meme explained
Always Has Been
Two astronauts, one realising an uncomfortable truth and the other confirming it was never otherwise.
The short answer
What does Always Has Been mean?
One astronaut looks at Earth and says “Wait, it's all X?” The second, holding a gun, replies “Always has been.” The format is for revelations that feel shocking but describe a state of affairs that has quietly been true the whole time.
Background
Where it comes from
The template spread in 2020 from a crudely drawn two-panel comic. Its most viral form paired it with “Ohio,” which had no meaning beyond the absurdity of the substitution — a good illustration of how the structure carries the joke independently of the words.
In conversation
How to use it
Put the naive realisation in the first panel and the flat confirmation in the second. The second speaker should sound bored, not triumphant.
The full timeline
How Always Has Been developed
Mid 2020
The two-panel comic
A simply drawn image of two astronauts in orbit, one holding a gun behind the other, began circulating with the “Wait, it's all…” and “Always has been” exchange already attached.
2020
The Ohio version spreads
The best-known variant substituted “Ohio,” a choice with no explanatory logic. Its popularity showed that the structure — naive question, flat confirmation — was doing the work by itself.
Since
A general revelation format
The template settled into describing anything that was always true and only now noticed, which keeps it useful well past the original wave.
Realistic examples
Always Has Been in a sentence
““Wait, it's all technical debt?” “Always has been.””
““Wait, the meeting could have been an email?” “Always has been.””
““Wait, it's all spreadsheets?” “Always has been.””
Tone & nuance
What it communicates
Deadpan and faintly ominous. The armed astronaut implies the realisation is unwelcome and that nothing will be done about it.
Common questions
Always Has Been FAQ
What is the Always Has Been meme?
One astronaut looks at Earth and says “Wait, it's all X?” The second, holding a gun, replies “Always has been.” The format is for revelations that feel shocking but describe a state of affairs that has quietly been true the whole time.
Where did the Always Has Been meme come from?
The template spread in 2020 from a crudely drawn two-panel comic. Its most viral form paired it with “Ohio,” which had no meaning beyond the absurdity of the substitution — a good illustration of how the structure carries the joke independently of the words.
How do you use the Always Has Been format?
Put the naive realisation in the first panel and the flat confirmation in the second. The second speaker should sound bored, not triumphant. For example: ““Wait, it's all technical debt?” “Always has been.””
Is the Always Has Been meme safe to use at work?
Deadpan and faintly ominous. The armed astronaut implies the realisation is unwelcome and that nothing will be done about it. A meme like this belongs in casual conversation. In support replies, documentation or anything a stranger may read later, write the plain meaning instead so nobody has to already be in on the reference.
Research notes
Sources and further reading
- Know Your Meme — Wait, It's All Ohio? / Always Has Been
Documents the 2020 origin and the Ohio variant that drove its spread.
Keep exploring