'And the Meme Goes To...': 2026 MTV VMAs Memes for Fans Still Talking About Last Night's Show

Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor

Sep 28, 2026 7:45 PM EDT

Watching an awards show with your phone nearby requires some coordination. You look down to check what people are saying on social media while making sure you don't miss what everyone is talking about, so you can understand the memes later.

The broadcast is over, but people still have a lot to say. We are rewatching performances, comparing red carpet favorites, and giving our opinions online about the best clips of the night.

Madonna needing clarification about which award she has just won feels like an excellent place to start our VMAs discussion. She accepted Best Dance and admitted she was unclear about the category. I respect asking questions. Madonna wasn't afraid to ask. Some of us enter a room and forget why. Madonna gets a trophy while doing it. This is proof that Madonna is not so different from the rest of us after all. Well, the difference lies in the trophies. Minor details.

I have questions about the job description of the cameraman who was filming from above while balancing and wearing heels. Was balancing above a pop concert listed under the required skills? I would have read that email twice before applying to anything. I believe he deserves an award too.

How quickly spectators develop firm opinions about stage production, right? People who were looking for the remote ten minutes earlier are now explaining where the camera should have been. Sometimes they have a point, though. Other times they just wanted another close-up of their favorite artist, which is also understandable.

Madonna opening the show with guests like Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX really gave us a lot of content to text our friends before anyone had the time to settle into the couch. Then, Taylor Swift premiered the music video for her new single and watched it along with us. So if you hadn't finished deciding how you felt about the four new songs, now you have a new video to discuss. Someone is going to want your opinion and you can't answer with a simple thumbs-up. By someone, I mean your Swiftie friend. And me. I always want to hear different opinions about Taylor.