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Classic Memes From Back When the Internet Tied Up the Phone Line

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There was a time when going online meant nobody else in the house could use the phone, and my mom picking up the kitchen extension once ended a download at 94 percent. I have not fully forgiven her. This is our daily dig through the classic memes, the ones that loaded slowly and stuck around anyway, and since yesterday’s trip through the classics was all reruns, today is all patience. Scroll on.

Classic memes favorite: a man holding hands with a game console at sunset, never forget who was there.

The only relationship that never left me on read.

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Green parrot drinking a creamer cup over a coffee mug, ready for its 5am morning scream.
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Man straining to hold back a helicopter, labeled the potato masher blocking a kitchen drawer.

Every kitchen has one. Every kitchen loses.

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Cartoon girl holding tape like a cross to ward off a ghost labeled the FBI, among classic memes.
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Tig Notaro tweet saying she relates to blenders because she also screams while doing her job.
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Tweet replying okay mr fart to a meal prep photo of chicken, broccoli and boiled eggs.
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Old Google Maps photos with a cat's face blurred out, one of many classic memes about privacy.

Witness protection, but make it orange.

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Tweet explaining that clowns are pack animals, which is why they cram themselves into cars.
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Woman in striped pajamas curled up on red stairs, captioned about not knowing what to do with life.
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Classic memes tweet: wore a grey knitted tunic, got asked how the Crusades went.

She does look well traveled.

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Tumblr post about a brain wandering off to a tub of misspelled ranibow sprimkle.
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Tweet saying the economy used to be decent enough that roommates were considered suspicious.
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Three women from The Craft staring down, labeled depression, anxiety and debt, in these classic memes.

They always know where the party is.

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Tweet about a mom finding out, with a children's book cover titled My Big Sister Takes Drugs.
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Tumblr exchange about ancient catboys being called nyanderthals, and someone refusing to say it.
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Classic memes tweet: a man sitting curled in his partner's lap, how men want treatment without friends.

Big spoon in public, little spoon at home.

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Tweet about the agony of finishing the dishes, then turning around to find the pot.
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Grumpy kitten holding a paw out, labeled me and Paint, refusing any other photo editing software.
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Tweet about a Facebook Marketplace buyer who brought a slice of bread to test a toaster.

Honestly, a professional.

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Lord of the Rings scene edited into a hobbit singing for tomato, among classic memes.
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Clown waving from a Model T, captioned about switching into the lane that merges away.

Every commute, without fail.

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Lady Olenna from Game of Thrones saying that's very nice to hear when told someone fears her.
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Orange cat climbing a small cat tree, captioned the first day at the gym is always the hardest.
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Tweet about a three year old who apologized for kicking his dad, then threatened him like a mobster.
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Grandpa swapping a missing grandkid's framed picture for a grilled burger, among classic memes about family.

Show up or become a burger.

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The man walking into the sunset holding hands with his game console is the most honest love story I have seen this year, and I say that as someone who once skipped a wedding reception to finish a level. These old memes keep coming back because they were right the first time. The clown in the Model T is still me on the highway, switching into the slow lane every single morning and acting surprised about it. Fourteen-year-old me would be thrilled to know none of this ever went away.

Another batch of throwbacks shows up tomorrow afternoon, and yesterday’s meme dump has the newer stuff if you want the other half of the internet. For more viral tweets and some of the best memes from the vault, the Monopoly edition still holds up, which is more than I can say for my knees. If anything in here made you remember a password you no longer use, share it with the buttons below and let somebody else feel old for a minute too.

Who needs to see this?

Send it to the friend who’ll laugh the hardest, or post it for everyone.

Posted by Phil M. About the author

Phil co-founded Thunder Dungeon with Roy in 2012 and has been a meme tastemaker ever since, helping turn a page of funny finds into viral photo and video creations, one of the largest meme community apps and a daily home for memes. He's more than memes, too: Phil is an award-winning comedic actor and director whose feature films are on streaming platforms.

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