Memes are the currency of the internet, though it's difficult to say how they are born. Whether it's the perfect moment being captured on camera or a snippet of a song, memes spring forth and preserve, especially the ones that use characters on television. After all, most people want TV and go on the Internet, it's a natural conclusion.
Some of the characters on TV have become modern icons. Some are iconic characters with unique appeal, and some are just so perfect encapsulations of archetypes. These characters and their quotes or scenes are so popular and known that they become shorthand, especially online.
Seinfeld has a pretty frequent presence in memes. Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer all have weird idiosyncrasies that are meme-worthy. But George has been the stand-out when it came to meme culture. The most iconic picture of him in memes is him holding a baseball bat.
His bizarre nature makes him both relatable and a good zinger for comparing to others online. He has a lot of points but is utterly mad at the way he approaches the world. Combine that with Jason Alexander's raspy performance and you have a recipe for a classic character. People all are and simultaneously hate George Costanza.
Despite Costanza also appearing on this list, it's not just comedies that become memetic. Dramatic performances can also go viral. Breaking Bad is one of the most revered shows of all time, full of great performances and dialogue. Breaking Bad's anti-hero Walter White has had memes a-plenty.
Some of this is undoubtedly due to Bryan Cranston's great performance, which resonated with people. But the sight of a chemistry teacher trying to act like a mafioso is absurd. And the character has had plenty of great interactions with his partner, Jesse Pinkman. These memes uncover the comedy and tragedy deep in the character.
Ancient Aliens is a juggernaut for the History Channel. It doesn't matter how outlandish, viewers love hearing the various theories on Ancient Aliens. The show is the crown jewel of the movement of the same name. But contempt for the show and movement are often shown in memes.
Giorgio A. Tsoukalos is one of the major presenters on the show and a core figure in the movement. He's beloved within his sphere, but he's a meme icon outside of it. His image is used frequently online to convey the emotion of someone trying too hard. He's certainly done nothing to reject this image, as he continues to make his audacious claims on his show.
Hammy villains are awesome. There's perhaps no better job in the entire industry than being able to gobble up the scenery and just scream. Unfortunately, the archetype is more common in cartoons and movies than TV. But Power Rangers is a show made for such characters, and Rita Repulsa is one of the best.
The character is iconic from her first lines. She bursts from a trash canister screaming that she's finally free. In subsequent episodes, she remains iconic with ridiculous plans and lots of iconic lines like "humans are trash!" The great hammy work provided by her actress Barbara Goodson has been immortalized in memes.
LazyTown was a children's program from the mid-2000s. It quickly became a meme sensation due to the way that puppets, prosthetics, and musical numbers were incorporated into the presentation. Especially memorable was the antagonist, Robbie Rotten, portrayed by Stefan Karl Stefansson. His unique schemes were often more laborious than the exorcise on the show.
In 2016, a song from the show, "We Are Number One" became a meme for its catchy villain song tune. This led to Robbie appearing in tons of memes, remixes, and reaction images. The memes ended up spreading awareness to the actor's fundraiser to pay for cancer treatment. Donations from meme-informed fans did pay his bills, but he, unfortunately, passed away in 2018.
This character's name is Grogu, but it'll still be Baby Yoda for a lot of watchers. While The Mandalorian is an epic action series that helps expand the lore of the Star Wars universe, its mainstream appeal is simple. It all lies in the cute alien baby. Baby Yoda for a lot of watchers was what got them in there.
The character's appeal wasn't just that he was cute. His connection to the Jedi is a mystery and his relationship with the title character. Baby Yoda's force abilities were popular for memes as well, with people speculating over how he could use them. The character is used both ironically and unironically all the time in memes.
The Big Bang Theory is a beloved but controversial show. Its take on nerd culture earned it a mainstream success and allowed it to spin off into Young Sheldon. And a fitting character to spin-off, as Sheldon Cooper is the most meme-y character in the show. Jim Parsons' awkward charm and catchphrase have earned the character eternal memedom.
Some memes focus on hilarious scenes the character is in, like "Soft Kitty Warm Kitty." But most of them are ironic memes that make fun of the show's humor. "Bazinga" went from being the character's catchphrase to a post-ironic phrase that can mean anything. Sheldon Cooper is more of an abstract concept vaguely representing sitcom humor than a character online.
Even before Game of Thrones hit its terrible Season 8, Daenerys was a meme. The sheer charisma of her actress made her a powerful presence. She had fans everywhere as she rose to power. The iconic condescending face she made only made her more of a hit.
But then that controversial final season ended. New memes of Dani surface, but this time about her madness or the coffee cup in a shot behind her. Memes for her actress Emilia Clarke answering "Best Season Ever" to a question about season 8 also came out. Khaleesi is an icon of Game of Thrones, both the good and the bad.
Memes from The Office have always been popular. Using gifsets of the show on social media has been popular for years. Watching characters like Jim sigh or watching Pam try to determine the differences between the two pictures. But the most iconic and meme'd character has always been Michael Scott.
Steve Carrel's character has always been popular due to lampooning bad bosses, but he's got plenty of great memes. He's got reaction images like him screaming no or claiming he's dead inside. In addition, images of his antics are always popular. However, memes about the character's endgame from the show may be some of the most popular.
Charlie Kelly is the most meme'd character in all of the offbeat comedy It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. While Frank may have tons of memes and other characters have great scenes, Charlie takes the cake. He asks Santa if he f*cked his mom and the entire Dayman fiasco centers around him. But he has one standout, manic scene that meme'd like no other.
That's the Pepe Silvia rant from the iconic episode "Sweet Dee Has A Heart Attack". In the episode's B-plot, Charlie and Mac begin working in a mailroom together. When Charlie gets paranoid that the mail is being delivered to phantom people, he delivers an epic rant. The rant and the image of Charlie sweating over a conspiracy board he made has become a meme shorthand for conspiracy theories and the most iconic image from the show.
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