Internet meme costumes work on several levels. Since memes often revolve around social commentary, they give people an opportunity to express their views, like last year’s Binders Full of Women. When they’re timely — like the recent Overly Suave IT Guy – they can help demonstrate that you’re au courant with the internet. And they’re also a way to celebrate web-specific celebs, like the difficult-to-impress McKayla Maroney or ecstatic Double Rainbow guy.
Of course, that doesn’t mean traditional celebrities are totally off the table. “At this point in popular culture, memes go so mainstream [they] borrow from [celebrities] back and forth,” said Lauren Thompson, a production associate for VH1 News who won last year’s HallowMeme Costume Party contest with her homemade Honey Boo Boo outfit. Thompson, who judged this year’s HallowMeme contest, says that while Miley Cyrus costumes were popular thanks to the singer’s twerking moment at the MTV Video Music Awards and “Wrecking Ball” video (above), costume tributes to the viral video “The Fox” were far more popular. (Perhaps folks heard that Cyrus costumes were already over and shelved their ideas at the last minute like this Arizona woman.)
Given the nature of memes — namely, their ability to adapt to all manner of subjects and circumstances — they also have greater potential for personal interpretation. For example, it’s totally possible to put on a horse’s head and carry a sign that tells everyone you’re @Horse_ebooks, but add a dry erase board and soon everyone at the neighborhood Halloween party can start adding their own nonsensical tweets. Ultimately, this is why memes have the ability to go above and beyond putting on the same Jean-Luc Picard costume every year (not that there’s anything wrong with that): They’re much more personal, and easy to personalize, than any standard-issue witch or comic book character, even if they’re only good for one year.
“I think the thing that makes a good meme costume is the same thing that makes a meme good – the potential for it to go viral and to be a part of a huge inside joke,” Thompson said. “What makes HallowMeme special is that it’s a very specific crowd who has a deep love and connection to the internet. Everyone there probably helped create and pass along these memes … So, it’s like we’re dressing up as part of something we created together as an internet culture.”
Check out some of the best meme costumes in the gallery above.
