Always Has Been

The "Always Has Been" meme is a two-panel exploitable featuring two astronauts in space — one discovering a shocking truth about Earth, the other pointing a gun and confirming the conspiracy was true all along. Created as a crude MSPaint flat Earth joke on Reddit in December 2016, it evolved through 4chan, merged with Ohio meme culture in late 2019, and exploded into one of 2020's most versatile templates.

The MSPaint Origins: Flat Earth and a Sorry Fam (2016)

On December 11, 2016, Reddit user Wiegand6 posted an MSPaint illustration to r/dankmemes that planted the seed for everything. Two crudely drawn astronauts float above a flat Earth. One says "wtf it's flat!!!" The other, pointing a gun at his fellow space traveler, responds with the immortal words: "Sry fam."

It earned 485 upvotes — respectable for 2016 r/dankmemes, but hardly viral. The drawing was rough, the joke was simple, and the flat Earth angle was already well-trodden territory. But something about the structure — the discovery, the betrayal, the casual violence — had legs. The format was a loaded gun (literally) waiting for the right punchline.

4chan Refines the Template (2018)

Nearly two years later, on August 7, 2018, an anonymous 4chan user posted what KnowYourMeme identifies as the earliest version of the modern template. This time, the surprise was America — and the art was slightly more polished. The "Wait, it's all X?" / "Always has been" dialogue structure clicked into place.

This is a textbook case of meme evolution: Reddit created the concept, 4chan standardized the format. The flat Earth version was a one-off joke. The 4chan version was an exploitable template — a blank framework anyone could fill in. That distinction matters. One is funny once. The other is funny infinitely.

Ohio Takes Over: The Version That Defined Everything (2019-2020)

The template sat dormant for over a year until it collided with another rising meme: Ohio vs. the World. The premise — that Ohio is secretly conquering reality itself — was already a running joke on iFunny and Reddit. On October 17, 2019, iFunny user iOhioian combined the two: Earth, viewed from space, is entirely Ohio. "Wait, it's all Ohio?" "Always has been."

The post got 46,000+ reactions and 1,700 comments on iFunny alone. It was reposted to Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, and Instagram within days. The Ohio version didn't just go viral — it became the meme. Ask anyone what "Always Has Been" refers to, and they'll say Ohio before they say flat Earth.

Why This Template Works: The Anatomy of a Perfect Meme

"Always Has Been" works because it's structurally perfect. Let's break down why:

• The setup-punchline is universal. "Wait, it's all X?" works for literally any topic. Politics, gaming, food, existential dread — the format adapts to everything.
• The gun adds stakes. This isn't a friendly correction. The second astronaut is silencing the first. It implies the truth was dangerous to discover, which makes even mundane observations feel dramatic.
• It's a conspiracy reveal format. Everyone loves a good "the truth was hidden in plain sight" moment. The meme scratches the same itch as conspiracy theories, but for jokes.
• The space setting elevates everything. Floating above Earth, seeing the big picture — it gives the reveal a cosmic, philosophical weight. "Wait, it's all marketing?" hits different when you're in orbit.

The 2020 Explosion and Realistic Upgrade

By June 2020, the meme underwent a visual upgrade. The crude MSPaint astronauts were replaced with polished, realistic-looking spacesuits. On June 7, 2020, Redditor nickslicktricks posted a high-quality version to r/memes that pulled 33,000+ upvotes. The upgraded visuals made the meme more shareable, more screenshot-worthy, and more adaptable for professional-looking edits.

The format's peak coincided with peak COVID lockdown internet — millions of bored, terminally-online people looking for ways to express the growing sense that everything was, in fact, not what it seemed. "Wait, it's all [terrible thing]? Always has been." The meme captured 2020's vibe perfectly: cynical, resigned, darkly funny.

Legacy: A Template That Never Stopped Being Relevant

Six years after going viral, "Always Has Been" remains one of the internet's most versatile templates. It's been adapted for every major event — elections, crypto crashes, AI discourse, gaming announcements. The format is essentially immortal because the underlying joke — "this thing you just realized? Yeah, it was always like that" — never stops being applicable.

It also spawned countless variants: the astronaut looking at Earth became a standalone reaction image, "Ohio vs. the World" continued evolving independently, and the "Always has been" punchline entered everyday internet vocabulary. You don't even need the image anymore — just typing "always has been" in a reply carries the full weight of the meme.

Timeline

• December 11, 2016: Wiegand6 posts the MSPaint flat Earth version on r/dankmemes (485 upvotes)
• August 7, 2018: Anonymous 4chan user creates the modern exploitable template with "America" as the punchline
• October 17, 2019: iFunny user iOhioian combines the template with "Ohio vs. the World" — 46,000+ reactions
• Late 2019 - Early 2020: Template spreads across Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Instagram
• June 7, 2020: Redditor nickslicktricks posts HD version to r/memes — 33,000+ upvotes
• June 19, 2020: @Alexis_Grump creates the Bugsnax crossover version on Twitter
• July 14, 2020: Ebaumsworld publishes a curated gallery of the best examples
• 2020-present: Template remains in active use for every major cultural moment

Frequently Asked Questions

Who created the Always Has Been meme?

The earliest version was posted by Reddit user Wiegand6 on r/dankmemes on December 11, 2016, as an MSPaint drawing about flat Earth. The modern exploitable template was first posted on 4chan on August 7, 2018, and the iconic Ohio version was created by iFunny user iOhioian on October 17, 2019.

Why is Ohio always in the meme?

Ohio became the most famous version because it merged with the "Ohio vs. the World" meme trend — a running joke that Ohio is secretly conquering everything. The iOhioian iFunny post got 46,000+ reactions and made "Wait, it's all Ohio?" the template's default punchline.

When did Always Has Been go viral?

The Ohio version started spreading in late 2019, but the true explosion happened in mid-2020 during COVID lockdowns. June-July 2020 was peak usage, with high-quality versions hitting tens of thousands of upvotes on Reddit and spreading to every major platform.

What does "Always Has Been" mean?

The meme is used to reveal that something has secretly been true all along. Format: Astronaut 1 discovers something unexpected about Earth ("Wait, it's all X?") and Astronaut 2 confirms while pointing a gun ("Always has been"). It's a conspiracy-reveal joke structure.

Can I face swap into the Always Has Been meme?

Absolutely — it's one of the better templates for face swaps on MEEMES. The astronaut visors create a natural frame for your face, and the two-character setup means you can put different faces on each astronaut. Head swap works best because of the helmet framing.