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The 21 Most Defining Memes of 2023

From viral dances to lil-stinker promo shots to songs we couldn’t get our of our heads, our favorite Very Online moments of the past year

21 most defining memes of 2023

2023 WAS A heck of a year on the internet. Whether we were eating our girl dinners or declaring our allegiances in the orca wars, this year was jam-packed with memes that captivated us even harder than the Roman Empire. The following are some of the most defining memes of 2023, from nepo babies to babygirl. Here’s to our bygone memes, and may 2024 be as fruitful.

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Grimace Shakes

On June 12, McDonald’s began selling the “Grimace Shake,” a berry-flavored milkshake honoring the 52nd birthday of their furry purple mascot. The shake was an instant hit… though probably not in the way McDonald’s had intended. A trend emerged on TikTok in which users would taste the frozen treat, then suddenly collapse in a scene straight out of a horror movie, often convulsing as the lavender liquid spurted from their prone bodies. Some even showed Grimace himself, lingering in the shadows, basking in the grisly aftermath of his apparent kill. In response to the meme, McDonald’s tweeted an image of a stricken-looking Grimace, writing, “meee pretending i don’t see the grimace shake trendd.”

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Barbie

Barbie was the unmatched star of 2023, spawning so many memes it could practically have its own list. Before the movie even came out, stills from the trailer (e.g. “Do you guys ever think about dying?”) exploded online, and posters featuring the film’s cast members became a hugely riffed upon meme format. Due to its shared release date with Oppenheimer, the two movies, though wildly different from each other, became collectively known as “Barbenheimer” and launched even more memes.After its record-breaking opening weekend, iconic phrases from Barbie — including “just Ken,” “Kenough,””my job is just beach,” “mojo dojo casa house,” and “long-term long-distance low-commitment casual girlfriend” — entered the mainstream lexicon, and had everyone saying “Hi, Barbie!” all summer long.