The “always has been meme” took the internet by storm in 2020, featuring two astronauts in space where one discovers a shocking truth while the other points a gun at them. This article breaks down where this viral format came from, why Ohio became the center of the joke, how the template works, and what makes it so adaptable across different online communities.
You’ll learn about the meme’s humble beginnings on Reddit and 4chan, its connection to the “Ohio vs. the World” trend, and how creators transformed it into countless variations. Whether you’re catching up on internet history or looking to understand why everyone keeps joking about Ohio taking over the planet, this guide covers everything you need to know about one of the most recognizable reaction formats of the early 2020s.
The Meme’s Origin Story
The always has been meme didn’t start with the polished astronaut graphics you see today. Back on December 11, 2016, a Reddit user named Wiegand6 uploaded a rough MS Paint drawing to r/dankmemes. This early version showed two stick-figure astronauts staring at Earth, which turned out to be flat. One astronaut expressed shock at this discovery, while the other held a gun and simply said “Sry fam.” The post wasn’t a massive hit at the time, but it planted the seed for what would become a viral sensation years later.
Fast forward to August 7, 2018, when an anonymous 4chan user posted a more refined version of the concept. This time, the astronauts looked at Earth and discovered it was entirely composed of the United States. The dialogue followed a cleaner format: one astronaut realized something unexpected about the planet, and the other prepared to eliminate them to keep the secret. However, even this iteration didn’t catch fire immediately. It sat relatively dormant on the internet until the right combination of elements came together.
The meme’s true breakthrough happened in late 2019 when it merged with another internet trend. On October 17, 2019, a user named iOhioian posted a version on iFunny where the big reveal was that Earth consisted entirely of Ohio. This edit received over 46,000 reactions and spread across Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, and Instagram within days. The Ohio version resonated because it tapped into an existing joke about the midwestern state being strangely omnipresent and mysterious.
By June 2020, the always has been meme exploded across social media platforms. Creators started using more realistic astronaut images instead of crude drawings, making the format look cinematic and dramatic. The timing was perfect—people stuck at home during lockdowns had plenty of time to create and share variations, turning this obscure format into mainstream internet culture.
Visual Composition and Template
The standard template shows two astronauts floating in the darkness of space, looking down at Earth. The first astronaut appears in the foreground, typically positioned on the left side of the image. This character stares at the planet in disbelief after noticing something’s off about what they’re seeing. Their dialogue follows a simple pattern: “Wait, it’s all X?” where X represents whatever absurd thing supposedly makes up the entire Earth.
Behind them, the second astronaut holds a handgun aimed directly at their companion’s back. This character delivers the meme’s signature catchphrase: “Always has been.” The humor comes from treating ridiculous concepts as highly classified information worth killing over. The serene backdrop of space contrasts sharply with the sudden betrayal happening in the foreground, creating an unexpectedly dark comedic tone.
What makes this template so effective is its flexibility. Creators can replace the Earth with virtually any circular image—maps from video games, logos, food items, or abstract concepts visualized as spheres. The astronauts themselves can be swapped out for characters from different fandoms, though many versions stick with the realistic space-suited figures because they add dramatic weight to silly punchlines.
The format also plays on familiar storytelling tropes from sci-fi and thriller genres. There’s something about discovering a conspiracy only to be silenced immediately that resonates with audiences. It’s the classic “you know too much” scenario, but applied to situations so absurd that no rational person would actually need silencing.
Why Is Ohio Central to This Meme?
Ohio’s association with the always has been meme stems from a longer internet tradition called “Ohio vs. the World.” This trend started back in August 2016 on Tumblr, where someone posted a photoshopped image of a bus stop sign warning about Ohio facing immediate disaster for no apparent reason. Some people genuinely thought hackers had pulled off a clever prank, which made the image spread even faster.
Over the next few years, jokes about Ohio being cursed, unstoppable, or secretly controlling everything became common across social media. The state gained a reputation as internet culture’s designated “weird place” that defied explanation. When the always has been meme needed a punchline in late 2019, Ohio was the perfect choice—it was absurd enough to be funny but familiar enough that most people got the reference immediately.
The October 2019 version that went viral didn’t just show Ohio replacing Earth. It captured something about how internet communities build running jokes over time. Ohio wasn’t random—it represented years of accumulated memes about the state’s supposed otherworldly properties. When the astronaut says “Always has been” while revealing Ohio, they’re confirming every exaggerated joke people had made about the state consuming reality itself.
Notable Variations and Spin-offs
Once the template hit mainstream status in mid-2020, creators went wild adapting it to different contexts. Video game communities were especially active, creating versions where Earth turned out to be maps from Minecraft, Among Us, or other popular titles. These variations worked because gaming audiences already understood the format and could appreciate inside jokes specific to their favorite games.
Pop culture references became another common theme. Some versions replaced the astronauts with characters from Star Wars, Star Trek, or Marvel movies, making the discovery fit that universe’s lore. Others kept the astronauts but changed what they were discovering—corporate logos, food brands, or even meta-jokes where the astronauts realize they’re inside a meme. A particularly popular variation on Twitter showed the astronauts discovering that the video game Bugsnax was everything, posted by user @Alexis_Grump on June 19, 2020.
Historical and political edits also emerged. Some creators reimagined the format with historical figures, while others used it to comment on current events without getting too heavy-handed. The beauty of the always has been meme is that it can carry serious messages or stay completely silly depending on the creator’s intent. Facebook page Twingo Memes posted a version in late 2019 where France was the punchline instead of Ohio, showing how easily the template adapted to different cultural contexts.
Conclusion
The always has been meme represents how internet humor builds on itself over years before finally hitting critical mass. What started as a crude MS Paint drawing in 2016 evolved through multiple iterations on different platforms before finding its perfect form in 2019. The combination of the astronaut betrayal format with Ohio’s existing reputation as internet culture’s mysterious state created something that resonated across communities.
Its staying power comes from simplicity—just two characters, one realization, and one violent response. That basic structure can accommodate infinite variations while remaining instantly recognizable. Though its peak popularity was in 2020, the format still appears regularly whenever someone wants to reveal an absurd “truth” in a dramatic way. The always has been meme proved that sometimes the best internet content comes from mixing old ideas in unexpected combinations rather than inventing something completely new.
