During the 2023 VMAs, Selena Gomez's animated — or noticeably non-animated — face went viral a number of times.
This year's show was all about celebrating music, of course, but it was also all about sticking cameras in front of the famous attendees' faces and hoping for the best.
Read more: A backstage fight and 'drunk Taylor': Mamamia recaps the 2023 MTV VMAs.
With Gomez's bestie Taylor Swift, they struck gold: Swift danced, chugged drinks, cheered and fangirled from her very active corner of the stage, with quite literally her every moment captured and sent viral by viewers on X (formally known as Twitter... sigh).
On the other side, Gomez, seated next to her 'Calm Down' collaborator Rema, looked to be having less fun. Still, Gomez has also gone viral, but it wasn't for shaking her hips to Shakira.
After the show — and maybe even after a Diddy-hosted after-party *with* her best friend — Gomez uploaded an Instagram Story which (we... presume) addressed her VMA reactions going viral.
"I will never be a meme again," she wrote. "I'd rather sit still than be dragged for being myself. Much love."
It's not completely clear what she's talking about - but Gomez was criticised throughout the show for staying in her seat a lot of the time.
At the beginning of the show, a clip of her covering her ear and looking concerned during Olivia Rodrigo's performance was shared around social media like it was a diss, when contextually, she was reacting to a surprise set collapse planned as part of Rodrigo's skit.
She was also dragged for checking her phone and for staying seated during a number of performances.
Or perhaps it is in reference to her most viral moment, which was her reaction to Chris Brown's name being called as a nominee for Best R&B.
(Honestly... fair.)
Later on Instagram, she also commented "who cares lol" on a post about her reaction to Brown's name.
Brown posted on his IG Story "Let me mind my business", which given the timing people believe to be about this.
Gomez has actually been meme-ed a lot recently — including when she went viral for her reactions to watching a Lionel Messi football game, and when she posted a photo of herself wrapped in a blanket — but it seems like she's well-and-truly over it.
Unfortunately for her, the only things guaranteed in this life are death, taxes... and memes.
Feature image: Getty/MTV.
Do you have children aged under 13 years? Take this survey now to go in the running to win one of four $50 gift vouchers for your time.