The Viral, The Trend, And The Cringe: 19 Internet Moments That Kiki No Longer Loves

Call me a “Buzz(Feed)-kill,” but looking back at all the memes that followed a man’s arrest seems like something that would be frowned upon today. An arrested individual, who mostly everyone agreed was attractive as hell, became the face of a meme whenever someone thirsty enough wanted to make a joke.

I love memes as much as the next person, but it feels wrong to make a non-celebrity famous at their lowest moment. Fifteen minutes of fame aren’t usually worth the lifelong link that follows a person who goes viral. So, the man behind the meme isn’t the cringe-worthy element, but the people who pushed the meme format were.

Luckily, this meme ended in a positive way. The “Hot Felon” named Jeremy Meeks turned his life around in an inspirational way, and like most entries on this list, he’s not at fault for going viral.