Top TV Memes: The Best Formats From 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is the famous sitcom '90s kids grew up watching. Starring Will Smith as another version of himself, this show follows his adventures living in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood after spending his childhood in a rougher area of Philadelphia. It quickly became one of the most famous sitcoms out there, and while its popularity has declined with the turn of the century, that doesn't take away all the great things fans have come to love about the show.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is especially famous for its memes. Most of these come from the show's iconic intro, which is perhaps the most recognizable theme song out there. Will Smith holding a camera, for example, is taken from the intro. So are the many more memes mocking the lyrics, and the memes are still just as popular today as they were a decade ago, perhaps more so, since this show comes with a very high nostalgia factor. These are the episodes where some of the most famous memes from the show were created.

Most Popular Memes: Season 3, Episode 10: "Asses to Ashes"

This episode may have a plot revolving around politics and a possible murder, but that's not what everyone was concerned about. In it, Will's cousin Carlton (played by Alfonso Ribeiro) secretly performs something now known as the Carlton dance before he is interrupted by Will walking in on the awkward scene. He begins his dance by searching the house to see if anyone is around, and then dancing to “It's Not Unusual” by Tom Jones, swaying his hips back and forth while wearing pants that really don't help the cause. It's not quite as elaborate or dramatic as Napoleon Dynamite's legendary dance, but we love it all the same. The Carlton dance has been referenced since before memes were really prevalent, so it’s an immortal meme at this point.

Before all of the nonsensical dances our generation has come up with, the Carlton dance was the one everyone would mimic, and honestly it was a lot better then watching a bunch of elementary schoolers Fortnite dance or floss whenever there's a dull moment. Our sense of humor as a society has been moving backwards, and the Carlton dance is proof of that. And that makes this episode worth watching, since humor peaked nearly three decades ago.

Most Meme Potential: Season 2, Episode 20: "Those Were The Days"

This episode, like quite a few other episodes in the series, deals with issues of racism, and does so in a lighthearted way. In this episode, Will tries to take a stand at school for a fired teacher. At one point in the process, a white student named Cornflake (played by Michael Weiner) handcuffs himself to Will, intending it as a gesture of support, proclaiming "Power to the people! Say it loud – I'm black and I'm proud." Will takes a minute to process this, then says, "My man Cornflake got the spirit. He a little confused, but he got the spirit."

Recently, this meme has been overshadowed by a very similar one coming from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, "He's out of line, but he's right." This meme has been floating around the internet for years, and it's very possible the use of this line to tackle similar subject matter in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier was inspired by this iconic quote. It might seem like a difficult line to incorporate in a meme, but just remember that Sweden accidentally banned heterosexual marriage while trying it's a legalized gay marriage. In this weird world we live in, there's a million uses for this quote, and it never gets old, just like the rest of the memes from this iconic show.

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