The always has been meme features two astronauts floating above Earth, one holding a gun and the other experiencing a sudden, terrifying realization. It relies on a simple dialogue structure: "Wait, it's all [X]?" followed by the deadpan response, "Always has been". Since exploding across social media platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok, this visual format has become a staple for expressing sudden realizations, absurd conspiracies, and satirical truths about everyday life.
Search intent for this topic is informational and historical. Users want to know where the template came from, why Ohio became tied to it, and how the joke evolved from crude forum posts into a dominant piece of internet vernacular. While surface-level explanations stop at the viral 2020 explosion, a complete look reveals a multi-year evolution involving MS-Paint sketches, 4chan boards, and regional meme lore.
The Origin Story: From MS-Paint to 4chan
The roots of the format stretch back further than most internet historians realize. On December 11, 2016, a Reddit user posted a crudely drawn MS-Paint comic to r/dankmemes. It featured two figures in spacesuits hovering over a flat Earth. One yelled about the planet being flat, while the other pointed a gun and gave a casual dismissal. It earned a modest couple of hundred upvotes and faded into the background.
Nearly two years later, on August 7, 2018, an anonymous user on 4chan posted an updated variation. This version replaced the flat Earth concept with a more polished graphic. One astronaut looked down at a North American continent spanning the entire globe, asking, "Wait, it's all America?" The armed astronaut replied, "Always has been".
This 4chan post established the structural DNA of the format. It transformed a one-off joke into an exploitable template — a blank canvas where any concept could replace the planet. Yet, despite this foundational shift, the template sat largely dormant for another year, waiting for the right cultural catalyst to supercharge its spread.
The Ohio Phenomenon: How the Meme Exploded
The turning point arrived in late 2019, colliding with the surreal, hyper-ironic "Ohio vs. the World" meme trend that dominated iFunny, Reddit, and Tumblr. Therunning joke treated the state of Ohio as an ominous, expansionist superpower secretly consuming the rest of reality.
On October 17, 2019, an iFunny user combined the two concepts: Earth viewed from space was entirely covered by the state map of Ohio.
- "Wait, it's all Ohio?"
- "Always has been."
The post garnered tens of thousands of interactions, triggering cross-platform reposts. When pandemic lockdowns forced millions indoors in mid-2020, internet culture accelerated dramatically. Users rushed to adapt the template to politics, video games, corporate culture, and existential dread. The image shifted from rough sketches to high-definition renders, cementing its status as an elite tier-one meme format.
Anatomy of the Joke: Why It Resonates
Humor relies on surprise, timing, and structural efficiency. The always has been meme succeeds because it packs multiple psychological triggers into a single visual panel.
The Asymmetry of Knowledge
The format sets up an instant power dynamic. One character lives in blissful ignorance, while the other holds absolute, dangerous knowledge. Realizing you are the last person to understand an obvious joke mirrors the feeling of the ignorant astronaut.
The Absurdity of Violence
Nothing elevates a mundane realization quite like an unprovoked firearm in zero gravity. The second astronaut doesn't offer a friendly explanation or an intellectual debate; they immediately prepare to eliminate a witness over trivial geographic truths. That dark escalation creates a comedic contrast.
Infinite Adaptability
Because the template relies on a plug-and-play structure ("Wait, it's all [X]?"), it transcends any single topic. Programmers use it to joke about programming languages being entirely built on nested loops. Gamers use it to mock broken mechanics. Writers use it to point out narrative clichés.
Common Mistakes When Making This Meme
Creators attempting to build their own variations often make a few structural errors that dilute the joke's impact:
- Overcomplicating the dialogue: Adding extra sentences ruins the rigid rhythm. The setup must be a short, panicked question, followed by a flat, unyielding three-word response.
- Choosing low-contrast subjects: If the replacement object on the planet's surface is too cluttered, viewers miss the punchline at a glance. Visual clarity drives meme readability.
- Forcing irrelevant topics: The joke works best when the revelation feels like an uncomfortable, long-standing truth rather than a random forced association.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the exact quote sequence of the meme?
The standard text sequence is: Astronaut One says, "Wait, it's all [insert subject]?" Astronaut Two replies, "Always has been," while aiming a handgun at the first astronaut's head.
Why does the meme always mention Ohio?
Ohio became the punchline due to a viral iFunny post in October 2019 that tied into existing internet jokes treating Ohio as a menacing, all-consuming entity. That specific iteration caught on faster than any other version, making Ohio synonymous with the template.
Is the template based on a specific movie or show?
No. Unlike many templates pulled straight from Know Your Meme, this format originated from anonymous forum art rather than cinema or television. However, it heavily channels classic science fiction tropes involving astronauts uncovering government conspiracies and being silenced.
How can I create my own version?
You can find blank image templates on major meme generator sites or image editors. Simply take a high-resolution image of the two astronauts, overlay your custom target text onto the planet surface, and adjust the dialogue text boxes while keeping the core punchline intact.
