Steamed Hams, Chuck Tingle, plums, Bee Movie, dat boi, Babadook, rainbow

November 18, 2019 12:01 PM

The A.V. Club's 100 best, worst, and weirdest things we saw on the internet in the 2010s

1. Demi Adejuyigbe makes beautiful music
2. Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris demands sex gifs
3. Slender Man rises in Marble Hornets
4. Stephen A. Smith asks us to “TAke a look, y’all”
5. “Steamed Hams” is turned inside out
6. @Dril is the internet
7. Chuck Tingle pounds butts
8. Britney Spears ponders global warming, Lady Gaga in less than 140 characters
9. Mia Farrow ponders Donald Trump, Myst in less than 280 characters
10. The Rap Board
11. The “Rains Of Castamere” fall
12. The Olsen twins want pizza, eternal darkness
13. Jurassic Park meets a melodica
14. Megan Amram declares “Today was the day Donald trump finally became president”
15. Plums in the icebox
16. “It’s fuckin’ nice out”
17. We are all pizza rats
18. Gremlins 2 gets the scholarship it deserves
19. The eternally memed life of SpongeBob
20. Save us from this sorority recruitment video
21. “Retire bitch”
22. Mario, Luigi, and Wario get nipples, genitalia
23. 10-hour video loops push YouTube to its most absurd limits
24. Fake Jon Taffer account barrels into role-play Twitter trysts
25. How good is Tom and Lorenzo’s costume design analysis? It’s great, Bob
26. ol Donny Trump
27. Bee Movie sped up
28. Comedy has a white male problem
29. Gamer Grandma is the opposite of #GamerGate
30. “Pants On The Ground”
31. Prince tweets 2 u
32. KFC follows 11 Herbs and Spice Girls on Twitter
33. “A full-on double rainbow all the way across the sky!”
34. The brands are tweeting about depression
35. Old people writing on a restaurant’s Facebook page
36. Let the dogs drive stick
37. Dang it, Bobby, these King Of The Hill and Fresh Prince glitch remixes got life all twist-turned upside down 
38. Cursed Images curse us with joy
39. The “Curvy Wife Guy” celebrates body positivity in the worst possible way
40. “I don’t know her”
41. The young what?
42. The refreshing water memes of /r/HydroHomies
43. Dat Boi is absolutely that boy
44. Too Many Cooks thrives in the era of too much content
45. Trump will never stop yelling
46. Trixie and Katya, skinny legend and glorious crone, talk about things
47. Shia LaBeouf gets his own musical
48. Kurt Eichenwald has a very reasonable explanation for why he was browsing tentacle porn
49. They did surgery on a grape
50. The gym bros try to figure out how many days are in a week 
51. Babadook becomes a gay icon just because
52. The tea has been spilled by Anton Chigurh
53. Ghostface Killah threatening Action Bronson in sweatpants 
54. Adorable kids, annoyed parent
55. The rise of the Yodelin’ Walmart Boy
56. “A knife!”
57. Shit Girls Say
58. The Garfield cenobites of “I’m Sorry Jon” have such Monday sights to show you
59. Meet me in Temecula
60. Warrior toddler summons attack bird
61. Hiddleswift by the sea
62. Dark Stock Photos
63. Smudge Cat becomes a meme twice
64. Old people, to the regret of their families, discover emojis
65. Summer fun Leo
66. The youth symbolize the spirit of the age by eating Tide Pods
67. A truly inspired voice break in musical history
68. The same picture of Dave Coulier every day
69. A heartwarming amateur documentary about befriending a feral cat
70. A colorful dress divides the internet
71. Meet Yanny. Or is it Laurel?
72. “Abandoned By Disney,” a Creepypasta classic
73. “Johny Johny Yes Papa” is coming for your children
74. The wonderfully weird Mondo Mascots of Japan
75. David Lynch Teaches Typing does just that, but at what cost?
76. “But you didn’t do anything”
77. Lil B puts a curse on Kevin Durant
78. Time comes for us all, including Gamemaster Anthony on his 40th birthday
79. Raccoon Todd finds a new use for Twitch
80. A strong contender for world’s worst tweet
81. Man will only stop eating photo of Jason Segel when Jason Segel eats photo of him
82. He’s gonna blow
83. All things Vic Berger
84. Everyone is horny
85. Outraged mom reads Vince Staples lyrics in disgust
86. The exquisite fail that is Potato Jesus
87. Ted Cruz liked a porn tweet on 9/11
88. Da Share Z0ne, meme master
89. “… he just… he tweeted it out”
90. Joe Rogan interviews Joe Rogan
91. Jose Canseco’s Twitter account is weird
92. Why isn’t every day Back To The Future Day?
93. Ralph Wiggum is in danger
94. Perfectly cut screams
95. The Winter Soldier fight syncs perfectly to “Toxic,” other fight scenes follow
96. The definition of a good Twitter account
97. Milkshake Duck is the phrase we didn’t know we needed
98. “Now That’s What I Call Rushmore”
99. We’re all sloppy for 30-50 feral hogs
100. Vine compilations

Previously

posted by not_the_water (52 comments total)

The dress is white and gold.

