Giphy’s top 10 GIFs of 2021 reveal a tired, sad nation that still loves Baby Yoda

Many are old standbys, but a few newcomers managed to make the cut

By Andrew Paul  |  November 30, 2021 | 4:20pm
Aux Features Giphy
Giphy’s top 10 GIFs of 2021 reveal a tired, sad nation that still loves Baby Yoda
Gif: Giphy

America loves itself a good GIF. From spit takes to slow grins to whatever Dean Norris is into these days, a repeating, low-res animation can often provide better a response or mood summation than mere words ever could. They’re also pretty revealing taken in aggregate, when you think about it—the most popular GIFs can show what emotions and cultural moments resonated with the internet at any given time. Thankfully, Giphy seems to feel the same way, hence its new compilation of 2021’s most popular GIFs.

So, what do the ten most utilized entries say about us this year? Mainly, that America is a tired, defeated, shocked nation that still loves them some Baby Yoda memes.

This “Woo-Hoo Grogu” as we choose to call it ranked in at number 10 on Giphy’s list this year, alongside other cultural reference points like Bridgerton giggles and our obvious personal favorite: Katherine Hahn’s Agatha Harkness wink from WandaVision.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the main emotions conveyed through many of the GIFs on the list are those of disappointment, exhaustion, and shock. “Searches for moods like ‘sad’ always rank high, so it makes sense that this Pikachu GIF was highly viewed in 2021,” Giphy explains of its No. 4 most popular image showcasing the crestfallen Pokémon.

So which GIF topped all others this year? A scene from Succession, maybe? Or perhaps some sort of pandemic-related mask meme? Nope. It’s still just Stanley Hudson sporting his trademark, fed-up glower from The Office.

To be fair, that is a very relatable face (well, that was sort of The Office’s whole thing, now that we think about it). But we can’t help but feel, uh, a little “Stanley face GIF” about the top-ranked image. The hit workplace sitcom has been off the air for several years at this point; it’s time to shake things up a bit!

Here’s looking at 2022 to introduce us to a bevy of new, vaguely amusing animations sent to us by people trying to passive aggressively shut down whatever text conversation they’re having with us.

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