Oh He-Man. That name alone envelops me in waves of comfortable '90s nostalgia.
Now granted, the much lovedHe-Man and the Masters of the Universeshow was a little before my time. I was born in the very late 80's so I came too late to enjoy its original short run from 1983-1985. Still, though. Like today's endless rerunsFriends, Cheers, Frasierand it will testify, TV shows never went away.
Hello,Masters of the UniverseIt has almost disappeared from even the most obscure TV channels, but it continues to maintain a cult following. Like all of the most iconic and enduring characters, He-Man's image is indelibly imprinted on our collective consciousness. You can't erase the image of those furry speedsters.
It's one of those franchises that you'll be exposed to, albeit unconsciously. You don't need to have read a comic book or watched an episode to know the power of Greyskull, for example, or his bony enemy Skeletor.
Fans of the franchise, of course, will have a little more insight. They will learn the story of our hero's alter ego, Prince Adam, and his wimpy pet tiger Cringer (who transforms into his faithful ally Battle Cat, also BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL).
However, if you have the vaguest or encyclopedic knowledge of He-Man's exploits, you'll enjoy this. These are some of the best and snarkiest He-man memes on the web; as befits the strongest man in the universe.
25 When you just want to educate people and they criticize you for it
So yes. We discussed Skeletor's raw, fiery, rebellious, carefree appeal. When it comes to sheer coolness and 'tude' (which was a huge factor in the '90s when I got into this franchise), Skeletor is way ahead of He-Man. Impossibly far ahead.
Look what a boy scout he is. While his enemy hatched diabolical plans and effortlessly roasted his clueless minions, what was He-Man doing? He was appearing in cheesy infomercial-type segments, that's what he was doing. You know the kind of thing. Remember those after-school specials we used to get bombarded with back in the day? That's what He-Man would put us through, though all we really wanted to see was another sword fight.
24 When you become Alolan Dugtrio out of nowhere
Aspokémonfans will know that the franchise gets a lot of flack for resting on its laurels. Pokémon designs aren't what they used to be, people will say, citing the ice cream cone, trash bag, and other questionable designs.
When the abomination that is Alolan Dugtrio was revealed, the snark-o-meter reached critical levels. The thing looks like the Queen in her iconicBohemian Rhapsodyafter all.
His Beatlesque look also reminded me of someone else, and I just couldn't think of who. All this time later, the internet's crafty meme makers finally figured it out for me. It's our good friend He-Man! Three of them, to be precise. Which makes it (wait, that's good, you're going to like this one) Three Men.
23 When you reveal the true depths of your D-Baggery
So, as we've already established, groups of friends (or squads, as the cool kids call them these days) tend to have a wild card. The funny one, the class clown or whatever you want to call it. If we talk about friends from work, then they will be the pranksters in the office. You'll know what they are because they have a Nerf gun or something on their desk.
The problem is, there's a fine line between funny and just plain rude.
Some have a higher tolerance for crude humor than others, but pushing your boundaries with the wrong people will ruin your reputation for being funny.
Likewise, you also need to protect your reputation as a bad guy. In this iconic scene, Skeletor rescues two children from a snowy beast, but later reminds them that he is still a villain.
22 When He-Man is the World's Greatest Tea Expert
You know, this one really speaks to me. He speaks to me on a previously unknown deep emotional level. I like it guys, I like everything.
Now, I'm English and I'm sure you've heard what they say about the English. No, not football hooliganism or terrible teeth, the other. No, neither does the rain (although it's currently tapping furiously on the window as I write this).
I'm talking about tea addiction across the country.
Personally, I confess that I don't drink as much tea as I used to, but man, it's too much around here. When we say we're going to a friend's house for tea, that's what we mean. We don't want to see this person, we're in this for the free tea.
If you're a fan of making tea, let He-Man's face be your guide.
21 When we learn a crucial lesson in context
The 1980s and 1990s, as all those (unfortunately) lucky enough to remember them can attest, represented a rather strange phase in humanity's development. It was a time when MC Hammer's parachute pants and The Fresh Prince's entire wardrobe were considered socially acceptable. At the time, we carried Walkmans (remember those?) and cell phones the size of an average studio.
More importantly, it was a time when muscular He-Man was a boring part-time teacher. As we've already seen, the guy liked to stop all the action by giving the kids in the audience valuable life lessons. Apparently.
I totally understand that this was kind of a cartoon at the time, but seriously. Come on guys, this is He-Man. He doesn't - teaches us about not accepting candy from strangers and the importance of sharing the man.
