Memes have a specific language of their own, and after years of studying them (instead of our homework), we've learned enough to reduce memes into their purest form.

Some say anti-memes are a hilarious artistic commentary on the overuse of templates. Some find them to be unpleasant cryptic messages, often embodied by the overused stock photo of Hide the Pain Harold. In reality, they're both and neither at the same time.

They're a form of substantial nothingness that will teach you how to put that cynicism to work. These memes were torn to shreds and spit out as theoretical constructs, and many of us would agree they couldn't be better.

At the same time, we also understand the people who say they ruined our favorite formats. Basically, they set out to do exactly that. But did they? Or did they actually improve them?

Take a look at these 18 anti-memes and decide where you stand in this debate.