The Memes of Summer
By JAMES TCHOU
They make us laugh. Sometimes they make us cringe. We want to share them to instill in others the same joy or pain they brought us. They’re everywhere on social media, so it’s hard to miss them. They’re memes.
Summer this year came with social distancing and endless boredom. But luckily, we all had endless memes to keep us connected and ease our predicament. They kept our spirits high. They kept us alive. They quenched our thirst for entertainment.
The Travis Scott Burger ★★★☆☆
Who could forget the infamous McDonald’s special that came out this summer? Of course, I’m talking about the Travis Scott Meal. For only $6, customers could purchase a quarter pounder with cheese, lettuce, and bacon, in addition to an order of medium fries with a side of barbeque sauce, and a Sprite. It was an absolute steal for those in our generation.
Not long after the initial release, the burger also came with a spicy side of memes. Many people joked that only white boys in Supreme clothing would buy the meal. This burger also came with the catchphrase “Cactus Jack sent me,” as a reference to the McDonald’s tweet “Cactus Jack is coming.”
It was a good meme while it lasted, but the hype of the Travis Scott Meal has gone down greatly since its initial release. Likewise, the meme doesn’t hold the same long-lasting effect that the true classics do.
Bonjour Bear ★★★★☆
Then came the adorable and cozy Bonjour Bear. One day he just appeared on the Internet, and we accepted that a polar bear sticking his head out of a snow den is funny.
Nevertheless, the Bonjour Bear meme has a wholesome energy surrounding it. It’s an excellent meme template as well. Unlike other memes, this bear has the potential to last longer than the average meme. There’s nothing more to ask from a polar bear trying to live his best life in the Arctic. Well, there is possibly one thing: Why is he French?
Laughing Wolves ★★★★☆
Sticking with the animal trend, we also had the Laughing Wolves. This meme features three wolves: two on the side laughing together and one in the middle displaying an unamused expression. The original photo was of two wolves yawning and the other wolf standing, but with the power of Photoshop, we were able to get this gem.
Much like Bonjour Bear, Laughing Wolves has the potential to live past the average meme lifespan, but will most likely die even as this article is being written.
Among Us ★★★★★
Unlike some of the memes that we’ve looked at so far, Among Us memes have lasted through the entire summer and are still going strong to this day. They have taken the Internet by storm, and for good reason.
For those living under a rock, Among Us is a mafia-esque game that was originally released in 2018, but grew in popularity during the quarantine summer.
There are two roles in the game: Crewmate and Imposter. Crewmates have to finish their tasks and figure out who the Imposters are. Imposters have to sabotage and kill the Crewmates, and use lies and deceit to outsmart others to secure victory.
Among Us currently has made its way into almost every meme template. Not only that, but it has provided us with the new “Emergency Meeting,” “There is 1 imposter among us,” and “Kill Screen” meme templates. Among Us, the game, is definitely going to last a long time (hopefully longer than this quarantine), so expect no shortage of these memes anytime soon.
Did we overlook your favorite or most-hated meme from this summer? Send us a quick message to remind us of the meme we forgot about and explain what made this meme so amazing or horrendous. Your response might be published on our website.