20 When Nikki Minaj steals your gaze
First, we have to give the woman what she deserves here. If there's anyone you can never accuse of stealing someone else's fashion sense, it's Nikki Minaj. In a world full of wannabes, posers, and bandwagon jumpers, Minaj is nothing if not original. I don't know what the hell he's wearing most of the time, but that's the mark of a creative connoisseur.
However, you tend to find inspiration everywhere, either intentionally or subconsciously.
Who would have thought that He-Man was a fashion icon?
Look at him there, rocking that pink and white outfit and a delicate but masculine bob combo. Who wore it better, you ask? This is hard. Are you sure they're tied up? When you look this good, there can be no losers.
19 When you baked so much, you became immune
Every group of friends has that one person. Officially designated as the 'Funny One', his job is to tirelessly criticize everyone else and provide constant snarky commentary on everyday events.
The Chandler Bing of the bunch, in short.
On the other hand, there is the member whose role is to be the butt of most jokes. Everyone has their share of that I guess because that's what close friends do with each other, but still. There tends to be someone who is a more common target for sarcasm than anyone else.
It's hard, but you have to get over it. Eventually, you learn to accept it, laugh it off, and even make a lot of self-deprecating comments. When you're able to do this, you know you've reached Skeletor Peak.
18 When you go to Brokeback Mountain in He-Man
Now, of course, it was inevitable that this sort of thing would come up.
The concept of "shipping" has always struck me as a little strange. Sure, there are times when the right ship is just what a story might need (I would have loved Snape and Lily together a little more, for example), but still. If we are not realistic, if we are not adequate, we can go way beyond the limits here.
I think I speak for most people when I say He-Man and Skeletor is not something I want to hear. Not sure who thought that was cool, but it's definitely not. We can engage in a debate about the sexuality ofsecret in the mountainEnnis and Jack are the only things we like, but we'll leave those two out.
17 When you leave Shawn Mendes
Now, I have nothing against Shawn Mendes. Don't get the false impression that I'm just playing with him for a joke. I have no problem with the Canadian singer-songwriter, and I think he fully deserves the meteoric rise his young career has taken.
It's just... come on. We're talking about Skeletor here.
If we're going to make the boy sing, couldn't something be more appropriate? One of the great Disney villains, shall we sayHe's prepared? I can totally imagine him doing that.treat you better? That's not his style.
Still, having said that, I don't mean those one-dimensional villains, all bad, all the time. Embrace your sensitive side, Skeletor. After all, you're more popular than the nice guy.
sixteen When the dramatic plot twist hits you like a speeding SUV
You know how it is. This is the cheesiest and oldest plot of all time. Here's how it works: First, the villain reveals his dastardly plan. They might even go after someone close to the hero, to persuade him to thwart his plan. Said hero agrees to do so. The bad guy starts to win a little bit, the good guy is in trouble for a while here, but then he inevitably prevails.
This is how books, movies, TV shows, and the like have worked for generations. You just know Skeletor isn't going to win, because he's driving Skeletor crazy. Ultimately, being a true supervillain is about fighting before you lose with as much style as possible. Skeletor is the master at this.
15 When Sassy Skeletor is the best Skeletor
It is often a sad fact that the villain is far more popular than the "good guy" in the play. There is probably something interesting, deep and psychological behind it. Why are we drawn to things that hurt us? Things like chocolate cakes, alca-ma-hol and Darth Vader?
Because, in reality, we are inherently self-destructive. That's why.
Also, much more importantly, it's because the bad guys are infinitely nicer. Skeletor is, essentially, a Lich, and an awesome one at that. What is He-Man? An arrogant prince in a pair of furry swim trunks. I know whose side I'm rooting for, folks.
Let's not downplay the power of charisma either. Skeletor effortlessly dominates every scene he appears in, and his taunts and retaliations are world-class.You talking idiots! imbeciles! imbeciles! FUNGUS!
14 When He-Man met Christian Gray
Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm all for a good crossover. next marvel movieinfinity war, promises to shoehorn almost any Marvel character that's been in a movie before, and I totally buy that concept.Space Jam? You are absolutely right, I dug that too.mario kart 8ofcross between animalsyThe Legend of ZeldaContent available for download? You guessed it, I was totally on board with that too.
All that said, some things are just a snarky crossover concept taken too far. Personally I don't thinkFifty Shades of greysometimes it needs to be combined with something else (except maybe a garbage bag) but to each his own i guess. The important thing is that the pun is totally on point and you have to respect it.
