Michael Phelps’ Angry Face Is Officially The First Olympic Meme Of Rio 2016 #PhelpsFace
In the last Olympics, London 2012, the then gymnast McKayla Maroney won silver in the vault event, which she was favored to win, became a meme with her "McKayla Maroney Is Not Impressed" face. That meme baton has now been passed on to another American Olympian, Michael Phelps.
Swimmer Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 25 medals, was caught on camera with hoodie and headphones glaring ferociously at his opponent Chad le Clos as he was psyching himself up while listening to his trademark 'mystery music' playlist and trying to get his head into the swim/win zone.
This was a few days ago before before the men’s 200 meter butterfly semifinals. Le Clos was walking about right in front of Phelps, warming up and stretching right in front of him, almost taunting him deliberately.
No one's sure whether Phelps was trying to death stare le Clos for doing that or was just caught unawares when he was trying to focus himself before a big swim—either way it's a look that could fell a tree at fifty paces.
And it's also a look that the internet could not pass by without turning it into this Olympics' McKayla Maroney.
What #Rio2016 meme will emerge to succeed the 2012 Olympics' most lasting meme, "McKayla Maroney is not impressed"?
Finally McKayla Maroney. could step down and pass the torch over to Michael and so the #PhelpsFace meme was born where the swimmer's seriously serious face became fodder for plenty of humorous takes.
From Phelps the Sith Lord to Phelps encompassing that face you make when you see something you absolutely loathe, like cargo shorts. I'm sure over the next few days there will be many more.
Check out some of the best of the fun below.