2023 marked another year of meme-ories.
Like in past years, many online turned to memes as a form of escapism.
“Memes seemed to be a primary way people dealt with and processed and reacted to news this year,” said Jessica Maddox, assistant professor of digital media at the University of Alabama.
They also helped shift our use of language, elevating words like “rizz” and “babygirl,” which have since entered a more general lexicon. This year also had a wide range of meme mediums — from text comments to TikToks to traditional still-image reaction memes.
In the future, Maddox said, she anticipates a rise in video- and AI-based memes. “But the traditional meme will always be there, no matter what other type of media gets thrown into the mix,” she added.
Here is NBC News’ list of this year’s most notable memes, including a few honorable (and dishonorable) mentions.