The Two Guys on a Bus meme has quickly become a staple for describing two polar opposite positions or outlooks on life in the few years it’s been circulating. And although that was actually its original intention, the internet has still taken some liberties with the format, for better or for worse.
Where did the Two Guys on a Bus meme come from?
The original cartoon image is from Brazilian artist Genildo Ronchi, who uploaded it to his website in August 2013. It depicts one man looking out the window at the sun and mountains, smiling, and a second man across the aisle, frowning at his view of a rocky grey wall.
The original cartoon included the caption “As vezes só depende de nós,” which translates to “Sometimes it just depends on us.” It also originally featured a text overlay that translates to “Choose the happy side of life!” In other words, it’s meant to encourage people to shift their perspective if they don’t like what they see.
I upscaled the trending ‘Two Guys On A Bus’ template in 4k – (Original by Genildo Ronchi) -[4096*3749]
byu/McWooky inMemeRestoration
It’s only fitting, then, that where Ronchi saw an inspirational cartoon, the internet saw a meme template.
In 2019, Brazilian Twitter started using the cartoon as a meme, and within the year, it had appeared on American Twitter and Facebook as well. But it was in 2021 that it really found momentum, when it was posted to Reddit with the caption, “Didn’t take a shit before leaving the house”/Took a shit before leaving the house.”
How the meme works
If you’ve been on social media since 2021, you’ve almost certainly come across the Two Guys on a Bus meme in some sort of iteration. Many people utilize it to share the exact same sentiment twice while indicating opposite reactions, while others use it to express two related but distinctly different scenarios.
What game is this? pic.twitter.com/0ZJY03a48R
— Megumi Bandicoot (@MegumiBandicot) June 3, 2024
— ✧ (@northstardoll) June 5, 2024
what game is this? pic.twitter.com/wHl5mWHd3z
— loaf (@loafbreadmann) June 18, 2024
did i do this right pic.twitter.com/9V2ixOC0X9
— Youngmi MAYER 💜 (@ymmayer) November 22, 2021
Variations of the Two Guys on a Bus meme
Savvy folks have also taken to creating their own variations of the meme, generally remixing the original cartoon to provide an entirely new template and format—or to point out an unexpected third perspective.
One day everything will be okay pic.twitter.com/BbOEDrJ9EW
— cheyene norah (@onlyyagirl_) July 2, 2024
— gigabear🧸 (@2170cell) July 7, 2024
two guys on a bus meme but it doesn’t make sense pic.twitter.com/hoOzh3YNxL
— Benjaninja (@ItsBenjaninja) November 23, 2021
Meme template
For those hoping to put their own take on the Two Guys on a Bus meme, just start with the image below.
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- Get educated about ‘The More You Know’ meme
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