Internet Awesomesauce is an aesthetic that was prevalent from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, defined by the chaotic, surreal, and ironically "epic" visual culture of that era's internet. It is characterized by absurd juxtapositions and vibrant, often overwhelming compositions that combine internet memes, pop culture references, and a specific set of recurring motifs. These include rainbows, junk food, galaxies, and animals (particularly cats, unicorns, and dogs) often humorously augmented with elements like laser eyes or wizard hats.

The aesthetic represents a specific moment in online culture when "random" humor was at its peak, driven by platforms like YouTube, Tumblr, and DeviantArt. Its visuals are a pastiche of early 2010s memes like Nyan Cat, retro video game graphics, and 1980s airbrush art styles, all used ironically. The name was coined by Alex Edwards of the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute (CARI), a volunteer collective known for identifying and curating niche design trends.

The visual style of Internet Awesomesauce is intentionally loud, chaotic, and saturated. It is built on the principle of "random" composition, where seemingly unrelated elements are combined for humorous or surreal effect. A typical image might feature a cat wearing a taco shell, flying through a rainbow-filled galaxy, and shooting lasers from its eyes against a backdrop of explosions. Space and galaxy backgrounds are a near-ubiquitous feature, serving as a canvas for the other motifs. The color palette is dominated by bright, vibrant colors, with a heavy emphasis on rainbow gradients.

Meme culture from the late 2000s and early 2010s is a foundational influence, with imagery referencing phenomena like Nyan Cat, the Shooting Stars meme, and Doge. There is also a strong nostalgic pull towards the graphics of retro arcade games and old Flash games, incorporating pixel art and 8-bit sprites into the chaotic visual mix. The overall tone is one of ironic grandeur, taking mundane subjects like pizza or waffles and elevating them to "epic" status through over-the-top visual treatments.