The ways in which The Lord of the Rings is a very special work of art are too many to count.

Realistically, no series should get away with being as good as this, but somehow LOTR manages it. The worldbuilding is so detailed it is nearly immaculate, the characters are all individuals you can root for (or against), and the story stands the test of time no matter how many interpretations and spin-offs that it receives. It is a winner on all fronts.

The ultimate testimony to the great success of everything to do with Middle-earth is all the people who remain devoted to everything that the work of Tolkien and his interpreters stands for. They are the ones who make the epic story as legendary as it is today. Of course, it stands alone as a great creation, but like many popular creative works, it is the fans who make it. The cast of the original movies isn’t still hanging out with each other to this very day for no reason at all.

Part of the reason that the legacy of LOTR still stands so tall after all these years is that there is so much to draw from and create memes about. A goofy sense of humor is one of the most important parts of the fandom, and it is capable of both satisfying established fans and drawing in new ones. Tolkien memes are so popular that they are basically a foundational pillar of meme culture as a whole at this point. For anybody who is obsessed with anything Middle-earth, this feels like a fitting tribute.