“And they were roommates.”
posted by Fizz at 12:05 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

8. Britney Spears ponders global warming, Lady Gaga in less than 140 characters

As so often, Britney Spears has been unfairly maligned; her tweet was in response to this and it makes perfect sense in context. God the way that woman has been treated by basically everyone is appalling.
posted by an octopus IRL at 12:11 PM on November 18, 2019 [35 favorites]

I'm not familiar with all of these, so I can't comment on everything they chose, but I gotta say they seem to be missing a lot of the great articles, music, movies, discussions and websites that , for me, really defines the internet, but, hey, if they prefer snark and memes, that's cool I guess. To each their own.
posted by gusottertrout at 12:20 PM on November 18, 2019

I don't know/remember all of these but am delighted that The Dumbest Boy Alive is smack dab in the middle of the list.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:26 PM on November 18, 2019 [3 favorites]

As so often, Britney Spears has been unfairly maligned; her tweet was in response to this and it makes perfect sense in context. God the way that woman has been treated by basically everyone is appalling.

What do you expect the Internet to do? Leave Br
posted by rorgy at 12:38 PM on November 18, 2019 [12 favorites]

Before I click, I must know... Chuck Tingle falls under "best," right? I don't want them to get my traffic if not.
posted by brundlefly at 12:39 PM on November 18, 2019 [5 favorites]

(More to the point, the AV Club article provides the same context you do, and provides it twice. Yay, journalism!)
posted by rorgy at 12:39 PM on November 18, 2019 [3 favorites]

I bit. They have the correct position on Chuck Tingle. Carry on.
posted by brundlefly at 12:45 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

Chuck Tingle falls under "best," right?

depends don't it? Is love real?
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:50 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

Okay, I'm going to be that guy. Why is the AV Club, and other web sites, running "best of decade" stories when there is still more than a year left in the decade?
posted by plastic_animals at 12:50 PM on November 18, 2019 [3 favorites]

I am relieved to discover that I am not nearly as Online as I thought I was.
posted by General Malaise at 12:56 PM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

it's an albany expression
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:57 PM on November 18, 2019 [5 favorites]

They have the correct position on Chuck Tingle.

Is any one position correct for Dr. Chuck Tingle? He’s a Man of Parts.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:12 PM on November 18, 2019 [9 favorites]

when there is still more than a year left in the decade?

Fencepost error. It's left to the student to determine if the error is theirs or yours.
posted by hanov3r at 1:12 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

23. 10-hour video loops push YouTube to its most absurd limits

This one is still my favorite of the genre.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 1:17 PM on November 18, 2019 [3 favorites]

They have the correct position on Chuck Tingle.

Is any one position correct for Dr. Chuck Tingle? He’s a Man of Parts.

Mostly the butt, though.
posted by hippybear at 1:18 PM on November 18, 2019 [6 favorites]

I loved this list. I knew more than a few, knew about the existence of more than a few more (but still have never truly watched or whatever), didn't care about most, and was delighted or horrified or whatever was appropriate at the few unfamiliar that I decided to click through on.

It's not The Best Of The Web in a single list, but it's certainly a post that is part of the Best Of The Web. If you know what I mean. :) Thanks for posting!
posted by hippybear at 1:20 PM on November 18, 2019

Okay, I'm going to be that guy

Play him off, Keyboard Cat!
posted by thelonius at 1:34 PM on November 18, 2019 [10 favorites]

Lotta delights on this list, but Anton Chigurh saying "the tea has been spilled" and "I heard you're canceled" has haunted me ever since I first watched it. I watch it at least once a month and I couldn't tell you why. It's perfect.
posted by rorgy at 1:34 PM on November 18, 2019 [3 favorites]

POUNDED IN THE BUTT BY THE AV CLUB'S THOUGHTS ON CHUCK TINGLE
posted by brundlefly at 1:46 PM on November 18, 2019 [8 favorites]

when there is still more than a year left in the decade?

I submit that decades fall differently than centuries (and indeed millennia) do. I can’t think of too many commentators who declare that, for example, 1940 was a year in the 1930s.

