Memes have become an integral part of modern society. Whether it’s an image with added text or a short clip, these visual jokes are how we communicate, express ourselves, and share laughs.Some iconic memes are born out of movie scenes, while others come from TV shows. Many of these images have gone viral, and in some cases, they’ve become more famous than their source material. These moments don’t just live on TV screens or in our heads; they’ve become immortalized via the internet. It may be something as simple as a trembling animated fist, or a still of Steve Carell screaming at someone offscreen.
Spend a few minutes online, and you’re bound to come across one of these famous visuals. These moments were great on our television screens, but they’ve since taken on a life of their own across the web. Here are eleven TV show moments that the internet has turned into popular memes.
10Charlie Day Mailroom - It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 4, Episode 10)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiais the modern daySeinfeld. It follows a group of horrible people and their absurd, hilarious, and sometimes morally questionable antics. One of its funniest characters is the gang’s dim-witted but hysterical janitor Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day). In the episode “Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack”, Charlie finds himself working in a company mailroom – and he loses his mind. He believes to have uncovered a mailroom conspiracy and uses up an entire wall trying to explain it. Charlie’s mad, hysterical ranting has since become a favorite internet meme. It was first used as a reaction to conspiracy theories but is now used to react to anything on the web that might seem insane to an outsider.
Related:It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Funniest Episodes, Ranked
9Arthur’s Fist - Arthur (Season 4, Episode 1)
We’ve all been there: somebody does something that fills you with a venomous anger, forcing you to grit your teeth, raise your voice, or do something that you don’t really mean. Or clench your first. Arthur Read, the anthropomorphic aardvark who was the star ofthe long-running animated TV showArthur,experiences this rage firsthand in the episode “Arthur’s Big Hit.” After being ridiculed by his sister D.W., Arthur’s hand balls up into a fist, trembles violently, and then goes swinging at his younger sibling (though we don’t actually see the hit). While we don’t condone violence against siblings (or anyone else for that matter), we all know the feeling. Literally. That gif of Arthur’s first, clenching and then shaking at his side, has been circulating the worldwide web for years, the perfect response to an obnoxious comment or joke that may have pissed you off.
8Profusely Sweating - Key & Peele (Season 3, Episode 1)
Long before he became a critically acclaimed director and a master of speculative fiction (who saw that coming?), Jordan Peele was one half of the duo and sketch comedy show,Key & Peele.Inone of its sketches, titled “Browser History”, Peele is interrogated by his romantic partner about why their browser history always seems to mysteriously delete itself whenever she’s away from the house. Peele immediately starts sweating. And the more questions she asks, the more profusely he sweats. By the end, Peele practically has a waterfall streaming down his face. It’s a funny skit that’s become even funnier as an internet meme, often used to express concern or anxiety. Worried about meeting a big, upcoming deadline? Sweat it out with this comical gif of Jordan Peele.
7Mind Blown - The Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (Season 4, Episode 4)
Many people know this meme but not the show it comes from. TheTim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!was a sketch comedy series that could be found on Adult Swim, the late-night and adults only area of Cartoon Network. Its humor leans toward the satirical and surreal and features many famous names, like Zach Galifianakis, John C. Reilly, and Bob Odenkirk. The episode “Universe” comically details the mysteries of the universe, where one of its narrators describes the spine-tingling, mind-blowing sensations that the universe gives him. He then acts it out as fireworks explode in the background. Thanks to the internet, this silly moment has become more famous than the show that created it. Like the character in the meme, people love using this visual after their mind has been blown by an astounding, or sometimes stupid, realization.
Related:Here’s How Tim and Eric Changed the Face of Comedy
6Ned Stark - Game of Thrones (Season 1, Episode 1)
You need to be living under a rock not to knowGame of Thrones,HBO’s critically acclaimed, fantastical series with an enormous cast of characters. You also may be living under a rock if you haven’t seen this meme. It features a still of season one’s main character Ned Stark (Sean Bean), holding his giant sword, looking like he’s bracing for something. This meme is actually from an iconic scene. Ned executes a deserter of the Night’s Watch in front of his children, imparting a life lesson that’s instilled in many of them: “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.” The meme is usually accompanied by the text “Brace Yourself (insert word here) is Coming." This refers to the Starks' iconic words, “Winter Is Coming.” Except here, it’s used for comedic purposes.
