21 Anti Memes With a Literal Sense of Humor

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Jan 31, 2025 4:00 PM EST

Do you ever feel like some memes are a little too clever for their own good? To paraphrase Peter Griffin critiquing The Godfather, they insist upon themselves. A meaningless piece of criticism for a type of humor at once convoluted and meaningless! Despite all the years that memes have existed and their need to constantly adapt to the changing times, sometimes it is just nice to keep things simple. Who needs punchlines, or anyone attempting something clever and highly referential? Most of the meme templates that we know and love have good bones without adding any of the unnecessary filler that apparently constitutes humor. Every now and then, it is a good idea to think literally and that is exactly what the memes in this list can be relied on to do. Back to basics can offer its own form of funny when you are too jaded for all of the other stuff.