Memes & GIFs
Memes & GIFs that crossed from the timeline into TikTok comments.
Filter memes
Meme Trio: [doge] + [clown] + [skull]
The canonical 2010s TikTok meme trio. Three bracket codes that travel together in comment sections: [doge] (the Shiba Inu), [clown] (the "you fool" meme face), [skull] (the "I am dead" reaction). Together they read as "this is the funniest possible outcome."
[thinking] + 🤡
A two-signifier stack: [thinking] (the chin-stroke pondering emoji) + 🤡 (the clown face). Reads as "I see what you are doing and I am pointing out it is foolish." A skeptical+comedic combo.
Crying Cat
A photo of a white cat with big anime-style tears digitally added to its eyes. Used as a reaction GIF across Twitter, Discord, and TikTok comments. Reads as "I am upset but in a soft, sympathetic way."
Stonks
A Meme Man character pointing upward next to the word "Stonks" — a deliberate misspelling of "stocks." Used to celebrate any kind of gain, financial or otherwise. The opposite (loss) is "not stonks."
This Is Fine
A cartoon dog sitting at a table that is on fire, drinking coffee, saying "This is fine." The canonical "everything is collapsing around me and I am choosing to ignore it" reaction.
Doge
A 2013 photo of a Shiba Inu named Kabosu, surrounded by Comic Sans text in broken English ("such wow, very amaze"). The meme launched the crypto joke-meme era and remains a default in meme stacks.
Distracted Boyfriend
A 2017 stock photo of a man turning to look at another woman while his girlfriend looks on in disapproval. Used as a reaction template for any "X is abandoning Y for Z" framing.
Drake Hotline Bling
A two-panel template from Drake's 2015 "Hotline Bling" video: rejecting a thing with a hand gesture on the left, approving a different thing on the right. The most-used comparison meme of the 2010s.
Change My Mind
Steven Crowder at a folding sign that reads "Change My Mind: [bold claim]." The canonical "I am stating a hot take and daring you to disagree" template.
Surprised Pikachu
A 2018 screenshot of a wide-eyed Pikachu from the Pokémon anime. Used to react to predictable consequences — "I am shocked that doing X led to Y."
Side-Eye Chloe
A 2014 Vine clip of a toddler named Chloe side-eyeing the camera. Used as a reaction to "I see what you are doing and I am not buying it."
This Is The Way (Mandalorian)
A 2019-2020 line from "The Mandalorian" that became the canonical "I am committing to this course of action" reaction. Used across fandom TikTok and gaming clips.
Buff Doge vs. Cheems
A two-panel template: on the left, a muscular "buff" Shiba Inu representing a stronger past version of something; on the right, the same Shiba as an aged "Cheems" version — softer, rounder, weaker. The "Cheems" name is a play on the word "cheems" (the way the older dog's mouth is drawn to look like it says the word with a lisp).
Woman Yelling at Cat
A 2011 photo of a woman pointing and yelling, paired with a 2011 photo of a cat sitting at a dinner table. Used as a "someone arguing with someone who has no idea what is happening" template — the cat represents the unreadable, indifferent party.
Roll Safe (Think About It)
A still from a 2016 Nigerian movie showing a man tapping his temple. The caption format is "Can't [bad thing] if you [do something that avoids it]." Used to make jokes about avoiding problems by redefining them.
NPC Meme
A format that overlays a stock "NPC" character face on footage of someone repeating a script — used to mock people (or commentators) who say the same scripted lines everyone else does. Refers to non-player characters in video games who follow pre-written dialogue trees.
Coomer
A Wojak-style character with an exaggerated facial hair pattern that became a meme shorthand for an unkempt, isolated, chronically-online archetype. The image is deliberately crude; the meme is used to mock or self-identify with the "coomer" persona.
Wojak (Base Character)
A simple black-outlined cartoon face on a beige background. Wojak started as a single meme character on a Polish imageboard around 2010, then exploded in 2017-2018 as a base template for hundreds of archetype memes (Coomer, Doomer, Bloomer, Boomer, NPC, Soyjak, etc.).
