![Why the 5 "Best Internet Meme" Finalists Went Viral [INTERVIEWS]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/07JWGZbHRXd9WOYPB6NsU9C/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647019319.jpg)
In order to help you best decide who to vote for, we caught up with some of the finalists to get their perspective on their recent viral successes. We also spoke with experts to find out why certain memes become so popular.
Have a read of the interviews below, share your thoughts in the comments, and most importantly of all, vote to have a say in what is judged to be the Mashable Awards' "Best Internet Meme" of the year.
1. Bed Intruder
Whether you see Antoine Dodson as a figure of fun or an urban poet, there's no doubting his popularity across the net. An unlikely start for a meme, his Channel 48 interview after the attempted rape of his sister has propelled him to online fame, something Dodson describes as beyond his control.
"You'll have to thank the rest of the world and The Gregory Brothers for tuning in... I simply expressed my anger to the camera," says Dodson, who sees a parallel between his situation and Double Rainbow's Bear Vasquez. "We both were expressing true emotion in a moment caught on film although the emotions are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Both videos have spawned many parodies and covers."
So why did the "Bed Intruder" meme take off so fast? "It moves people with laughter, anger, compassion, etc., in ways that inspire them to respond with their own creativity," suggests Dodson. He believes the meme has helped bring the serious issues behind the original interview to light.
"The cause behind the Bed Intruder event -- attempted sexual assault -- is a topic that is generally very hard for people to discuss openly. Bed Intruder has aired out a difficult experience and brought light and laughter to many people. Many of my fans write that I have helped them so much by talking openly about sexual abuse and assault. If being the best Internet meme can help more people who have experienced or know someone who has experienced abuse, that is worthwhile."
One thing's for sure, whether or not "Bed Intruder" wins the Mashable Award, this won't be the last we see of Dodson. He has revealed to Mashable that he's currently in talks with "a couple of movie producers."
#FridayReads stands apart in this category as a meme that offers more than just entertainment. In the words of the meme's creator, Bethanne Patrick, it's an organic, meaningful, and useful meme that touches on a real contemporary issue -- literacy.
Patrick tells us she began #FridayReads as "a simple extension of my entire reason for being in new media: Love of books and reading. I created #fridayreads one day when I was stuck on what to read next. I thought that if I asked my 'tweeps' about their own current reads, I'd get a few ideas."
This simple idea has become a Twitter success story. We asked Patrick what she thought were the reasons for the success.
"Because of its authenticity and simplicity. Authenticity: There's no corporate power behind it, just a bunch of people who volunteer each week to get the word out about the meme and to share great books. Simplicity: No one has to think hard or long about a response; a single book title and the hash tag and you're done."
5. Sad Keanu
So what's the big secret behind Sad Keanu's popularity? Brad Kim says its success can be attributed to its "high exploitability."
"Its degree in 'exploitability' has to do with the nature of image: a Hollywood celebrity eating a sandwich on a park bench, wearing an ambivalent expression," explains Kim. "As to why it's so popular, it's difficult to pinpoint. My guess is that people took interest in Sad Keanu for different reasons, perhaps for its sheer randomness in the beginning and later boosted by fans who became aware of it."
Meanwhile, Nick Douglas, senior editor of Urlesque, takes a more technical view of the reasons behind the photo-based meme's success.
"Sad Keanu went huge because Reddit and Tumblr were on the cusp of replacing 4chan as the birthplace of memes. Those two sites have built a culture of memes and remixes that have just gotten large enough to tip into the media. Reddit users had many stories that this was a nice guy with a surprisingly tough life, so they had a narrative to work with. Tumblr users had a recognizable meme in image form -- the best form for going viral on Tumblr, since it takes under 10 seconds to see a picture, laugh at it, and reblog it," says Douglas.
"The meme was kept alive when new pictures kept coming out, and when Michael Cera, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jon Hamm's Don Draper got similar Photoshop treatment. Each time, Sad Keanu was constantly mashed up with the new guy."
Platform, shareability and exploitability are certainly strong theories. But we'll leave you with another thought from Tanner Ringerud:
"Sad Keanu is funny because it's so incongruous. Nobody expects Keanu Reeves to be sad or thoughtful -- he was Ted from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure."
What are your thoughts on the five finalists for Mashable Awards' "Best Internet Meme" category? Let us know in the comments below.
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More Internet Meme Resources from Mashable:
- 5 Crafty Tricks for Creating Killer Photo Memes
- Sad Keanu Reeves in a Helmet Meme Hits the Web [GALLERY]