Memes have not only become popular but an effective mode of communication among youth within cultures. They allow them to pass on social thoughts and memories to one another in funny ways. The beauty of the memes is that they offer an expression format that is universally relatable. Perhaps this is why they are so popular among diverse cultures from across the globe. Or in other words, memes tend to enhance cross-cultural interactions by offering one similar denominator. There are some viral Pakistani memes as well which have universal expression formats to convey funny and powerful thoughts about social, political, and even some personal situations. Interestingly, despite the tag of Pakistan memes, they are popular in India too.
The way these memes have gone viral not across the border but also across the oceans shows how despite differences, the commonality of ‘Human’ experience still matters.
Pakistani Memes Gaining International Recognition
Many Pakistani memes have gone internationally viral over the years. People from other cultures have used them as formats to express their thoughts and experiences.
Pakistani social media users seem strong in dissecting the political and social ongoings in their country through memes that can be an image, GIF, or a short video. Here are the most popular of them:
Friendship Ended with Mudassir
This is probably one of the earliest famous Pakistani memes, that is still viral after 6 years. It started in 2015 when one guy from Gujranwala, Asif shared a photoshopped image saying “Friendship ended with Mudassir, now Salman is my best friend”. It contained pictures of both Asif and Salman with Mudassir’s pictures crossed out on each side.
It instantly gathered a cult following of its own that became fans of the friends in the meme. Asif said that his ex-best friend became “proudy” so he switched to the new one. However, all three of them became best friends later and their meme became Pakistan’s first non-Fungible token (NFT) on World Friendship Day (30th June) this year. So, if there was some list of Pride of Pakistan memes, then this was indeed the best qualifier.
Angry Cricket Fan
Many Pakistani memes have revolved around cricket especially with matches between India and Pakistan. One such meme was the best thing to come out of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. It shows the reaction of a fan who was disappointed at the performance of the Pakistani cricket team. The green shirts lost to Australia and made him frustrated. However, his reaction has made him an overnight phenomenon.
Wow Grape Meme
One of the funniest Pakistani memes came out of an event at Pakistan International School Jeddah (PIJ). A teacher asked students about how they plan to serve Pakistan in the future. The replies of the students caught the attention of internet users around the world. One student, in particular, became famous for saying “I will sacrifice my life for Pakistan” in a fancy accent. Even folks from other countries started to sarcastically claim the same. Moreover, the teacher also acknowledged each child by saying “wow great” which came off as “wow grape” to the listeners. Interestingly, despite apparently being one of the Made in Pakistan memes for Pakistanis only, it is making even Indians sacrifice their life for the country.
Ye Bik Gyi Hai Gormint
There are many scathing Pakistani memes about the confusing political scene in the country. Almost every government in the history of Pakistan has drawn criticism for prioritizing personal motives over public concerns. One citizen, Ms. Qamar better known as gormint aunty, got brutally honest with the media in a street interview. She used highly profane language to address what the government has been doing, and it turned out that it was the voice of every citizen of the world facing oppression from the state. However, in the end, it was just another addition to the ever-coming from Pakistan memes.
Shaheen Afridi Meme
Thousands of Pakistani memes have been made to celebrate the glorious victory of Pakistan against India in T20 World Cup 2021. There was one that stole the limelight for being exceptionally funny as it contained the conniving smile of Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi. He looked like some supervillain with mind-reading abilities who knew all the dirty secrets of everyone. During the T20 World Cup 2020 people were already speculating that there was another one of the going viral from Pakistan memes in the form of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s expression.
Pawri Ho Rhi Hai
Social media influencer Dananeer Mubeen aka Pawri Girl also became an overnight sensation after a video. She already had a decent following on social media but this particular short video boosted her popularity and influence. The video showed her having a good time with friends and referring to it as a party. It was a normal video that turned into a meme through excessive sharing and social interaction. It was relatable with so many people who tend to treat most of their social gatherings like parties. Numerous celebrities remade the meme in their style including the famous Indian musician, Yashraj Mukhate.
