5 Magnificent Memes [MASHABLE AWARDS]

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Below you will find my personal favorites from 2010 as part of a look into one of our newest Mashable Awards categories, "Best Internet Meme."

Yes, there were a bevy of memes on the scene in 2010, and I'm sure every commenter has his/her own opinions as to what should make the cut. So read on, and then take to the comments and run and tell that or nominate your favorite.

Sad Keanu

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Sad Keanu hit this past summer courtesy of a glorious paparazzi photo and the folks over at Reddit. Strangely enough, it took Reeves until October to find out about his own memetastic existence.

Thanks to still more amazing photos -- and the skills of the Internet set -- the meme continued to roll, from sandwiches to helmets to cupcakes. How can one possibly be sad whilst eating a cupcake? Here's how:

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Vuvuzelas

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You know what's more annoying than the most annoying sound in the world? When said sound becomes a meme. When the World Cup kicked off last summer, so did the memification of the vuvuzela -- a stadium horn blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa.

The horn found its way into Twitter accounts, iPhone [iTunes link] and Android apps, Facebook apps and parody protest videos. YouTube even added a vuvuzela button.

While this meme waned as the weather has grew warmer -- and the festivities drew to a close -- we're looking forward to a renaissance come next World Cup. This time, we're packing ear plugs.

Hipsters

Granted, I'm a bit biased on this one considering -- full disclosure -- I write a humor blog about hipsters, but there's really no denying that this was the year that the plaid-clad ones became a certifiable meme.

From the roots of blogs like Hipster Runoff and Look At This F**king Hipster sprung a whole genre of Internet culture devoted to poking fun at "the hipster." See: Unhappy Hipsters, Hipster Puppies, Hipster Wife Hunting, If Superheroes Were Hipsters, Hipster Dating, and, of course, the corporate world's attempt at getting in on the game: How Much Hipster Can You Fit in a Jazz?

I would wager to say that this is the first counter culture (yeah, I know, that term is in contention) to go this intensely viral. It makes one wonder what would have happened had the Internet existed in the '60s as it does today. Look At This F**king Hippie, anyone?

Cee-lo Green's "F**k" You

When this song hit, the Mashable team dubbed it the "unofficial song of the summer." Now it's become the unofficial cover song of the Internet set.

With contributions from 50 Cent, Madam Butterfly (the female version), 8-bit, William Shatner and even Glee, "F**k You" has gone full-on meme. Why? I guess there's a lot of angry people out there.

Double Rainbow

My final choice for meme of the year was a tough one -- boiling down to a face-off between "Double Rainbow" and "Bed Intruder." I guess it's just the optimist in me, but, in the end, I chose rainbows.

Hungrybear9562's (a.k.a. Paul Vasquez) ode to rainbows hit at the beginning of July, capturing our hearts and imaginations with the beauty of a simple act of nature: The rainbow. Vasquez posted the video of himself “freaking out” about the rainbow in Yosemite, California back in January; it only had a few hits until comedian Jimmy Kimmel tweeted about the comedic merits of the now-famous clip.

Fast forward to today, and there are now auto-tuned covers (see above), numerous parodies, a Windows commercial and even an iPhone app. Looks like old Hungry Bear has found his pot of gold.

What’s Your Pick?

Which memes captured your heart this year? Let us know in the comments or nominate them for a

The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)

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