5Michael Screaming - The Office (season 5, Episode 9)
The Officeis one of the most popular shows to come out of the 2000s. Filmed as a mockumentary sitcom, it follows a gang of office employees and their everyday work lives. For most of its run,The Officestars Steve Carell as idiotic boss Michael Scott, who’s regarded asone of the funniest characters in the show. Despite ending in 2013,The Office’shumor still endures today in the form of a viral meme. Taken from the episode “Frame Toby”, the meme is a still of Michael screaming after he’s unpleasantly surprised by the return of his least favorite co-worker, Toby. What better way to respond to something that you vehemently disagree with or despise on the internet than with Michael Scott’s screaming face?
4Pablo Escobar Waiting - Narcos (Season 2)
Have you ever hosted an event where, in the minutes leading up to its start time, you feel like you’re just sitting around, waiting for people to show up? That’s basically the Pablo Escobar Waiting meme. Unlike this meme, Netflix’sNarcosis a serious show. It follows the drug kingpins of Colombia and the task force that’s determined to take them down. Its first two seasons focus on the world’s most notorious drug dealer, Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura). Pablo spends most of the second season hiding from the authorities, living in a remote location and trying to stay under the radar. Some genius on the internet collected several stills from this season of Pablo waiting around his compound, alone and seemingly bored, and made it into a gif. It’s now one of the most popular memes on the internet, used to comically express waiting, loneliness, or boredom. Alone on a Saturday night with nothing to do? Don’t worry, Pablo Escobar is, too.
Related:Pedro Pascal’s Best Moments as Javier Peña in Narcos, Ranked
3Homer Disappearing - The Simpson’s (Season 5, Episode 16)
Asthe longest running animated show and sitcom ever, with a whopping 750 episodes,The Simpson’shas influenced every corner of pop-culture. Many of its characters are icons, Homer’s catchphrase (“D’oh!") has been added to the English dictionary, it’s inspired (or it’s been copied by) numerous animated TV shows, and its storylines have even predicted the future. And of course,The Simpson’sis responsible for one of the most popular memes on the internet.
In “Homer Loves Flanders”, Homer randomly pops out of the bushes and intrudes upon his neighbor, Ned Flanders. Homer asks if they can spend the day together, but Flanders quickly invents an excuse and shuts this down. Embarrassed, Homer slinks back into the bushes and vanishes. It’s a funny moment, though it’s actually become funnier as a meme. The way Homer slowly creeps back into the bushes beautifully captures our embarrassment or our desire to vanish from an awkward moment. Did someone in your group chat just make an uncomfortable comment? Go ahead and disappear into the bushes with Homer Simpson.
2Picard Face Palm - Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 3, Episode 13)
Star Trek: The Next Generationwas a big deal when it first came out. Set a century after the original series, it marked the return ofStar Trekto live-action television. It introduced a new generation ofStar Trekcharacters while breeding a new generation of fans.One of the show’s most iconic charactersis Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played famously by Patrick Stewart. The season 3 episode “Deja Q” is noted as one ofStar Trek’sgreatest episodes and also one of its funniest. The best moment occurs when Picard, caught in an inconvenient situation, irritably rubs his head. It’s fast; blink and you miss it. And yet here we are thirty-three years later, laughing about it and using it on the internet. This meme perfectly captures our frustration when we’re faced with an annoying dilemma. Or just sheer stupidity.
1Spider-Man Pointing - Spider-Man (1967)
Over the years, Spider-Man has become Marvel’s flagship character and most popular superhero. New York City’s friendly web-slinger has appeared in various forms of media, from comic books to video games, TV shows to movies, animations to live action adaptations. And also in memes. Spider-Man’s most iconic meme is definitely one you’ve seen before: that still where multiple Spider-Men are pointing at each other in accusation. This scene originated in the classic 1967 animated series, titled simplySpider-Man,in an episode called “Double Identity” (season 1, episode 19b). Fifty-seven years later, this scene is now used across the internet to humorously express confusion. This meme has taken on a life of its own. It’s been alluded to in a couple of modern Spider-Man films, such as 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Homeand the recent animated filmSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
