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Top memes from third presidential debate: Puppets, bad hombres

Even baskets of adorables couldn't save the internet from a whopping debate headache, as meme and screams flew.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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Gael Cooper
Eric Mack
2 min read

Third time's the charm? Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off Wednesday night at the University of Las Vegas in Nevada for their third and final debate before the November 8 election. Chris Wallace of Fox News moderated, a job that hasn't been easy so far (just ask Lester Holt).

If you're sick of the debates, you're not alone. Pain reliever Excedrin promoted #DebateHeadache as a Twitter hashtag Wednesday.

Fortunately, those with headaches and other debate-related pains could turn to the hashtag #basketofadorables as a soothing antidote to a tumultuous political season. The tag, of course, represents a twist on Clinton's reference to some Trump supporters as a "basket of deplorables." Ana Marie Cox, founder of the political blog Wonkette, started the hashtag.

But there were plenty more memes to keep the internet entertained Wednesday night. Read on for the best ones.

A sleepier debate

Think you're tired of the debates? The candidates are with you, or at least according to observers watching and then tweeting.

Chachi loves Donald

Hollywood came out to mingle with politicos at the final debate, with Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Scot Baio spotted in the audience. But Twitter seemed most confused by the appearance of famed DJ Steve Aoki, while also hopeful he might make the evening lit again with a sweet after-party set on the strip.

Big hairy deal

When Trump said the US had some "bad hombres," many leapt on his use of the Spanish word for "men" and twisted it around with "ombre," where hair color is shaded from light to dark. Others just ran with the bad "hombres."

Unleash the puppets

At one point the candidates literally devolved into a playground game of "I know you are but what am I?" Clinton called Trump a puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump responded with, "I'm no puppet, you're the puppet." The internet responded in turn with muppets, puppets and more muppets.

One thing that's really rigged?

Originally published at 6:38 p.m. PT.
Update, 7:02 p.m., 7:33 p.m. PT: Adds additional internet reaction.