2023 was packed with memes and internet moments that captivated us even more than the Roman Empire. Below you’ll find some of the most defining Internet moments of 2023, from Nepo babies to Babygirl.
21 Angela Bassett Did The Thing
In 2014 there was Ellen’s Oscar selfie. In 2017 there was Meryl Streep Screaming, and in 2022 there was The Slap. In February, Ariana DeBose joined the grand tradition of awards memes when she opened the BAFTA Film Awards with a song praising many of the night’s female nominees: “Angela Bassett did the thing / Viola Davis, my woman king / Blanchett, Cate, you’re a genius / And Jamie Lee, you are all of us!” rapped DeBose. At that moment, DeBose joined another great tradition: being bullied because she was a theater kid. The performance was widely criticized as ridiculous, and she was so mercilessly panned online that she deleted her Twitter account. But in the days that followed, more and more people came to her (especially on GayTwitter) and even celebrated her for looking the camp straight in the eye. A week later, Bassett came full circle when she took the stage at the NAACP Image Awards after being named Entertainer of the Year. “I think Angela Bassett did it,” she said in her acceptance speech to thunderous applause. Don’t you love a happy ending?”
20 Skibidi Toilet
Gen Alpha, welcome to the canon of memes. “Skibidi Toilet,” the quirky YouTube series launched by Georgian animator Alexey Gerasimov (aka DaFuq!?Boom!) in February, features animated heads emerging from toilets and singing to “Give It To Me” by Timbaland. The series grew in popularity throughout 2023 – the channel now has over 36 million subscribers, and many of the Skibidi toilet videos have been viewed tens of millions of times. Many members of Generation Z, who had mocked millennial meme culture for years, were taken aback by the absurd nature of Skibidi Toilet, seeing for the first time a glimpse of how the time is coming for all of us. “We’re the next generation of cringe on the chopping block,” @thehannahmeichelle said in a TikTok. “I’m only 18, I can’t be getting old already,” lamented @twelvehh.
19 Boston Cop Slide
In August, a video of a Boston police officer falling from a playground slide circulated online, and it went viral even faster than the uniformed officer shooting face-down from the metal tube. Although the origin of the clip is unclear, police confirmed that it was a real fall and that the unidentified officer was on duty at the time and suffered minor injuries. The video was slapstick perfection, almost too funny to adequately describe. Of course, memes followed. People got really creative and created versions where the cop knocks over a bunch of bowling pins, gets sucked backwards up the slide, and even slides down to the drum beat of “In The Air Tonight.” The slide even became something of a tourist destination, with so many thrill-seekers making the pilgrimage to try it out for themselves that the city had to close it off at night. Someone even put it as a location on Google Maps.
18 Timothée Chalamet as Wonka
When the trailer for Wonka, the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel starring Timothée Chalamet, was released in July, early reviews were unanimous: “Bro trying so hard to be quirky,” wrote one Twitter user, @ Trey_Explainer, so snappy. “He’s just not a stupid little guy,” tweeted @CosmonautMarcus. One line in particular caused a lot of ridicule: “You see, I’m something of a magician, inventor and chocolate maker. So be quiet and listen carefully. No, delete that, reverse it,” Chalamet says in the trailer, delivering the line somewhat stiffly and awkwardly. Naturally, the phrase went viral on TikTok, with people lip-synching along and getting in on the chills.
17 Tube Girl
Malaysian model and influencer Sabrina Bahsoon was crowned TikTok’s newest It Girl this fall after her videos of her dancing and lip-syncing on the London subway, which she began posting in August, went massively viral. “Tube girl,” as she was known, was praised for her confidence to film in public (in 0.5, of course), and inspired many others to emulate the trend themselves. Bahsoon’s TikToks were viewed millions of times, she gained hundreds of thousands of followers seemingly overnight, celebrities made their own versions, and Bahsoon herself even walked in fashion shows in London, Paris and Milan.
16 Congress elects Speaker of the House
One of the most embarrassing moments in the history of politics took place in the first week of 2023, when MP Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of Parliament in a whopping 15 attempts. For four days, hundreds of thousands of Americans tuned in to C-SPAN to watch the hot mess unfold, and online, McCarthy was brutally trashed. “Imagine being in your 60s and having to beg to be popular in Congress… student council ass behavior,” tweeted comedian Caleb Hearon.