Much like the people that make them, memes require some attention to thrive. While the many meme makers of the world could just make funny little image macros for nothing but their own pleasure, that's not really the point. Where these things really have their fun is out on the cold, brutal, public internet, where everyone can be a critic. If a meme isn't hated by some, has it really done its job as a miniature unit of entertainment? I don't think so.
Although it might be controversial to some when we compare memes to art, this is definitely a way in which they are similar. Nothing is going to float everyone's boat. That's part of the beauty of it. There are so many different individuals trying to get their separate messages across via internet humor, a tiny minority of which we will consume. It's our seeing them that makes them valid, no matter what we think.