The “Always Has Been” meme depicts two astronauts in space looking at Earth, with one making shocking realization about reality while the other prepares to execute them to preserve the secret. The format emerged July 2019, perfect for jokes about hidden truths, conspiracy theories, or sudden revelations.
Original Template
The base image shows two astronauts floating in space viewing Earth. The dialogue:
Astronaut 1 (looking at Earth): “Wait, it’s all [X]?”
Astronaut 2 (pointing gun): “Always has been.”
The twist: the second astronaut planned to kill the first to hide the truth. The format works for revealing supposedly hidden realities, often absurd or unexpected.
Format Variations
Classic formula replaces Earth with specific subject, revealing surprising truth:
- “Wait, it’s all Ohio?” “Always has been.” (Ohio world domination joke)
- “Wait, it’s all cake?” “Always has been.” (hyper-realistic cake trend)
- “Wait, it’s all ads?” “Always has been.” (internet commercialization)
- “Wait, it’s all memes?” “Always has been.” (internet culture)
The best versions subvert expectations—the reveal should be simultaneously absurd and somehow resonant. Pure random doesn’t work; the “truth” needs internal logic, however silly.
Reddit & Twitter Explosion (2019-2020)
r/dankmemes popularized the format July 2019. By August, thousands of variations flooded Reddit, Twitter, Instagram. The template’s versatility allowed application to any topic: politics (“always has been corrupt”), gaming (“always has been pay-to-win”), relationships (“always has been toxic”), work (“always has been exploitation”).
The gun element added dark comedy—not just revealing truth, but willing to kill to protect it. The extreme reaction amplified absurdity.
Ohio Meme Convergence
The Ohio version became meta-meme itself, spawning Ohio world conquest joke lore. “It’s all Ohio” merged with “Ohio will be eliminated” memes to create elaborate Ohio invasion mythology. Ohioans embraced the absurdity; the state became meme protagonist by accident.
Cultural Resonance (2020-2023)
The format spiked during 2020 for COVID-19 conspiracy theories, political revelations, and quarantine realizations (“Wait, we never needed offices?”). The meme structure—sudden awareness of always-present truth—resonated during year of collective revelations about society.
By 2021-2023, “always has been” became shorthand response to obvious-in-hindsight realizations. Someone discovers common knowledge? “Always has been.” The phrase divorced from image format, entering spoken vocabulary.
Animation & Edits
Creative versions animated the astronauts, added third astronaut with bigger gun, or extended to multiple panels revealing layers of deception. Some replaced astronauts with characters from other media. Others reversed the format—astronaut refusing to believe truth even at gunpoint.
The meme’s longevity came from perfect balance: simple enough for quick jokes, flexible enough for complex commentary, dark enough for edge, absurd enough for laughs.
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wait-its-all-ohio-always-has-been