dance” shows a group of pallbearers dancing while carrying a coffin. It is a funeral tradition in Ghana, where some ceremonies celebrate the life of the deceased with music and dance.

5. Muscular dog vs. small dog

This image compares two dogs of the same character in very different versions: one strong and muscular and the other small and fearful. The meme was used to contrast generations, eras, or situations that previously seemed more "strong" compared to the current ones.

6. The sad Will Smith meme

The actor became a trend when he appeared with a serious expression during a public conversation with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who spoke about her relationship with the singer August Alsina. The actor's expression was used in thousands of memes.

7. “My plans / 2020”

This format became one of the most used during the year. It showed a comparison between what a person planned to do and what actually happened after the arrival of the pandemic.

8. LinkedIn / Facebook / Instagram / Tinder

The viral challenge began when singer Dolly Parton posted a collage with four different photos representing how she would look on each social network: professional for LinkedIn, casual for Facebook, artistic for Instagram, and sensual for Tinder.

9. The Cake Girls

This meme originated from a birthday video where an older girl blows out the candle on the cake before the birthday girl. The furious reaction of the little girl, who ended up pulling her sister's hair, became one of the most shared scenes on the internet. 10. Never believe the cat The actresses from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Taylor Armstrong, Kyle Richards, and the cat Smudge teamed up to form the "woman yelling at a cat" meme, which although created in 2019, went viral this year.

Although 2020 was marked by the global health crisis, memes demonstrated how digital humor can become a collective way of facing difficult moments and maintaining connection between millions of people around the world.