13 Memes that Defined the Internet in 2010

2010 may not sound like that long ago, but a look back at its memes shows that the internet was an entirely different place back then. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at what internet culture thought was funny nine years ago.

1. Bed Intruder Guy

Antoine Dodson’s local television interview was inescapable in 2010. “Hide your kids, hide your wife” has to have been on of the most quoted phrases of that year. The autotune remix still holds up pretty well.

2. Pants on the Ground

Back when American Idol was a thing, there was no shortage of bad contestants. This particular entry to the show broke the internet, though, when 62-year-old General Larry Platt debuted his song Pants on the Ground. It’s a lyrical masterpiece about young people looking like fools when they sagged their pants. 9 years later it still slaps.

3. Double Rainbow

Back when YouTube was pure, a guy called Yosemite Bear released a video of a double rainbow to his tiny subscriber base. Somehow the entire internet found it and it became A Thing ™, and we’re all better off because of it. As is the case with any meaningful 2010 cultural event, of course there’s an autotune remix.

4. Sad Keanu Reeves

The Paparazzi caught Keanu Reeves looking sad while eating a sandwich. In 2010, this was A+ meme material. It still kind of is tbh.

Sad Keanu Reeves Source: Know Your Meme

5. Old Spice Guy

Old Spice Guy in the shower

Source: Old Spice via AdWeek

Actor and former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa became a household name in a series of 2010 Old Spice commercials. He’d basically pose shirtless as the ideal boyfriend, suggesting that using Old Spice would turn any man into him. You’d need to watch the commercial to really get it.

6. Inception

Inception "we need to go deeper" meme

Source: Know Your Meme

Inception was the biggest mindfuck movie of its decade. This screenshot from the movie became a catch-all meme for anything mind-blowing or containing multiple layers of nuance.

7. Forever Alone

Forever alone gif

Source: Know Your Meme

This meme may feel ancient, but it’s actually from 2010. Maybe that’s ancient to you.

8. Deal With It Glasses

Dog with "deal with it" sunglasses

Source: Know Your Meme

This was a versatile meme. You could basically take a photo of anything you thought was gangster, make a gif of it with these 8-bit sunglasses sliding onto it, and you were doing the meme right. It could even be an inanimate object.

9. The Most Interesting Man in the World

This is another commercial meme. It’s pretty self explanatory.

10. The Rent is Too Damn High

Jimmy McMillan Source: Wikipedia

Jimmy McMillan went viral for his campaign platform under the “Rent is Too Damn High” party. Personally, I hope he runs again so we can revive this format.

11. Fucking Magnets. How do They Work?

This is an infamously stupid line from an Insane Clown Posse song. It’s like the inception meme, but for when the mindfuck is actually stupid.

12. Vuvuzelas

Vuvuzelas at the 2010 World Cup

Source: Know Your Meme

For a brief moment, we were all united about how annoying the Vuvuzela horns sounded at the World Cup in South Africa.

13. Stoned Birthday Dog

High Smiling Birthday Dog Source: Know Your Meme

This good boy became a meme for looking stoned on his birthday.

That’s it! That’s the whole list. I hope you enjoyed this walk down Internet Memory Lane as much as I did.


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