If 2025 felt like it unfolded one viral joke at a time, you’re not wrong. This year marked a shift: memes weren’t just fleeting punchlines, but full-blown cultural moments shaped by everything from pop culture to AI burnout. Some were hilarious, others baffling, but together, they captured how we experienced 2025 online. The common threads? Irony, escapism, nostalgia, and a healthy dose of cringe. Here’s a breakdown of the trends that defined the year—and why they mattered far beyond the screen.
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The Rise of Absurdity: Italian Brain Rot and “6-7”
One defining theme was deliberate nonsense. Italian Brain Rot, an AI-fueled meme genre, exploded on TikTok with over-the-top stereotypes and chaotic visuals. It didn’t need to make sense; it thrived because it rejected coherence, offering a break from digital overload. Similarly, the phrase “6-7” went viral for its utter meaninglessness. Teens used it as an inside joke, while everyone else scratched their heads. The point wasn’t the message, but the shared experience of being “in on” something incomprehensible.
Escapism and Irony: Jet2 Holidays and Jon Hamm Dancing
Many memes of 2025 tapped into a deep desire to escape. The “Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday” sound, ripped from airline ads, became shorthand for burnout. People overlaid it on clips of chaos to highlight the contrast with a carefree vacation fantasy. The irony worked because everyone related to the longing to mentally check out. The resurfaced clip of Jon Hamm dancing became a celebration of uninhibited joy, remixed with everything from cats enjoying life to people letting loose.
Pop Culture as Meme Fuel: Victoria Ratliff and Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl
Pop culture moments were instantly meme-ified. Parker Posey’s character in The White Lotus became shorthand for the pressure adults feel, politely spiraling underneath. The meme’s power was in its relatability; her laser-focused stares captured the quiet desperation of modern life. Similarly, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was dissected, recreated, and endlessly reinterpreted, proving that major cultural events now live on long after the broadcast.
The Viral Debates: 100 Men vs. 1 Gorilla and the Anthropologie Rock
Some memes thrived on pure absurdity. The debate over whether 100 men could defeat a gorilla went viral, treated with mock seriousness. The appeal lay in its uselessness—a pointless argument with zero stakes. The Anthropologie Rock, a decorative stone sold for an absurd price, sparked jokes about late-stage capitalism and consumer excess. It became shorthand for the absurdity of modern luxury.
Gen Z Humor and Relatable Cringe: The Gen Z Stare and the Coldplay Couple
Gen Z’s signature deadpan humor found its expression in the “Gen Z Stare” : a blank, unbothered expression used as a reaction meme. Parents recognized it instantly, often from across the dinner table. The Coldplay Couple meme, born from a viral cheating scandal, captured the universal panic of being caught on camera at the wrong moment.
Nostalgia and Reflection: Bobby Hill’s Wabi-Sabi and The Little French Fish
Nostalgia played a role too. The fusion of King of the Hill with the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi—finding beauty in imperfection—became a surprisingly thoughtful meme about self-acceptance. The Little French Fish, a cute but existential animated clip, offered gentle humor in a chaotic world.
The Year’s Outliers: Dubai Chocolate and Katy Perry in Space
Other trends were simply…extra. Dubai Chocolate went viral for its luxury-style videos of oversized chocolate bars, tapping into food obsession and wealth fantasy. Katy Perry’s space-themed appearance sparked memes, but her quote on “taking up space” didn’t quite land with the same impact.
The Lasting Impact
In 2025, memes weren’t just jokes; they were a reflection of our collective anxieties, desires, and absurdities. They proved that in an overstimulated world, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is laugh at the chaos—or embrace the meaninglessness. These trends didn’t just define the year online; they revealed something deeper about how we navigate reality in the digital age.
