Staff picks: Best memes of 2018

“This meme is the best meme of the year because I made it. It’s inspirational, it’s timely, and Samuel L. Jackson is the most legit face to ever grace a meme. It encompasses important themes, like taking chances on the things that matter the most and taking risks on new experiences. Vote for me.” -LeShaye Williams

“In January, the Google Arts & Culture app, purporting to match selfies or photos of the user with historical art, had a lot of social media air time. Readers who used it themselves may recall the sometimes hilariously bad results of the “matching” (powered by image analysis and search), often unflattering or just weird. This tweet from Netflix may be the best combination Google Arts & Culture came up with: Dustin and Steve from Stranger Things are compared to an Impressionist painting by Mary Cassatt of a mother sewing with her child, reinforcing the fan theory that Steve is the “mom” figure for the characters in Stranger Things.” -Genessa Gutzait

“This picture applies to everyone: At one point you promised yourself that you would start going to the gym everyday. We all have made promises to ourselves that we never keep, especially during this time of year and before the New Year. So let the season begin with the outrageous promises and goals that never have and never will be solved.” -Ahmad Dabbas

“Can you believe this is the best meme?” -Alec Witthohn

“Surprised Pikachu is probably the most relatable meme of the year. As a reaction meme for being surprised at something that shouldn’t be surprising, this meme brings communities together over their bond of failing tests they didn’t study for, accidentally breaking something they forcibly bent, and just not learning from minor mistakes.” -Tessa Blair