KYM Review: People of 2017

Editor’s Note: This article is part of Know Your Meme’s annual review series looking back at some of the most memorable and popular memes, events and people that defined internet culture in 2017 as we know it.

f people thought 2016 was a garbage fire, 2017 was some sort of Sharknado: Scary chaotic and seemingly unimaginable. Some might contend that it's so bad, it's good, but we have yet to see the good come to fruition. The people that made the internet what it was over the last 365 days, is a cross section of the things that Internet has always been and what it's transforming into. In a way, politicians have become our greatest content creators, rattling off memes at breakneck speed, as if they're trying to keep up with the 24-hour news cycle. Meanwhile, actual content creators eclipsed their previous popularity, turning brushes with viral fame into record deals, media appearances and trouble with the public. Through it all, these ten blurred the line between reality and the Internet. Here they are, the ten people that defined 2017.

Anthony Fantano

It's been a strange year for Anthony Fantano, founder of the music vlog Needle Drop, as well as the less-known thatistheplan meme review channel. While the year started with his popularity soaring to a new height, it ended in a flurry of controversy, with the Fader accusing him of being an alt-right sympathizer. Fantano, for his part, responded as best he could, objecting to some of the claims made by the Fader, but his reputation was severely damaged, leading to a canceled tour. It does seem unlikely that 2017 will be the end of Fantano, though. As the Fader described him in their controversial piece, he's still "the most famous music critic on Earth." And with more than 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube, his reviews still receive thousands upon thousands of views.

Adam Ellis

BuzzFeed's Adam Ellis has been posting his work around the Internet since 2010, but as far as Know Your Meme is concerned, 2017 was his year. The most popular comics artist on the site, in terms of views, Ellis has his defenders and detractors alike, with some comparing him to Ctrl+Alt+Del. Does that mean Ellis will pen the successor to Loss? Hard to say, in the mean time, his comics will likely continue to inspire debate and conversation.

Poppy

The more popular she gets, the stranger Poppy appears. The soft-spoken, blonde-haired vlogger produces some of the weirdest videos on the internet. Her various channels display a specific kind of satire that purges the internet's superficiality with serious bite, no matter how harmless she may appear. With her ASMR-inspired tone of voice and perplexing manner of speech, Poppy's popularity continued unabated in 2017, expanding her music career and getting her own web series on Comedy Central. But as the conspiracy theories about Poppy grew, so did her fanbase. There's something addicting about her fresh and subversive approach to vlogging, and it's what keeps people coming back fror more.

Boonk Gang

Just so we're clear, there was no other person more searched for on our site than Boonk Gang. The alter ego of John Robert Hill, Boonk Gang's stunts and crimes racked up hundreds of thousands views throughout 2017. Videos of him stealing buckets of chicken, snatching iPhones and simply being an all-around agent of chaos has his subscribers wondering what he'll do next, if the authorities don't catch him first. Boonk Gang's persona is something of an anti-hero on the internet, as we watch and wondering if he'll make a getaway from his latest, hopelessly spontaneous heist. Also, there was that time someone at a BBQ chased him with a machete. Wild.

Stefán Karl Stefánsson

One of the most beloved man in memes is also one of the few things the Internet can agree on. When Stefán Karl Stefánsson, the actor behind LazyTown Robbie Rotten, was diagnosed with cancer, Reddit rallied around the performer known for some of the internet's most famous memes. While it looked as though Stefán beat the disease, fans returned to his side when the the cancer returned. To date, a GoFund me for the performer has brought in more than $175,000, proving that the Internet can be a good place that takes care of its own.

Elizabeth Warren

In a year of #resistance, one woman became a symbol of persistence. Elizabeth Warren might not have been the most meme'd person of the year, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's criticism of her became a rallying cry for those on the left standing in defiance of the Trump administration. “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted You couldn't make up a better slogan. While the end of the year found her being dragged back into controversy by the commander-in-chief over his use of the nickname "Pocahontas," Warren has remained one of the country's most popular politicians.

Danielle Bregoli

With all the things going on this year, it's easy to think about the cash me ousside girl, Danielle Bregoli, as an old-fashioned kind of internet celebrity. As the end of the year, she has brought forth controversy after controversy, and as politicians continue their descent into memeification, it's easy to forget about the teens mostly known for being rude to their parents and adopting a fake accent. But Bregoli actually fared better than most in terms of keeping herself relevant over the last 12 months. Her infamous Dr. Phil appearance might be from 2016, but she managed to pop-up every few weeks with a new story for the meme world to pour over. From music videos to fights on an airplane, Bregloi kept herself in the news cycle, maintaining the relevancy of cash me ousside. Howbow dah?

Jake Paul

Jake Paul is hellbent on outdoing himself. With each and every bit of Jake Paul news comes something crazier and even more outlandish. Much like Boonk Gang, it seems as though people just want to see what he'll do next, but unlike Boonk Gang, Paul's considerable wealth and complete disregard for his neighbors have made him an internet oddity. Perhaps the most famous of the of the Internet pranksters on our list, Paul's willingness to make something out of nothing has fueled dozens of videos and attracted millions of followers. But it's his songs and controversies that seem to keep memers interested. What's Team 10 going to do next? Probably continue to thrive. What can you say? People really like this guy.

Harvey Weinstein's Accusers

The latter part of 2017 has been completely dominated by sexual misconduct accusations, as once-powerful men saw their grasp on industries being ripped away. The accusers of Harvey Weinstein were the ones who broke the damn wide open. Not only was this a risky endeavor for their personal reputation and safety (the public is shockingly unsympathetic to victims of abuse), but also taking on the most powerful man in Hollywood could result in massive lawsuits. As they say, if you come at the king, you best not miss. And thanks to exposés in The New York Times and the New Yorker, Harvey Weinstein's accusers set off a cultural reckoning that's being felt in every part of American culture.

The Trump Administration

Was there any other group of people responsible for more memes than the Trump administration? Even removing the president and his incessant tweeting, gaffes and bizarre expressions, you'd still have former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to contend with--not to mention, the day-players, like Anthony Scaramucci, who are gone in a flash. Those three along have been responsible for a huge chunk of this year's memes, the ones that everyone gets in on, from dank memers on Reddit to your dad cracking covfefe jokes at Thanksgiving. And with each day bringing more alternative facts, "fake news" and revelations about Russiagate, it's already looking like the Trump Administration will be appearing in next year's list as well, much to the dismay of our commenters who are decidedly tired of Trump memes. Unfortunately, unless aliens land on Earth, Trump will still manage to suck most of our bandwidth, and, honestly, even aliens landed on Earth, it would probably get buried in his news cycle.