Image via Complex Original
2013 was a big year for Tumblr. After getting purchased for $1.1 billion by tech-world veteran Yahoo!, Tumblr's founder, the 27 year old wunderkind, David Karp, was suddenly staring retirement in the face much earlier than he could've ever imagined. Since then, Tumblr's giant has only grown, spreading their reach as the preeminent source for all things GIF-worthy, memeable, and Internet-related. Essentially, Tumblr acts as a forum for all Internet culture, pumping along on the power of trending topics, bloggers, and thousands upon thousands of selfies. Now, with the year coming to a close it's time to figure out who was using the popular blogging platform in the most creative, inspiring or hilarious ways, and who made one of The 20 Best Tumblrs of 2013. Take a look for yourself, hit "Follow," and let us know if we missed any of your favorites from the year in our comments section.
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Who Stole Miley's Tongue
Miley Cyrus has been all over the place in pop culture this year but, as Who Stole Miley's Tongue argues, that crazy-long flap of muscle in her mouth may have been even wilder. One Direction? Lady Gaga? Barack Obama? It is inescapable.
Things Fitting Perfectly Into Other Things
Sometimes, life works in mysterious ways. Like a pasta wheel being the exact same size as the hole of a wooden spoon. Or a cherry tomato wedging itself inside the space left by an avocado pit. For whatever reason, the universe just conspires to make these things happen, and here to show you all of the world's crazy conformities is Things Fitting Perfectly Into Other Things. Bet you didn't know that you could use an Altoids tin as a fortune cookie fortune filing cabinet, did you? Not really sure why you would have ever figured that out in the first place, but at least it's out there for us all to know now, right?
Emojinal Art Gallery
Emojis have become a second tongue for smart-phone savvy millenials everywhere, so why not make it an artform as well? Manet's "Le dejeuner sur l'herbe?" Put a pixelated smiley face on it. Mount Rushmore? Time to give Teddy Roosevelt some kissy lips. Check out all of history's most beautiful arts and monuments with a 21st century spin at Emojinal Art Gallery. LOL!
Actresses Without Teeth
Hollywood's leading ladies, now starring in your worst nightmares. These are actually pretty hilarious, but don't try and convince yourself they aren't a little bit terrifying too. As Actresses Without Teeth shows us, if you take the dentures out, then even your favorite silver-screen crush can suddenly look like an old-fashioned movie monster. Emma Watson looks ready to engulf your soul.
The Worst Room
New York City housing is a nightmare that not even the worst of history's most twisted minds could've conceived, and The Worst Room is here to show you all the hilariously awful accommodations you can find while living in NYC, or any big city around the world. Because, hey, sometimes, all you can do is laugh about it, right? As long as you're not actually living in any of these apartments that is. If that's the case: get help.
White Men Wearing Google Glass
Classic white dudes wearing Google Glass, amirite? (Pictured above: the author of this article.)
Beyonce Art History
How do we make sense of artists like Gustave Courbet, Marina Abramovic, and Francisco Goya without proper context or a deep knowledge of art history? With the help of Beyonce, of course. Tacking on lyrics from songs like "Upgrade U," "Freakum Dress," and others, Beyonce Art History gives us quick and E-Z guide to understanding high-culture from any and all eras. Thank you, Bey God.
The Kitten Covers
Who says kittens can't rap? Not The Kitten Covers, a feline-centric Tumblr dedicated to giving all your favorite kittens their place in the musical spotlight. After all, who could forget the hip-hop's most treasured political cat-rap duo, Public Kitteny, and their revolutionary album, It Takes A Nation of Kittens to Hold Us Back? You're slipping if you slept on them, man.
PornHub Comments on Stock Photos
Internet comment boards are already pretty dangerous territory, but can you even fathom what those messages look like on a porn website? It's like the underbelly of the underbelly of the Internet. Once you go in, you never come back. However, the courageous bunch at PornHub Comments On Stock Photos has softened the blow by adding a layer of humor to the libido-driven dialogue that PornHub hosts on a daily basis. Sticking random comments, out of context, onto your normal, everyday stock photos, PornHub Comments makes for easily one of the funniest wormholes you can find on Tumblr.
