Always Has Been
Where it came from
A panel based on the "Wait, it's all X? Always has been" astronaut webcomic. Two astronauts in space, one looking down at Earth, the other pointing a gun. Became a meme in 2020.
Two astronauts float in space. The first looks at Earth below and asks "Wait, it's all [X]?" The second astronaut, holding a gun to his back, replies "Always has been." The joke is whatever horrifying realization the first astronaut just had — and the second astronaut's cool confirmation that yes, it was always like this, and now you know too much.
The format is perfect for conspiracy-shaped jokes where the punchline is a mundane truth the poster pretends to find shocking. "Wait, adulthood is just spending money you don't have on things you don't need?" "Always has been."
Still used. The astronaut framing makes even the dumbest realization feel cosmically serious.
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