34 Fourth of July Jokes: The 2016 “Pokemon GO & Mannequins” Edition

In 2016, Independence Day was a “Mobile Adventure.” We were all walking into trees trying to catch a Pikachu, “Dabbing” at the end of every sentence, and celebrating the fact that Deadpool finally got his own movie. It was the year of Stranger Things, the rise of TikTok (as Musical.ly), and the realization that the entire country could be united by the quest for a rare Charizard in the middle of a local parade.

The 2016 Independence Top 10: “Pokeballs & Pikas”

1. The Pokemon GO Launch: Why was the 2016 BBQ so crowded? Because there was a “Lure Module” on the grill, and half the neighborhood showed up not for the burgers, but to catch a Snorlax sitting on the potato salad.
2. The “Mannequin Challenge” Stasis: Why did the 2016 firework show look like a glitch? Because every family tried to film a video where they stood perfectly still for two minutes while “Black Beatles” played in the background.
3. The Deadpool Attitude: Why was the 2016 BBQ so “Meta”? Because Ryan Reynolds made breaking the fourth wall so cool that every Dad spent the day talking directly to the security camera about his “superhero” grilling skills.
4. The Stranger Things Nostalgia: Why were we all obsessed with Eggo waffles? Because the Upside Down arrived in July, making us realize that the only thing scarier than a Demogorgon is running out of syrup.
5. The “Work” by Rihanna Loop: Why was the 4th so repetitive? Because Rihanna and Drake were “work-work-work-working” on the radio so much that we all felt like we were on an 8-hour shift instead of a holiday.
6. The Suicide Squad Aesthetics: Why was the 2016 pool party so “Edgy”? Because every teenager had dyed pigtails and a baseball bat, trying to figure out which “Worst. Heroes. Ever.” they were supposed to be.
7. The Leo DiCaprio Oscar Win: Why was the 4th so “Triumphant”? Because Leo finally won his Oscar in February, giving us all hope that if he can survive a bear attack, we can survive this humidity.
8. The “Closer” Chainsmokers Era: Why was the 4th so “Millennial”? Because this song played until we all felt like we were actually in the back of a Rover that we couldn’t afford in Boulder.
9. The Captain America: Civil War: Why was the BBQ divided? Because you had to choose “Team Cap” or “Team Iron Man” just to get a seat at the picnic table.
10. The “Panda” Desiigner Mumble: Why was the parade so hard to understand? Because Desiigner was “broads in Atlanta” and “panda-panda-panda-ing” so fast that we didn’t know if it was a song or a weather report.

The Full 2016 Fourth of July Archive

11. The “7 Years” Lukas Graham: Why was the 4th so “Reflective”? Because the song made us all realize that we’re getting older, especially when we tried to get up from a low lawn chair.
12. The Finding Dory Memory: Why did we forget where the car was parked? Because 13 years later, Dory returned to teach us to “just keep swimming” through the crowd.
13. The “Cheap Thrills” Sia: Why was the 2016 BBQ so “Budget-friendly”? Because Sia told us we don’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight (but we still needed them for the fireworks).
14. The Ghostbusters (2016) Debate: Why was the BBQ “Polarized”? Because everyone had a very strong opinion about the new proton packs and the ratio of slime to comedy.
15. The “One Dance” Rihanna & Drake: Why was the 4th so “Tropical House”? Because Drake gave us the ultimate summer vibe for anyone holding a drink with a tiny umbrella.
16. The The Secret Life of Pets: Why were we looking at the dog weird? Because the movie made us wonder if the dog was actually hosting his own BBQ while we were at the parade.
17. The “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Justin Timberlake: Why was the 4th so “Trolls-y”? Because JT created a song so happy it made even the most cynical teenager tap their foot near the coleslaw.
18. The Batman v Superman Sadness: Why was the griller so “Broody”? Because Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill spent the spring fighting, making every “Martha” at the BBQ feel very confused.
19. The “Don’t Let Me Down” Chainsmokers: Why were we so anxious? Because the drop was so big it felt like the entire patio might collapse into a synthy abyss.
20. The Moana (Teasers): Why was the pool “Calling” us? Because Disney started teasing the ocean-epic, and we were all ready to “Restore the Heart of Te Fiti” (or at least the heart of the watermelon).
21. The “24K Magic” Bruno Mars: Why was the 4th so “Gold”? Because Bruno arrived late in the year to remind us that “luxury” is just wearing a silk shirt to a burger joint.
22. The Sully Landing: Why was the 4th so “Heroic”? Because Tom Hanks reminded us that landing a plane in the Hudson is impressive, but landing a hot dog on a bun without it falling is the real miracle.
23. The “Starboy” Weeknd: Why was the 4th so “Space-pop”? Because Abel cut his hair and decided to become a “Starboy,” making the fireworks look like his personal music video.
24. The Sing Auditions: Why was the karaoke so competitive? Because the movie made us think that every pig, gorilla, and porcupine in town had a recording contract.
25. The “Side to Side” Ariana & Nicki: Why was everyone on a stationary bike? Because the music video made “spin class” the most patriotic way to celebrate 2016.
26. The The Jungle Book (Live Action): Why were we nice to the bears? Because Bill Murray’s Baloo made “The Bare Necessities” the official philosophy of the 2016 BBQ.
27. The “This Is What You Came For”: Why was the 4th so “Lightning”? Because Calvin Harris and Rihanna made every firework flash feel like a high-fashion photoshoot.
28. The Arrival Language: Why were we drawing circles in the dirt? Because Amy Adams made us think that communicating with aliens required a whiteboard and a lot of patience.
29. The “Heathens” Twenty One Pilots: Why was the 4th so “Alternative”? Because the Suicide Squad soundtrack made us all “wait for them to ask you who you know.”
30. The Doctor Strange Magic: Why was the Dad “folding space”? Because he was trying to fit 15 people into a 5-person tent using “sorcery.”
31. The “Cake by the Ocean” DNCE: Why was the 2016 BBQ dessert so misplaced? Because Joe Jonas wanted to eat cake by the ocean, but we only had a small inflatable pool and some brownies.
32. The Rogue One Hope: Why was the 4th so “Rebellious”? Because a standalone Star Wars movie was coming, and we all realized that “Hope” is the ultimate firework.
33. The “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” Mike Posner: Why was the 4th so “Melancholy”? Because the remix turned a sad story into a club banger for people who had never been to Spain.
34. The 2016 Final Vibe: Why was it a “Viral” 4th? Because we were “Catching ‘Em All,” “Dabbing” through the smoke, and “Mannequin Challenging” our way into a future that felt as weird as a rare Pokemon in your backyard.