13 When Skeletor completely thwarts its inspirational message
Damn it, Skeleton. You can't stop being all... Skeleton? Just for a minute?
As I'm sure you all agree, there's a lot of negativity in the world these days. Every newspaper headline and press release gives us an exciting new reason to think the world has gone to the wolves. There are no more those funny and whimsical stories at the end of the news, right? The ones where the crab emails the coastguard about the tidal wave and saves the swimmers' lives. We don't have time for any of that anymore.
Our last bastion of hope is found in the inspiring images people are posting all over Facebook. They are our light in the dark, keep calm and carry on, and Skeletor will not ruin you.
12 When Katy Perry shamelessly steals your grain of sand
So yes. We already talked about Nikki Minaj and how she is at the forefront of the music video craze. Come to think of it, she is one step away from becoming Lady GaGa and wearing a dress made out of steak for her videos.
I think there's something about pop stars and eccentric fashions. See Katy Perry.
Remember that halftime show where he was riding a huge bear?
Clear. This isn't the kind of show you can erase from your mind.
Just remember: once again, He-Man was there first. Of all the people to get advice on style and/or choreography, this guy seems to be a pretty popular choice. I think it's well out there, which is the main focus here.
11 When would you have gotten away with it if it weren't for that meddlesome He-Man
Oh yes. We've got a super popular meme on our hands here, folks. The floor has been a number of different things here, but it's never been more fitting.
As we've already seen, it's hard to be the enemy of a popular cartoon character. You'll come up with all kinds of ridiculous schemes, watch them come to fruition, only to be thwarted at the last possible moment. One and another time. That kind of thing starts to bother you after a while.
No one is denying Skeletor's d-baggery, of course. It is there for all to see. It's just that the poor guy has a lot of difficult things in life. It's like a Bond villain; always so close and so far.
10 When He-Man finally faces the truth
So, we've already touched on that a little bit. We've laid the groundwork, just to help He-Man start to get used to it. Now there's nothing else to do, just say it categorically:
Skeletor is infinitely cooler than He-Man.
There are a combination of factors at play here. First, there's that voice. the charisma, the snarky one-liners, unrivaled by anything but an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. The guy looks mischievous and intimidating. Which obviously isn't that hard when YOUR REAL FACE HAS MELTED AND YOU'RE JUST A TALKING SKULL.
Not to mention, of course, the oft-said cliché about bad boy charm. Skeletor has that in spades. How can He-Man hope to compete with that? I'll tell you how: it can't. That's how.
9
8 When Eevee is transformed by Duskull's power
Oh yes. Now that's one thing.
times whenPokémon sol e luawere first revealed, I had all sorts of questions about the Z-Moves. Were they a good idea or not? What kind of influence would they have on the meta? Why do some Pokemon get their own super cool signature moves and the rest get tricked again?
A few years later, Z-Moves are accepted as just another part of the team building process. They shook things up quite a bit. Not least with the addition of Eevee's Extreme Evoboost, which actually made Eevee itself somewhat relevant.
Using this move causes an animation showing all Eeveelutions imbuing Eevee with power. This increases all of your stats by two stages. Now that's the power of Greyskull.
7 When it's 2018 and your employer is still anti-Skeleton
Now, you see, this is the kind of thing people shouldn't get away with anymore. Come on guys. It's 2018, we need to be a little more open-minded and let go of some of that crap.
What is it all about, really? When you get down to it, it's just super meanness in action. When it comes to job applications, the most competent, enthusiastic and professional should get the job. We shouldn't decide anything based on insignificant factors like how you look.
In today's increasingly politically correct world, you cannot discriminate like that. That's horrible prejudice against people without shitfaces, and we don't tolerate that kind of thing anymore. Even with that, I won't put it.
Won't someone think of Jack Skellington and Skeletor?
6 When Skeletor Really Doesn't Feel Like Playing
You know, I'm a simple man with simple tastes. I really don't like double meanings, puns and all that kind of shenanigans. I shoot from the hip, I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I'm also very fond of clichés, as you can probably tell.
The thing is, I admire people who are the same way. If you're going to do something, do it right, I always say. If you're going to be a villain, give it your all. Do you see Skeleton here? He is fine. He's living his best villain life, and I can appreciate that.
The Throne of Bones? Complete lack of care? That's how it's done. Skeleton, you're the man.