People love rankings. They love them even more when there’s something to argue about. Take any “top 10” article on the internet and watch the squabbling in the comments as it breaks out from the very first reply.
That’s probably why people on Twitter love the “ranking” meme that’s making the rounds right now so much. It combines everything people enjoy about writing these things with a fun twist, and we can’t get enough of them.
best films ranked:
14. it’s
13. impossible
12. to
11. rank
10. films
9. as
8. they
7. all
6. hold
5. unique
4. and
3. individual
2. characteristics
1. mamma mia!— ellie (@ryderskravitz) June 25, 2018
Twitter denizens are making their own lists that initially look like they’re about to rank items in numerical order, but they devolve into hilarious anecdotes and other silliness that’s even more entertaining than some arbitrary list, anyway.
ocean’s 8 cast ranked:
8. you cant
7. compare
6. such
5. different
4. women
3. against
2. each other
1. im being serious u cant. theyre all angels stop using women to put other women down— niamh (@natshalyonnes) June 27, 2018
Animals ranked by importance:
10. Its not
9. fair to
8. rank
7. animals
6. they are
5. all equally
4. important
3. species of
2. our Earth
1. ANYTHING BUT HUMANS— ldiot with big head (@ldiotman) June 27, 2018
best telltale games ranked:
15. you
14. cant
13. rank
12. games
11. that
10. have
9. such
8. diverse
7. yet
6. relatable
5. characters
4. with
3. incredible
2. plots
1. the wolf among us— ☆ mckenna wants Silent Hill (@makokennn) June 27, 2018
Want to make your own? It’s simple. Create a list where you intend to write a “best of” ranking, and then fill each list entry with part of a statement. It should be an intellectual (or pseudo-intellectual, if you like) riff on the topic you’re writing about, or it can even be complete nonsense. The final entry, number one or number ten, depending on how you’ve written it, can be funny or serious, but it should be the real focus of your list, like the example below.
Best female pop stars ranked:
10. We
9. Do
8. Not
7. Put
6. Other
5. Women
4. Against
3. Each
2. Other
1. Lady Gaga— ӄɨռɢ (@KingMonsterFan) June 26, 2018
We’ve made one here, just so you can see how easy it really is. Seriously.
Best Ways to Put Together A List Ranking Meme
10. Do
9. it
8. any
7. way
6. you
5. want!
4. There are
3. no real
2. rules.
1. This way.
Even corporate Twitter accounts are getting in on the fun.
Greatest video games, ranked:
20. Honestly
19. you
18. can't
17. rank
16. them
15. because
14. each
13. is
12. amazing
11. and
10. nuanced
9. and
8. delivers
7. fun
6. and
5. challenges
4. in
3. different
2. ways
1. The Last of Us— Sony (@Sony) June 26, 2018
Friends ranked:
13. you
12. can’t
11. just
10. pick
9. one
8. they
7. work
6. the
5. best
4. as
3. a
2. group
1. Phoebe— Netflix Canada (@Netflix_CA) June 26, 2018
Chipotle Orders Ranked:
18. honestly
17. you
16. can't
15. rank
14. them
13. because
12. every
11. one
10. is
9. specially
8. made
7. for
6. the
5. person
4. who
3. orders
2. it
1. chicken bowl w/ guac— Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) June 26, 2018
Are you part of a massive fandom you can no longer keep quiet about? Want to make sure the world knows who the very best sci-fi show is or which K-pop boy band should come out on top? Make your own ranking, and then share it with us.
Disney Princesses ranked:
14. There
13. Are
12. So
11. Many
10. Gorgeous
9. Kind
8. Princesses
7. How
6. Could
5. I
4. Ever
3. Pick
2. One
1. Edna Mode— Timmy Timato (@TimmysWell) June 27, 2018
best movie directors ranked
16. you
15. can't
14. rank
13. them
12. because
11. they
10. are
9. very
8. diverse
7. and
6. all
5. very
4.creative
3. and
2. talented
1. Stanley Kubrick— boobs4bernie (@GIGlNOTHADID) June 27, 2018
And then we’ll probably go ahead and rank those rankings. That’s just how we do, natch.