As 2024 draws to a close, we’ve compiled a list of this year’s most viral internet memes. It’s been a great year full of memorable trends, including celebrity moments, new movie launches, and awards-season buzz. In particular, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet got a lot of talking points and playful banter from online users following their appearance at the Golden Globes. Dive into the details below!
Celebrities at the Golden Globes
Awards season can easily be considered one of the most talked about times of the year in Hollywood. The 2024 Golden Globes delivered plenty of memorable moments, but one that stood out was Selena Gomez whispering something to Taylor Swift, which was followed by Taylor’s surprising reaction.
According to lip readers, the Same Old Love singer was gossiping about Kylie Jenner, who was Timothée Chalamet’s plus-one that evening. The moment quickly became a template for hilarious memes. One X user captioned the scene, “Selena telling Taylor the Chiefs playoff game is on Peacock.” Another meme read, “It’s incredible to see the moment Selena Gomez broke the news to Taylor Swift that AFC won the FA Cup tie against QPR after coming from 2-0 down.”
Dune: Part 2
Dune: Part 2 was one of the biggest movies of 2024, and it provided fans with plenty of memes to connect with each other—most memorably, Lisan al Gab jokes. In the Dune universe, there is a prophecy that Paul Atreides, aka Lisan al Gab (Timothée Chalamet), is a long-promised savior who will come to the aid of the Fremen community on Arrakis.
The Internet turned this prediction into a hilarious meme. The joke was that no matter what Paul Atreides did, Stilgar – the main believer in the prophecy – was always there to encourage him.
Joe Biden
Joe Biden shocked everyone and dropped out of this year’s presidential race. However, more than his political moves, the internet created a meme on the former president’s conduct during his recent visit to Brazil. Biden flew to the country to sign an International Day of Conservation proclamation to protect the Amazon rainforest from climate change.
He addressed the press, while the journalists sat together on a small path in front of him in the middle of the forest. After giving his speech, Biden walked off the small stage, turned around and disappeared into the woods. “I’m going to see the rogues,” one X user said at the time, quoting the hilarious meme.
Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan
Timothée Chalamet transformed into famous musician Bob Dylan for James Mangold’s biopic A Complete Unknown and photos of the actor from the set have gone viral on the internet. People compared Chalamet’s look – brown jacket, blue jeans and hat – to other memorable characters in pop culture. Keira Knightley in Love Actually, Kelsey Nielsen in High School Musical, and Joe Jonas from Camp Rock were some of the hilarious similarities.
madam web
Probably Dakota Johnson and Sidney Sweeney’s worst movie this year! The Sony Spider-Man Universe film Madame Web garnered no buzz upon its release, but the film later became famous for how poor it was in terms of writing, emotional connection, predictable plot, and poor audience rating scores.
But the bottom line is that it will always be a part of pop culture for all the wrong reasons and the memes it created. Netizens were quick to mock the film, with one X user writing, “Madame Web is hilarious because they treat Peter Parker’s birth like it’s the birth of Jesus.”
But the rest of the story is about the bad day Jesus’ uncle’s co-workers are having. He said, “Brian’s life without jokes.” Another user joked, “Sometimes I go to the Madam Web temple, light a candle and make a wish.”
charming moo deng
There was a time on the Internet this year when everyone was obsessed with seeing a baby pygmy hippo, later identified as Moo Daeng of Khao Khio Open Zoo in Thailand. The adorable and mischievous little hippopotamus won people’s hearts and spawned many memes.
“Moo Deng is a lifestyle icon and I need you all to join me. Inexplicably moist all the time, a bit blurry in most photos, probably screaming or sleeping and round” quipped one X user.
olympic pistol shooter
At the 2024 Olympics, Türkiye’s Yusuf Dike’s pistol shooting performance became a memorable moment due to his indifferent conduct at the national sporting event. While everyone else came to the event wearing eye gear for better focus, Dikek came dressed in casual clothes and had no eye gear other than his regular glasses. He earned a silver medal in the team 10-meter air pistol competition at the Summer Olympics.
very shy, very careful
TikToker Jules LeBron used the word “demure” around the world after his video about maintaining conduct in the workplace went viral. The trans beauty influencer posted a video explaining how she did her makeup for work and advised listeners to keep it simple, avoid looking like a “clown,” and finally be “very shy, very careful.”
TikTok took the internet by storm and the White House jumped on the trend, making it one of the biggest memes of the year.
Brother Eve, what is that?
“Oh! Brother, wow! What is that? What is that brother?” Went viral in 2024. The original video featured a Muslim man expressing hatred towards his brother while lecturing a crowd in a YouTube video titled Are You a Man?! Very powerful speech! When this audio went viral on TikTok, people used it in a ridiculous context.
tinashe meets devils
Remember when Tinashe’s hit song Nasty was trending all over the internet and everyone was ‘matching their freaks’? Netizens couldn’t stop themselves from creating memes and edits based on the song. “Is anyone going to match my eccentricities? This may be the existential question of our times,” one user wrote on X. “And I couldn’t help but wonder… will anyone match my eccentricity?” wrote another.
