If explaining memes is a cycle, then consider this our “Ah shit, here we go again” moment—and we’re more than happy to walk into this one. Today, we're dealing with the meme that perfectly cuts across from waking up on a Monday morning to when one just restarts a binge-watched show for perhaps the third time. That, of course, is the "Ah shit, here we go again" from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
If you are someone who's felt the crushing weight of repetitive life struggles, this meme speaks to your soul. Let's unpack how one line from a 2004 video game became the internet's go-to mantra.
How did Ah shit, here we go again begin?
When GTA: San Andreas dropped in 2004, the protagonist, Carl "CJ" Johnson, was dragged back to his hometown of Los Santos, where things were, shall we say, not quite chill. In one memorable scene, CJ is walking into the Ballas gang's crime-ridden territory. In a voice full of frustration, he says those now-legendary words:
“Ah shit, here we go again.”
That line is just iconic, really, due to CJ's tone. It's that energy that one is so done, yet they've got no choice but to face the ground head-on. It's all of us on Monday mornings, basically.
Fast forward to 2015. YouTube user ZMOONCHILD uploaded the clip, and while it got a decent number of views (147,000 is nothing to sneeze at), it didn’t exactly set the world on fire.
But then came 2019—a year of big-bang moments for this line. X user @ChaoticGeekCG created a green screen edit of CJ delivering the line.
The meme spread like wildfire, making its way from Reddit to TikTok to the depths of Facebook where even your boomer uncle started using it.
Initially, the meme stuck to gaming circles because the gamers got it. They could resonate with it. Feel it. But then, it did not take very long for it to venture into all the aspects of life.
Here are a few adaptations of the meme:
"It’s monday, gotta go through the same cycle again."
"The never ending story with the never isolated "virus"."
The never-ending saga of alarms.
"Ah here we go again. This time is not looking good for real."
Every student at the start of an academic year:
Uncle Ben is setting up Peter for ah shit here we go again moments.
Why it slaps?
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Here’s the thing: we’ve all been CJ. Life is just a series of mini-Ballas territories we have to walk into, knowing full well the chaos ahead. It’s not just about frustration—it’s about resignation and accepting the grind because, well, what choice do you have?
Stay iconic, CJ. The world will forever relate to your tired, trudging spirit.
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