The Why Not Both meme, also known as the “Por qué no los dos?” meme, is a catchphrase originating from an Old El Paso commercial featuring a little girl named Mia Agraviador.
Meme basics
- Meme Creator: @anonymous/Funny Junk
- Meme Type: Macro, Exploitable, Reaction
- First Appearance: June 2010
- Origin Source: Funny Junk
- Peak Popularity: April 2016
Origin
The images used in the Why Not Both meme originate from an Old El Paso commercial. The commercial aired in the mid-00s. Initially aired in Australia, the international spot begins with a pair of siblings arguing over whether they want to have hard or soft taco shells with dinner.
A giant wheel appears in the living room, with the family seated around it. The edge of the wheel shows alternating versions of the taco shells attached, alluding to the fact that this is how the family will decide. As the dad spins the wheel, the youngest sibling sits on a stool. She shrugs her shoulders and asks her family, “Por que no los dos?”
The scene cuts immediately to a crowd, including the little girl’s family. They hoist her over their shoulders in celebration. The little girl smiles widely and cheers from the middle of a crowd that’s cheering for her.
Cultural context
“Por que no los dos?” can be translated in two ways. It can mean “Why Not Both?” or “Why Don’t We Have Both?”
Spread
References to the commercial appeared on Twitter as early as 2009. Many people were discussing how adorable they found the little girl.
In June 2010, the image was shared as a macro on FunnyJunk. The meme is added to an edit of a moment from Yo Gabba Gabba.
The commercial was uploaded to YouTube in July 2011. It has over two million views and more than 1,000 comments. It’s not the only copy of the commercial on the platform, but it’s certainly the most popular.
In polarizing situations, fans of this meme use it to find middle ground. Its 2016 spike came amid the increase in political discussions, where options seemed to be more opposite than ever before.
Where is the Why Not Both girl now?
The little girl who starred in the Why Not Both commercial was anonymous for many years. She was later discovered to be Mia Agraviador. In 2022, Agraviador gave an interview discussing her viral fame.
“It’s always so surreal when I’m out and about with friends and family, at lunch or the shops, and we hear people ask ‘por qué no los dos’ when deciding between two things. It’s really become a national catchphrase,” Agraviador told Marketing Mag.
“I also have Latino heritage and love all Central and South American-inspired foods, so I’m super proud that I get to carry that with me,” says Agraviador.
In March 2024, Agraviador appeared on TODAY Australia. She says she was six years old when she filmed the iconic moment. “I was actually in acting as a kid. My parents worked for a company called Bright Stars and they got me to do quite a few things when I was young.”
To this day, she’s still referred to as “taco girl.” Though she’s no longer in acting, she’s happy to look back at the moment when the chance arises.
Meme examples
More catchphrase memes:
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- How the ‘White Girl Save Me’ meme became stan Twitter’s rally cry
- The Black Solo Polyamorous Hijabi Amputee is tearing social media apart
- The ‘Women In Male Fields’ meme is paving the way for women to behave just as toxically as men
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