They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but teenagers in the 2000s have found that memes can become a universal language. Connecting social media users across the globe, the “success kid,” “disaster girl,” and “side-eyeing Chloe” became common fixtures in day-to-day life. Their faces have become synonymous with success, exasperation, and drama after their photos were shared across the Internet. After the split-second image is captured, the real lives behind the iconic memes rarely leave the shadows of the Internet. Now, the childhood favorites are all grown up, and while you might instantly recognize their Internet personas, they’re able to fly under the radar in real life.
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Success Kid — The picture snapped by his mom was soon plastered everywhere, even being used by the White House to urge Congress to pass immigration reform in 2013. Laney Griner, from Jacksonville, Fla., snapped the photo of Sammy on the beach when he was 11 months old. He quickly became the “success kid” meme around 2010. Becoming a meme actually turned out to be a lifesaver. The photo of Sammy enabled the family to raise more than $100,000 to help Sammy’s father Justin pay for medical expenses after having a kidney transplant. Today, Sammy is 18 and enjoys art and listening to music.
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| Disaster Girl — Zoe Roth became an Internet sensation at the age of 4 when she was pictured standing in front of a burning building with a devilish smirk on her face. The picture served as a perfect meme for those who wanted to depict any disastrous scene or mischievous act. Zoe, from Lake Tahoe, later earned $473,000 after deciding to sell the snap to a collector. Today she’s 25 and a research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. |
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Side-Eyeing Chloe — In 2013, a little girl unimpressed by a surprise trip to Disneyland was catapulted into meme history. Side-Eyeing Chloe, as she became known, is actually Chloe Clem, from Salt Lake City, Utah. She was just 2 years old when she became an online hit. Now 15, the teenager is $74,000 richer after selling her photo.
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| Bad Luck Brian — His dorky haircut, sweater-vest, puffy smile, squint and braces made Kyle Craven an unexpected online phenomenon as “Bad Luck Brian.” He was 16 when the photo was taken by a friend and uploaded to social media. Craven explained that he was a class clown and made the photo ridiculous on purpose. He bought the sweater from a thrift store, rubbed his cheeks red before posing, and then made the goofiest face he could. He made an estimated $20,000 from the photo, and today the 29-year-old describes himself as “just a normal guy.” |
