Memes are a central part of millennial and Gen Z humor. They can be almost anything, including a photo, video, or another piece of media like a screenshot. The point is they spread and spread fast to users all over the internet.

Memes started in the mid-2000s. Back then, they were pretty innocuous. While they were good for a chuckle, they weren’t the kind of thing you wanted to collect in a Dank Meme Stash. Nonetheless, that’s when many memes we still see today became famous.

The people in viral memes are enjoying (or not enjoying) an odd kind of fame. They’re known around the world but they didn’t ask for it. Some of them didn’t even know they were famous until they saw their image online.

Everyone has a different reaction to fame like that. Some of these meme celebrities (memelebrities?) have embraced their online image to the fullest. Some use it as a platform to talk about important issues. Yet others have gone on to have successful careers in acting or music. And well, some of them aren’t fond of the spotlight.

As Zoe Roth (that’s Disaster Girl to you) says, “I ultimately want people to know me for me.”