Drake-ing Bad
Walter White and Aubrey Graham: more similar than you might think? Okay, definitely not, but writer/artist Shea Serrano created Drake-ing Bad specifically for the purpose of imagining what the adventures of AMC's late, great, now-departed anti-hero would look like if October's Very Own were by his side. It kind of comes off as a buddy-cop drama, don't you think? Jesse Pinkman better watch out.
The Carter Family Portrait Gallery
The Carters have basically become American royalty at this point, so why not give them the treatment they deserve by placing them on works of art by great painters anywhere from the Classical to the Modern eras? The Carter Family Portrait Gallery has taken iconic paintings from Manet, Magritte and more, turning them into pop-culture propaganda to show you how truly timeless Jay, Bey, and Blue Ivy are.
Hot-Dog Legs
Bodies are just weird sometimes, and yes, that means your that legs resemble hot dogs every now and then. This just one of the many, inescapable truths of life, but don't worry! Hot-Dog Legs is here to open your eyes to what's real. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Rappers & Cereal
Rappers gotta eat too, y'know? Whether it's Kanye Chex, Honey Nut Nelly-Os, or Grape Nas, the hustle can make you hungry. But what's truly the breakfast of champions for superstars like these? Rappers & Cereal comes up with a few guesses of their own.
TinderLines
Tinder just gets absolutely shameful sometimes all of the time, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some hilarious moments birthed in the process of using it. TinderLines has taken on the task of collecting all of these moments for us to laugh at or take notes from. Criminally smooth or painfully awful, it really doesn't get any better than this when it comes to Internet dating.
Movies In Color
Color movies are something that we've come to take for granted, given that the majority of the population has grown up with the option of seeing them in theaters for years now. But that doesn't mean that we should also take for granted the role that colors play in guiding our emotions and interpretations of a film. Movies In Color does a spectacular job of highlighting this idea by taking a single shot from a movie and breaking down the entire spectrum of colors present in the frame. Studying noted filmmakers like Gus Van Sant, Richard Linklater, and more, Movies In Color gives us yet another lens through which we can inspect and appreciate the art of film.
Cabin Porn
We've all had those days where we've just felt the need to get away from it all. Cabin Porn gives you a landscape and home for those fantasies, allowing you to envision faraway worlds of hidden shacks, beautiful seaside bungalows, and more. Who knows? Maybe it'll be the inspiration you need for your next vacation. In any case, just take the next few hours to click through, tap into your inner-Bon Iver, and relax.
Histagrams
What would history look like if Instagram had been around since the dawn of man? That's the question Histagrams answers when they cook up original photos from the likes of John Smith, Michelangelo, the Wright Brothers, and more. Selfies from Salvador Dali? Say no more.
Trapped in the Tinder
If you've ever wondered what would happen if you tried to pick up a girl using only the lyrics from Drake's popular classic, "Hold On, We're Going Home," then you're not alone. The brave team over at Trapped in the Tinder puts their Tinder reputations on the line, getting intimate with their Tinder matches by quoting songs from Drake, Chingy, DJ Quik, and more. Nothing else. Honestly, this is why God made Tinder.
Shit Rough Drafts
If you've ever needed some encouragement to get through your own creative project, just remember that nothing was ever perfect on the first try. However, Shit Rough Drafts takes that idea a step further by imagining what those initial sketches may have looked like, giving us the rough, rough drafts for popular movies, books, and more. While they aren't actually real, they'll at least allow you to feel a bit better about that NaNoWriMo project you just finished up. Remember: nobody's perfect.
Nat Geo Found
National Geographic has long been the standard in photo-journalism, so why would one expect anything different from their new Tumblr, Nat Geo Found? Featuring pictures both old and new from the NatGeo archives, Found will have you traveling all over the world, from Lebanon to South Africa.