Hashtags are definitely here to stay, and they also all have massive potential to be a good joke, if handled properly. Here were the ten hashtag campaigns that made us laugh the hardest this year, whether they were supposed to be humorous, or not.
1. #MySexLifeInMovieTitles
In September, the hashtag #MySexLifeInMovieTitles went viral, inspiring a lot of people to get real about their mediocre rolls in the hay. Some notable submissions: "Too Fast, Too Furious," Once," and "Toy Story 1, 2, and 3."More »
2. #1LetterWrongMovie
What happens if you change just one small letter from popular movie titles? Funny stuff, that's what. August's best hashtag game had people Photoshopping movie posters to change their titles, and their entire meanings, with hilarious results. BuzzFeed has a great collection of them here.More »
3. #CareerEndingTwitterTypos
Comedian Patton Oswalt started a hilariously vulgar new hashtag trend called #CareerEndingTwitterTypos. Each rude typo changed the tweet's meaning so drastically, and so heinously, that they would cost you your job for sure. See some funny examples here.More »
4. #InappropriateFuneral Songs
In a great Twitter hashtag trend that became like a game, users submitted their best ideas for the most inappropriate songs to be played at a funeral service. Among the best: "Highway to Hell," Celebration," and "Rolling In The Deep."More »
5. #PaulasBestRecipes
In a prime example of Hashtag Hijacking. When celebrity chef Paula Deen found herself in hot water over making racist remarks, Twitter users began sending out satirical versions of her famous Southern recipes using her own hashtag. "Back of the Bus Biscuits," We Shall Overcrumb Cake," and other funny jabs circulated for months after the scandal broke.More »
6. #Hijacking Al-Qaeda
This hijacked hashtag was started by analyst and author J.M. Berger, a noted consultant on al-Qaeda and extremist groups. When Berger learned that al-Queda was using an Arabic hashtag to solicit diobolic ideas from their fanbase, he urged his Twitter followers to troll jihadists by hijacking the hashtag with some of their own (very snarky) suggestions for al-Qaeda operations. Best ones: "Deliver unicorn statues to jihadists who deny climate change," and "Al Qaeda, the movie: Dude, where's my car bomb?"More »
7. #ObamaCareIsWorking
Since its inception, the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare) was plagued by naysayers and problems, so it almost made sense that the #ObamaCareIsWorking hashtag would get hijacked to such a seriously snarky degree. Best tweets: #ObamaCareIsWorking "part time no benefits," and "to get you that 30 hour work week you've always wanted."
Ouch.More »
8. #MyGirlfriendNotAllowedTo
When the excellent #mygirfriendnotallowedto and #myboyfriendnotallowedto hashtags went viral, the tweets quickly turned sarcastic and satirical. At least, we hope these were meant to be satirical.
Best tweets: #mygirlfriendnotallowedto "breathe. when you breathe, your chest expands. Who you pushing your chest out for? Answer me."More »
9. #CureForMiley
The notorious internet pranksters at 4chan targeted Miley Cyrus in this hashtag-fueled hoax in October of 2013. Using the hashtag #CureForMiley, users circulated a fake CNN article that alleged that the pop singer had contracted the AIDS virus.More »
10. #FML, Jell-o Style
For a few weeks in Spring of 2013, Kraft Food's Jell-o brand hijacked the popular web expression "FML." Normally, the saying means, "F**k my life," but Jello-o decided to interpret it as "Fun my life," and anybody who used the #FML hashtag was automatically entered to win their giveaway contest. Bonus! More »