The humble meme account has had a makeover. Once the refuge of online weirdos, trolls, and rage comics, meme culture has become so synonymous with actual culture that a shift has taken place.
Generic meme pages have died and any self respecting internet user under 60 years old is able to see how those universal, could-apply-to-anyone posts are mere engagement bait, just a hop, skip and a jump from viral videos of dogs being cute, or soldiers returning from active duty. Places like @fuckjerry may have millions of followers, but they have next to no clout which, as we know, is what really counts as success on the internet, where likes and views can come and go like the wind.
Nowadays, the meme accounts succeeding are hyper-localised, with distinct beats, whether that be geographical (Real Housewives of Clapton, which catalogues the behaviour of trendy East Londoners) or topical (Wired It Girls, which exclusively posts pictures of cool women wearing wired headphones).
There are a few which feel like a mandatory subscription if you’re a young person living in the city right now. The kind of account you go to follow after your mate shares a post to their story, only to discover that “X and 95 others” follow them, as if they’ve known an open secret you embarrassingly missed this whole time.
They’re so successful, in fact, that some have managed to monetise their hyper-local fame: the streets of Clapton actually do feature people strutting about in “Natural Wine is a Hoax” t-shirts sold by their namesake meme page, and street style-based Insta account @socks_house_meeting recently debuted their own clothing edit with Browns.
Slutty Cheff, the Instagram account run by a London-based cook who delicately (and indelicately) documents her sexual exploits, has written for Vogue, The Sunday Times’ Style magazine, and Slop Magazine.
Even though her experiences hit especially well with Londoners thanks to IYKYK details, accounts like SluttyCheff have found love outside of London and inside the A-list circles (she’s followed by the likes of Lorde and Lily Allen).
This is real internet clout. But Sluttycheff, RHOC and Socks aren’t alone in their popularity — here are the most culturally valuable Instagram accounts in London right now.
1. Real Housewives of Clapton
Yes, I said it already, but this really is the GOAT of London meme accounts and is responsible for what will become a wave of local impersonators across the 32 boroughs in the coming months, so let’s give credit where credit is due. For the uninitiated, this typically meme-focused account chronicles the habits of those who live in inner East London, — from Shoreditch, to Upper Clapton, to Newington Green, and everywhere in between. A lot of its content revolves around Perello olives, small plates dining and Birkenstocks’ ubiquitous Boston clogs, because Hackneyites have become a parody of themselves.
Follow if you like: Birkenstocks, anxious sighthounds, easy to swallow notes on gentrification.
2. The Shade Borough
The UK version of the infamous US meme account, The Shade Room is just as lively across the pond, and it has a distinctly London slant to a lot of its content. Whether it be best dressed lists from events that are usually snubbed by most outlets (London’s Guap Gala takes precedence over New York’s Met Gala in this house), genuine news events from within the city or commentary on relationships, this is the place to be if you don’t want to miss out on London drama.
Follow if you like: Reliable updates on Stormzy and Maya Jama, comment section debates that could leave you in tears (good and bad).
3. Socks House Meeting
This fashion forward Instagram meme account will one day be tried at the Hague for introducing an already-annoying-enough subset of Londoners to the phrases “litty” and “lengy” but, to be fair, it gets things right a lot of the time. If you’re looking to ID those shoes you saw on some girl in Broadway Market, follow fashion week trends, or work out where all the stylish CSM grads are going for pints on the weekend, come to a Socks House Meeting — just watch that you don’t pick up too much of the lingo.
Follow if you like: Maison Margiela Tabi split toe shoes, pints, people watching.
4. Slutty Cheff
This promiscuous London line cook is quickly becoming the hottest thing on Instagram for those living in the big smoke. Her schtick is documenting her sexual experiences, often with other chefs, across London, a city in which she bikes without holding the handle bars, cooks, writes, and eats well. In typical meme account tradition, Slutty (as she calls herself) is anonymous, but wears a burger balaclava and promises a face reveal as soon as she reaches one million followers. Watch this space.
Follow if you like: Anthony Bourdain, Grace Dent, sex.
5. Soho House Memes
Thankfully this account is far less exclusive and prohibitively expensive than the actual Soho House membership, so everyone can get in on the fun for a cheeky bit of schadenfreude as you scroll. It covers the insider element of attempting to scam what you can out of the members’ club (ie 30-year-old members inviting the only under 27 person they know out to get the discount) as well as an outsider angle (ie “Is your friend on the committee in the room with us right now?”). It doesn’t post super often, but when it does it’s like being given a surprising little treat. Much like when someone sneaks you into Soho House, actually.
Follow if you like: Picantes, money, blagging.
6. Times New Roadman
Half creative project, half meme account, this Instagram profile by Niall Gallagher is a work of art regardless of its definition. It’s kind of like the less lame, more London version of that New York-based “Dude With Sign” account, where an attractive man holds up non-controversial “controversial” opinions on a sign in public places. Instead of this, Gallagher paints “breaking news” and “petition” alerts atop mosaics of pictures, covering topics such as the gentrification of full English breakfasts, or people who say they’re from the “ends” when they’re really from Berkshire. Gallagher may be Bournemouth-based, but a lot of his content covers topics that take off in London (i.e. that full English breakfast post was inspired by the recent Burberry collaboration with Norman’s café in Tuffnell Park).
Follow if you like: Negging, but in an aesthetically pleasing way.
7. Shit London Guinness
One of the best to ever do it, Shit London Guinness is an Instagram account (and Twitter account!) beloved by many, winning the hearts of Londoners and non-Londoners alike, as well as a handful of celebrities, like Jamie Dornan (who owns a piece of their merch). Run by Cork-born Irishman in London, Ian Ryan, Shit London Guinness does what it says on the tin: documents examples of shittily poured pints of Guinness from across the capital. It’s every person’s dream to be featured and every pub’s nightmare, which is what makes it so delectable.
Follow if you like: Guinness, basically.
8. Topjaw
This is a food account run by two young men on a mission to expose where Londoners like to drink and dine. Sometimes their choices are good (Mountain, Fallow, The Plimsoll), sometimes not so good (Simmons bar), but the controversy only fuels their very healthy comment section. This is proper “foodie” turf so best to be avoided if you didn’t enjoy The Menu (or enjoyed it a little too much) and want to eat the rich more than you want to see where the rich dine. However, for wish fulfilment and recommendations from some of the best cooks London has to offer, it’s bang on.
Follow if you like: Eating out, judging people.
9. Glenn Kitson
This isn’t even a meme account, it’s just the account of a really fun Londoner: filmmaker Glenn Kitson. You’ll have seen his posts without knowing: they tend to be images of famous people with the first few lines of their Wikipedia bio as the caption, only it’s not really them in the image, it’s a fairly unflattering lookalike. Kitson has expressed feeling tired of this “bit” at times but his followers can’s get enough of it, it just keeps providing.
Follow if you like: Bad lookalikes, current events, laughing.
