Gucci Morty, SpongeBob Handcuffs and “Grrr, Mondays”: September’s Wildest Meme Comebacks
The internet spent September digging through its own attic — and found a remarkable number of old jokes ready for a second life.
If one theme connected September’s feeds, it was nostalgia. From decade-old movie lines to cartoon screenshots, the month’s most-shared memes were often things the internet had already laughed at once — and decided to laugh at again.
Gucci Morty
An edited image of Morty from Rick and Morty dressed head-to-toe in Gucci resurfaced as a reaction image for anyone trying a little too hard to look expensive. Its comeback fit neatly alongside the “kinda chic” caption craze.
SpongeBob in handcuffs
A screenshot of SpongeBob in handcuffs picked up a fresh wave of attention, used as the perfect response to confessing small, harmless “crimes” — like eating a friend’s fries or skipping the gym for the fourth day in a row.
“Grrr, Mondays”
A line from 2015’s Ted 2 was dug up and turned into universal shorthand for start-of-week dread, appearing under everything from alarm clocks to rainy commute photos.
Gold star behaviour and “A” texts
Two newer formats joined the revivals. “Gold star behaviour” posts layer a title and scattered gold stars over a photo to praise someone’s (often tiny) good deeds. Meanwhile, a Pretty Little Liars-inspired format borrows the show’s ominous “A” text messages to call out oddly specific, petty habits.
Why old memes keep winning
Social media researchers often note that familiar formats are easier to remix — everyone already knows the joke, so the new twist lands instantly. In a fast-moving month packed with heavy headlines, that comfort factor may be exactly why the classics came back.
This story was written by the Celestia Times newsroom based on the reporting linked above. Details in developing stories can change; see our corrections policy to report an error. Illustration is original artwork, not a photograph of the events described.