Vanessa Hudgens just took a trip down memory lane by High School Musical magic along with her. From 2006 to 2008, the Wildcats ruled Disney Channel, and they left an impact on an entire generation of viewers.
Though the films have been done for over a decade, fans are still constantly finding new things to appreciate about the franchise. On Tumblr and Instagram especially, they have proven that fandom never dies. Pulling together memes fans have created provides a strong summary of what the films were about and the best moments that fans just can't stop thinking about.
The Entire Plot Of High School Musical
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There are a lot of different ways that someone could attempt to sum up the first film in the High School Musical franchise, but this Tumblr post does it best. The post boils the internal conflicts of every character down to a few words, comedically depicting the plot and characters in a way that's surprisingly accurate.
Troy, Gabriella, and Zeke all struggle between their societally-accepted niche and the one they find themselves loving against all expectations. Meanwhile, Ryan and Sharpay try to keep the spotlight, while Sharpay constantly overshadows Ryan. And the remaining characters' devotion to their one hobby makes it clear how unacceptable it was at East High to have such different interests.
Stick To The Status Quo
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This meme relies on both a knowledge of High School Musical and John Mulaney, both of which are everywhere online. As the students show off their inconsistent interests, they are actively defying the message of "Stick to the Status Quo." The rest of the cafeteria, led by Sharpay, rejects these differences, represented by an image of John Mulaney screaming "No!"
This meme is great because it sends the message that the students vehemently overreacted to basketball players baking and nerds loving to dance. John Mulaney is known for his overly exaggerated reactions, making him the perfect fit for the iconic scene where everyone has a complete fit based on people having hobbies beyond their identities at school.
Sharpay And Ryan's Unique Sibling Dynamic
It's not unrealistic for siblings to have similar interests, but it is a little concerning that Sharpay and Ryan always go for the lead roles, given that those generally love interests. While there has been a resurgence of for Sharpay from theatre kids online, Troy and Gabriella make more sense as romantic leads than a brother-sister pair.
As the meme points out, this strange dynamic is rarely acknowledged in High School Musical. The exception to that being Kelsey, whose facial expressions are priceless. Not only does Sharpay turn every ballad into an upbeat pop number, but she is actively singing love songs to her brother. Sharpay fan or not, that's definitely a little weird.
One Person Influenced The Entire School
Though the entire school is against Troy devoting any of his time to the school musical at first, everything changes by the end of the first movie, which is a little weird if you think about it. It might be realistic for Troy and Gabriella's friend groups to change their opinions, but not the entire school.
The close-knit dynamic at East High School is one of the many lies the HSM franchise told its fans. It doesn't matter how popular Troy was; he wasn't important enough to cause such strong outrage in "Stick to the Status Quo" or such profound connection in "We're All In This Together." It's unrealistic, which makes it perfect for a Kronk meme, where "We're All In This Together" takes the place of his usual "It's All Coming Together" line.
The Best Relationship In High School Musical 2
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While Troy and Gabriella's relationship was central to the HSM movies, Chad and Ryan's relationship led to one of the High School Musical franchise's most unforgettable scenes. After giving the standout performance of the movie, Chad and Ryan are shown wearing each other's clothes.
Ryan is deeply queer-coded, and fans have argued that "I Don't Dance" serves as a discussion of bisexuality and queer exploration. Because of both of those factors, fans are convinced that Ryan and Chad hooked up, no matter what anyone else says. Using the "Sure, Jan" meme shows off just how little any official source's thoughts on the relationship matter, with how universally accepted it is by the fandom.
Troy's Relatability
Although Troy was a popular character, that didn't mean he was always calm and collected. In fact, he was awkward and over-dramatic frequently in the High School Musical franchise, traits that fans find extremely relatable. Though he has played more serious parts over his career, Troy Bolton will always be one of Zac Efron's best roles.
The meme highlights Troy's dramatic side when he is losing his friends and girlfriend while trying to build a better future for himself, and Troy does what everyone wishes they could in such a high-pressure situation. "Bet On It" is iconic because of its sheer ridiculousness, but honestly, who doesn't want to dramatically storm around a golf course, singing and dancing?
Gabriella's Emotional Ballads
In each installment in the High School Musical franchise, Gabriella performed a dramatic ballad that embodied heartbreak to the film's viewers. The one referenced in this meme is "Gotta Go My Own Way," where the pleading between Troy and Gabriella during their breakup is mapped onto the American Chopper Argument meme template.
While there are plenty of other songs in the franchise that fans listen to on repeat, there's nothing quite like singing along with Gabriella, especially during moments that do not require that much dramatics. These songs capture the amazing melodrama that made the High School Musical films so iconic.
Same Plot, Different Character
While High School Musical is a lot of fun, few fans would argue it is a particularly complex musical like Riverdale.
This meme highlights the similar plotlines by putting the bridge to "Get’cha Head In the Game" over an image of Archie from Riverdale. It fits surprisingly well until the second half of the meme, where Jughead reminds Archie of the jarringly different part of the two plots—the murder of Jason Blossom.
The HSM Fandom To This Day
While it has been 11 years since fans have gotten a new film out of the High School Musical franchise, their impact is far from over. The film's most iconic lines and songs are still quoted frequently, and the emotions the franchise highlighted—though definitely exaggerated—show more of the range of human experience than even many award-winning films.
As the meme says, the movies spoke to fans' souls, allowing them to work through indecision, stereotypes, toxic relationships, and more even into adulthood. While it would be going too far to say High School Musical is the greatest series of the millennium, it definitely deserves a place of honor as one of the biggest cultural works of the early 21st century.
