The internet didn't just give us a new place to tell jokes; it changed the very structure of humor. Internet humor is faster, more visual, and more collaborative than anything that came before.
Era 1: The Forward (1990s)
- Medium: Email.
- Content: Long text lists ("You know you're from the 90s if..."), "Darwin Awards," and low-res attachments like the Dancing Baby GIF.
- Vibe: Slow, text-heavy, shared with family.
Era 2: The Flash Era (Early 2000s)
- Medium: Websites like eBaum's World, Albino Blacksheep.
- Content: Flash animations ("Badger Badger Badger", "End of the World").
- Vibe: Absurd, repetitive, geek culture.
Era 3: Image Macros & Introduction of "The Meme" (2005-2012)
- Medium: 4chan, Reddit, Cheezburger.
- Content: LOLcats (Impact font on cat pictures), Advice Animals (Socially Awkward Penguin).
- Vibe: Templated. You didn't need to be funny; you just needed to fill in the blank of an established format.
Era 4: Vine & The Short Form Video (2013-2016)
- Medium: Vine.
- Content: 6-second loops.
- Vibe: Chaotic energy. "Do it for the Vine." The restriction of 6 seconds forced incredibly efficient visual storytelling.
Era 5: Surrealism & TikTok (2018-Present)
- Medium: TikTok, Twitter.
- Content: Deep fried memes, "E", sea shanties, collaborative duets.
- Vibe: Post-ironic. Humor is layered so deep in sarcasm and references that it's often unintelligible to anyone over 30. It moves at light speed—a meme format can be born and die in 24 hours.
Conclusion
The internet democratized comedy. You don't need a TV contract to make millions laugh; you just need a phone and a weird idea.