Clown Makeup (Progress Meme)
A 3-4 panel template showing the same person (typically a celebrity) progressively applying clown makeup. Each panel represents escalating certainty about something that turns out to be wrong. The final panel is full clown makeup.
Laugh-Crying on the Floor
A photo or short clip of someone laughing so hard they have collapsed onto the floor. Used to escalate a "this is funny" reaction past [laugh] / [joyful] / [skull] — the standard emoji laughter ladder does not capture "I cannot breathe."
Wholesome 100
A short clip of a cartoon character (usually the Teen Titans Go! Robin or a similar expressive figure) pumping a fist with the caption "Wholesome 100." Used as a positive-reaction GIF when something is unexpectedly sweet or kind.
Vibing Cat (Head Bobbing Cat)
A short loop of a white cat bobbing its head to a beat, often paired with a lo-fi or chill music track. Used as an ambient "vibes" GIF that signals "I am enjoying this moment without needing to say anything."
Mocking SpongeBob
A short clip of SpongeBob SquarePants alternating between two poses in a mockery rhythm. Used as a "I am repeating what you said in a mocking tone" reaction. The humor is the alternation itself, not any specific text.
Confused Math Lady
A short loop of a blonde woman with a confused expression, hand on chin. Used as the canonical "I am trying to follow this but I cannot" reaction — the math reference is incidental; the template works for any confusing topic.
Blinking White Guy (Drew Scanlon)
A 2013 clip of Giant Bomb editor Drew Scanlon blinking in disbelief after a coworker says something silly. Used as the canonical "huh? what did you just say?" reaction. The original clip has spawned thousands of captioned variants.
Frequently asked
What is the [doge]+[clown]+[skull] meme trio?
The three bracket codes that make up TikTok's most-recognized death-by-irony meme stack: [doge] (the 2013 Shiba), [clown] (🤡), and [skull] (💀). Stacking all three in a single comment or caption signals "this is so bad it killed me" — the canonical TikTok reaction to a take that aged poorly.
Which memes are Gen Z vs Millennial on TikTok?
Gen Z memes (2020s) on TikTok lean into absurdity and self-aware irony: Distracted Boyfriend, Surprised Pikachu, This Is Fine, Side-Eye Chloe, and the Stonks meme. Millennial memes (2010s) lean into relatable frustration: Doge, Drake Hotline Bling, Change My Mind. Timeless memes read identically across cohorts.
What's the difference between a meme and a GIF on TikTok?
On TikTok, the distinction is mostly format. Meme templates are static or low-motion images (the Doge, Stonks arrow, etc.) used in captions and comments. GIFs are short looping animations (e.g. Crying Cat) used as full video backgrounds or sticker overlays. Both surface as TikTok hidden emojis when referenced via bracket codes or trigger syntax.
What's the "Buff Doge vs. Cheems" format?
A two-panel meme where a muscular "buff" Shiba Inu (the stronger past) is contrasted with a soft, rounder "Cheems" Shiba (the weaker present). The template became the canonical "things used to be better" / "X vs. X now" format of 2020-2021, originating on r/dogelore and crossing into mainstream TikTok comments.
How do you use the Clown Makeup progress meme?
Clown Makeup is a 3-4 panel template that escalates an overconfident prediction to full clown makeup, with each frame showing another layer of makeup paired with a more confident statement. The final panel — full clown — signals that the speaker was wrong all along. Deploy it as a "told you so" but remember: it is mocking, not engaging.
Are TikTok memes safe to use at work or in formal contexts?
No. Most memes and GIFs in this hub rely on internet-native reading that does not translate to offline or professional contexts. Meme stacks like [doge]+[clown]+[skull] read as confusing to non-platform audiences, and politically-edged templates (NPC, Coomer, certain Pepe variants) can read as targeted. Stick to standard Unicode emojis for any non-TikTok channel.