Years ago, in a writing room far away, the screenwriters for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia wrote the script for the episode “Gun Fever Too: Still Hot.” This episode featured an opening scene of Frank Reynolds appearing on a local television station, advocating for gun ownership by providing a story about him fighting off two robbers by shooting in their general direction. Classic Frank! Little did the writers know that this opening scene would go down in meme history.
In September, Facebook user Josh Davis posted the earliest known version, and, since then, the format has received significant spread on the internet. To celebrate, here are 10 of the most hilarious versions of this meme.
Oompa Loompa Awkwardness
Oompa Loompa Doopity Doo, have we got the perfect meme for you. The oddly lovable Oompa Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are known for their mischief and fondness for choreographed song and dance. While they have taken on a few forms over the years in the various adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the creator of this meme took it to the next level with a little Photoshop pizzazz, and a depiction of one of the more horrifying scenes of the original film everyone knows and loves.
Death Metal Drummers Unite
Any metal-head who has attempted to play “Bleed” by Meshuggah or “The Violation” by Fleshgod Apocalypse can relate to this meme on a deep and spiritual level. The speed that death metal drummers have to play is generally not seen as something humans are capable of doing, except for Danny Devito, of course. If there were ever a time for a meme to be made into GIF form, this is it. The internet would be overjoyed at the sight of Danny Devito, thrashing away to some Megadeath or Iron Maiden.
Gotta Get Greedo
“Han shot first” was dubbed one of the most controversial scene changes in the Star Wars franchise. Initially, the scene depicted Han shooting first but was later edited in the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars to have Greedo fire the first shot. This caused an uproar in Star Wars fandom.
Fans were so upset by this change, many have created edits of the original film to redact George Lucas’ changes to this scene. Naturally, this has sparked many memes along the way, and this template is absolutely perfect for expressing outrage over the edited scene.
Peter Quill’s Daddy Issues
Poor Quill, he finally finds his father during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and the guy turns out to be a total jerk. While enjoying a father-son bonding moment, Ego reveals his sinister plan of producing an offspring. Despite this, Quill was still mesmerized, until Ego showed he deliberately caused his mother’s death by implanting the tumor in her brain. This revelation sent Quill on a rampage, which is beautifully depicted in the meme above. The creator managed to capture so much emotion in such a simple form, a true masterpiece.
Caesar’s Demise
There’s nothing better than a meme that makes you laugh, and teaches you something about history. William Shakespeare depicted Julius Ceasar’s death at the hand of his friend, Marcus Junius Brutus, in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Enter an unlikely hero, Danny Devito, who portrays what happened on March 15th, 44 B.C. A group of 23 Roman senators murdered Julius Caesar as he sat upon the throne during a senate meeting, marking the beginning of the fall of the Roman Republic.
Every Western Movie, Ever
When one thinks of Western films, a few images come to mind: vast landscapes with a lone ranger riding his trusty steed, one-horse towns in need of a hero, and action-packed shootout scenes.
Western films are one of those movie genres that seem to have been forgotten about over the last decade, but how can one forget such spectacular fails as Cowboys and Aliens and Disney’s tone-deaf casting choice to have Johnny Depp play Tonto, an iconic Native American character. Nevertheless, you can be guaranteed any of these movies features a good, old fashioned shootout scene.
Every Kid Can Relate
Picture yourself: seven years old, on summer vacation. You’re walking down the sidewalk on a sunny day, enjoying the carefree worries of no 9-5 or crippling student loan debt. Usually, you wouldn’t hurt a fly, but an ant? This is what your magnifying glass and the power of the sun’s rays were made for! By harvesting the energy of the sun’s rays, you have not only created fire, but you are now Inferno, the mighty destroyer of ant-earth! In all seriousness, be kind to animals and enjoy some sensible chuckles over this meme.
Silly Naruto Is At It Again
Naruto is one of the most popular anime series around. Masashi Kishimoto’s manga and anime about ninjas has been around for over a decade, and will forever be in the hearts of anime and manga lovers worldwide. It’s no surprise that Naruto’s silly antics have been blessed by the Danny Devito meme gods, considering how meme-worthy the entire show is. The only regret with this one is Danny Devito isn’t doing the Naruto Run off the screen into the Nevada Desert right towards Area 51. Maybe someone will make this just in time for Christmas.
Joker’s Headlining Performance
Dubbed as one of the most controversial movies of the decade, Joker was made to provoke strong reactions from audiences, covering the controversial depiction of a mentally-ill and violent man in a somewhat romanticized light. Worries about the subject matter were so intense that police officers were present at the premiere and many screenings across the country, fearing gunmen might recreate this scene. The controversy of the movie only fueled its success, and Joker is one of the year’s most critically acclaimed films. Naturally, a meme or two had to come out of the movie as well.
Anytime A Danny Devito Meme Appears
It’s pretty much mandatory to throw one of these bad boys an up-vote because they’re always going to have you exhaling sharply out of your nose. This meme has only been around for 3 months, yet it’s been used for pretty much any topic you can think of, bringing hilarity to even the most controversial of situations. If anyone didn’t know who Danny Devito was, they certainly do after the explosion of this meme. With its widely used format, would you consider this to be one of the best memes of the decade?
Next: It’s Always Sunny: 10 Best Charlie Kelly Quotes