Like it or not, the twenties begin in about six weeks.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:47 PM on November 18, 2019 [18 favorites]

Oh good. Finally art nouveau will end and we'll get art deco and long strings of pearls and slinky dresses and men with oiled hair and maybe even jazz!
posted by hippybear at 1:49 PM on November 18, 2019 [11 favorites]

*pulls dusty cornet out of the closet and polishes it up*
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:51 PM on November 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

...which, I must admit, really sounds like a euphemism...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:52 PM on November 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

It's spelled "euphonium"
posted by thelonius at 1:54 PM on November 18, 2019 [19 favorites]

No no, cornets and euphoniums sound completely different!
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:26 PM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

"History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme"
posted by aleph at 2:39 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

"History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme"

The deeper one looks at now and back to then, the more one sees this is entirely true.
posted by hippybear at 2:42 PM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

Did anyone do this for the 2000s? I'd like to see if the relevance is still there today, such as how Mr T Ate My Balls seemed like such a cultural touchstone but has faded into obscurity, while everyone can sing the Hampsterdance song without having to think about it much. I mean, it's a given Chuck Tingle will probably have one a Nobel prize for literature by 2030, but they'll probably look funny at you if you make a fast Bee Movie reference then.
posted by AzraelBrown at 2:56 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

I submit that decades fall differently than centuries (and indeed millennia) do. I can’t think of too many commentators who declare that, for example, 1940 was a year in the 1930s.

I think convention is that a decade, century, or millennium is now defined as every year that shares the tens/hundreds/thousands place. This arbitrary cutoff has more advantages than the previous arbitrary cutoff, attempting to preserve 1AD-10AD as a decade despite it being of very little utility.
posted by Merus at 2:56 PM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

I cannot accept any memes-of-the-decade compilation that omits Confused Travolta
posted by Morpeth at 2:57 PM on November 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

This is just to say
I have read the list
That was posted
on AV Club

and where
you probably didn't
expect
to see this poem

Forgive me
the meme is perfect
so sweet
at number 15
posted by hanov3r at 3:04 PM on November 18, 2019 [10 favorites]

Okay, I'm going to be that guy. Why is the AV Club, and other web sites, running "best of decade" stories when there is still more than a year left in the decade?

Because the chance that we're going to make it to the end of the decade without a full on meltdown of everything we think of as civilization is becoming increasingly slim.
posted by treepour at 3:20 PM on November 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

Needs more cows who lik bred.
posted by Daily Alice at 3:32 PM on November 18, 2019 [16 favorites]

Good good list, needs 1000% more KenM.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:43 PM on November 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

history of the entire world, i guess seems to be a rather shocking omission. But there's a lot of good stuff on that list.
posted by davros42 at 4:04 PM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

Like, Distracted Boyfriend Meme somehow didn't make this list.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:05 PM on November 18, 2019 [6 favorites]

Forgive me
the meme is perfect

so much depends
upon

a twelve line
poem

that is beaten
utterly

mercilessly into the
ground
posted by dephlogisticated at 4:10 PM on November 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

clicked hoping to see melodica jurassic park; was not disappointed

the list was indeed a satisfying little romp through the internet
posted by likeatoaster at 4:35 PM on November 18, 2019

Waffle poots was robbed.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 6:10 PM on November 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

AVClub is one of the few surviving remnants of the greatness that was Gawker Media. Sadly, no part of the destruction of the Gawker Empire made this list, and the odds that AVClub will exist to make a 2020-2029 list are not very optimistic.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:43 PM on November 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

I argue that Joy Division Teletubbies should be at least in the high 70s on a best 100 list.

Also Vine. (Vine was this decade right?)
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:56 PM on November 18, 2019

I've always been rather partial to This is America, so Call Me Maybe
posted by leibniz at 3:22 AM on November 19, 2019 [3 favorites]

AVClub is one of the few surviving remnants of the greatness that was Gawker Media.

And it's a shell of a shell of a shell of its former self. It's an occasional visit for me now, when it used to be one of my daily faves. Sigh.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 7:06 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

I was there for the disqus wars. Reader, ask me anything.
posted by Think_Long at 7:21 AM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]

And it's a shell of a shell of a shell of its former self.

The AV Club has fallen into the trap of "our posts are just re-wording someone else's news story, with a link to the news story" content creation; I'm still a fan of their reviews, though, and their theme weeks which have original content with analysis, like this "look back at the '10s" stuff, are often good.
posted by AzraelBrown at 8:28 AM on November 19, 2019

I've always been rather partial to This is America, so Call Me Maybe
posted by leibniz

That was *sniff* beautiful.
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:52 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

I submit that decades fall differently than centuries (and indeed millennia) do. I can’t think of too many commentators who declare that, for example, 1940 was a year in the 1930s.

I like to think that this is why the US drinking age is 21 instead of 20. I can imagine some southern member of the House shouting 20 is still teens y'all!.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:12 AM on November 19, 2019 [3 favorites]

1. Demi Adejuyigbe

No need to read further, on to the next post...
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:14 AM on November 19, 2019

I submit that decades fall differently than centuries
Indeed it would have never even occurred to me to think otherwise.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:29 AM on November 19, 2019

Why is the AV Club, and other web sites, running "best of decade" stories when there is still more than a year left in the decade?

They don't need those clicks next year.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:19 AM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]

"Antonin Scalia retire bitch"

my fav!! A sentiment for the ages being properly honored.
posted by Emmy Rae at 4:17 PM on November 19, 2019