As 2025 draws to a close, summarizing the year’s most impactful memes feels overwhelming. Events like the inhumane treatment of immigrants, reduced arts funding in the U.S., a government shutdown, and the precarious state of SNAP benefits set a somber tone. Amidst this, JD Vance and Elon Musk seemed to take turns battering the concept of humor, leaving a notable mark on the year’s meme culture.
In 2025, humor, especially of the mocking kind, became a crucial tool against widespread incompetence, ignorance, and injustice. Here are the top 12 meme moments that defined the year.
JD Vance: Act I
Following the 2024 couch memes, the portrayal of U.S. Vice President JD Vance continued into a new crescendo. In March, during a tense Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, Vance’s flippant comment about U.S. aid led to a wave of memes caricaturing him as a bloated or mullet-wearing figure, capturing the online community’s imagination.
Signalgate
A major blunder occurred when Trump’s national security advisor, Michael Waltz, accidentally added The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a sensitive group chat on Signal. This gaffe provided ripe material for some of the year’s most amusing memes, highlighting governmental missteps while entertaining a global audience.
Katy Perry’s Zero Gravity Moment(s)
In April, Katy Perry’s trip aboard Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket with an all-female celebrity crew became a meme sensation. The internet criticized her attempt to regain her past fame, citing feminist, class, and environmental concerns. Perry’s dramatic return to Earth made her the target of intense online mockery.
JD Vance: Act II
In a controversial episode, JD Vance faced online scorn after a visit to Pope Francis, who passed away shortly after. Memes humorously suggested Vance’s presence was a harbinger of the Pope’s demise, blending satire with criticism of Vance’s political actions and their perceived contradictions with Catholic teachings.
What Really Happens During the Papal Conclave?
Speculation ran wild during the Papal Conclave, with memes poking fun at the mysterious process. The media frenzy was further fueled by unexpected events, such as seagulls stealing the spotlight and a CBS anchor’s controversial comment, which became meme fodder.
Trump and Musk’s Public Breakup
The highly publicized split between Donald Trump and Elon Musk mid-year spurred a deluge of memes. Their online spat over policy disagreements and personal jabs highlighted the fragility of their relationship, providing endless material for digital satire.
JD Vance: Act III
A Norwegian tourist’s deportation in June, allegedly due to a JD Vance meme on his phone, led to widespread meme-ification of the incident. The development of an app that transformed boarding passes into Vance memes underscored the meme’s cultural impact.
Coldplay Couple Scandal
In July, a Coldplay concert Jumbotron exposed an affair between corporate executives, becoming an unexpected viral moment. The incident sparked discussions on privacy, public shaming, and internet mob mentality, all through the lens of meme culture.
Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday
A Jet2 Holiday ad inadvertently became a TikTok sensation, with users sharing travel mishaps. The trend allowed people to connect over shared travel woes, illustrating the communal nature of misery.
Hero With a Hero
A Subway sandwich became a symbol of resistance when hurled at Customs officers in August, leading to a meme-fueled discourse on protest. The acquittal of the sandwich-thrower only added to the narrative.
The Louvre Heist
The daring daylight heist at the Louvre in October captivated internet users, who created memes about the event’s audacity and the museum’s security flaws. The incident highlighted vulnerabilities within cultural institutions.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s New York
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s campaign against former Governor Cuomo’s remarks sparked a meme movement that highlighted progressive policies and energized the youth vote in New York City.
God Promised Minnesota to the Somali People
Amidst rising tensions, the Somali diaspora countered Trump’s derogatory comments with memes, humorously asserting historical claims to Minnesota. This creative resistance underscored broader issues of racial profiling and immigration policy.
Thanks to Isa Farfan, Maya Pontone, Hrag Vartanian, and Lisa Yin Zhang for their invaluable contributions to this article.
