As we bid farewell to another whirlwind year, it’s time to reflect on the rollercoaster of events that defined 2023. From the awe-inspiring to the downright unexpected, this year has left an indelible mark on the canvas of our collective consciousness.
Join me on a light-hearted journey through 2023 — a year that boasted its fair share of fun, humour, and drama in no particular order.
- FX and Fuel Drama
This can best be summarised with three words: E be things. Our darling currency kept digging as if it was looking for more crude oil and we all experienced the five stages of grief. One guy shared his transition from anger to bargaining with this tweet:
And with the rising fuel prices some went back to their roots:
- Dumb things kids do
Twitter was a den of laughter for almost a week when someone asked people to talk about the dumbest things they did as kids. The comments were hilarious and you wonder how most of us even made it to age 13 in one piece. For example, this guy right here:
Just look at:
- And speaking of Twitter, let’s talk about Elon
It’s been a rollercoaster since eccentric billionaire tech bro Elon Musk acquired Twitter and a bunch of changes have occurred.
One such change prompted our Group Chairman to drop this golden tweet:
Then one random weeknight, Elon Musk nicodemusly (don’t ask how I came up with that) decided that Twitter—famously known for its little blue bird icon—was going to be known as X. As expected, the Internet was saturated with wisecracks which I found quite enjoyable.
- Barbienheimer
Who would have thought a movie about the creation of the atomic bomb and another about a doll will become so intertwined? The July 21 release date of both Barbie and Oppenheimer was historic, with both movies making box office records and raking in more than $235 million during their opening weekend. For many moviegoers, both movies were a must-watch double feature and of course, the memes were epic.
- King Charles’ Coronation
Our guy finally got his hands on the crown after 70-odd years of apprenticeship and this was my conclusion: if Elizabeth II had the first televised coronation, Charles III had the first memed coronation.
This is because, for one, Uncle Charlie looked slightly mystified at what he was being told to say by the guy holding his lines. It almost felt like he was reading a menu:
- 2023 Elections
This was wild, controversial, triggering and of course, funny in parts. For all the havoc they wreak, Nigerian politicians make for good comic relief and if you don’t believe me…
- Chef Dammy vs Hilda Baci
After Hilda Baci broke the Guinness World Record of non-stop cooking for over 100 hours, word came out that her record was about to be broken by a chef in in Ekiti. Well, it all turned out to be a sham.
Eventually, Irish chef Alan Fisher took the record from Hida Baci, after completing a 119 hours and 57 minutes cooking session.
- Zuck vs Musk
The world can also be an odd place at times. If not, why would two rich white tech bros say they want to beat each other up? Maybe because they’re bored, I guess.
- 2023 Women’s World Cup
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup captivated millions of fans around the globe, laid to rest sexist misconceptions about the women’s game, and spawned impeccable memes and reactions on social media. For me, nothing beats Super Falcon’s Michelle Alozie’s reaction to England’s Lauren James red card moment for stomping on her back.
- Layi
Amid all the drama we’ve experienced this year, one person stayed dedicated to making people reel with wholesome laughter. From imitating university professors to a life coach or the beloved ‘charge and bail’ lawyer, AKA The Law, every video was a meme-worthy hit.
My favourite quote from him: “Info le’yan fi n fo.” (Ask a Yoruba person to translate).
There’s so much more and I could go on, but all good things do come to an end. If there’s anything I’m sure of, it’s that 2024 will come with its own share of dramatic moments and they will be meme-worthy too.
Have a fantastic 2024!
