The 2021 Met Gala brought us a lot of things... Kim Kardashian in an all-black Balenciaga ensemble, completely covered from head to toe with a face-mask, long-sleeve turtleneck, and trailing T-shirt dress; Bennifer cementing their relationship (yet again) on the red carpet; and the world's first "meme correspondent."
Saint Hoax was hired by Instagram to cover the Met through a series of entertaining memes. The Syrian internet personality, artist, satirist and socio-political activist is known for using various mediums to depict political and popular figures while raising awareness of political and societal issues.
“Memes are basically editorial cartoons for the internet age,” Saint Hoax said. “The power of a meme lies in its transmissibility and unique knack for being cross-cultural.”
When asked at the time how they'd be preparing to cover the Met Gala through memes, Saint Hoax revealed that with pop culture events like these, it’s not so much about preparing, but more about anticipating who will steal the show, and then helping to create a moment that will be "recognised and celebrated" by internet culture.
“I would say that my process includes a little bit of research but mostly focusing on going into a kind of meditative zone that helps me tune into what people will connect with," the influencer told NBC. "I try to channel a moment that has resonance, accessibility and illustrates what people are secretly thinking inside their heads.”
Even without a dedicated "meme correspondent," many celebrities have found themselves turned into viral memes at red carpet events and on ordinary days. As Binance reports, there are several reasons the rich and famous are fodder for memeworthy content.
One is because celebrities are easily recognizable. "The faces and stories of celebrities are well-known, requiring almost no additional explanation as material, making the cost of dissemination extremely low," explains the site.
Another is because memes demystify our favorite celebs, bring them down from their 'pedestals,' and almost pull them closer to us plebs. A well-captured awkward, surprised, speechless, squeamish or even happy moment can catapult them into viral memedom, making them appear more real and relatable.
Celebrity memes are also a quirky and quick way for us to express our emotions. "A MEME of 'Keanu Reeves sitting tired' can perfectly express 'I'm tired'; a GIF of 'Will Smith slapping' can be used in various 'face-slapping' scenarios," explains the Binance site. "Celebrity MEMEs have become 'expression packs' in communication among young people, efficient and humorous."
Certain celebrities might cringe when their famous faces get turned into a meme. Others lean into it. Some even poke fun at themselves by taking part in viral meme trends.
For example, in 2020, several celebs posted a series of photos showing how each month of the year had gone for them - thanks to the unexpected Covid pandemic and lockdown... Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Viola Davis, Mark Ruffalo, Billy Ray Cyrus, were among those who participated and provided us with painfully relatable content.
