From the annals of YouTube comment history comes an exploitable meme nine years in the making. YouTube user @TheMrdangles16's complaint about hating math was dredged up nearly nine years after it was posted by someone saying, "I hope you are doing great it life now." Unfortunately for TheMrdangles16, It couldn't be going worse, Keith.

Here's how the YouTube comments interaction became an exploitable meme on the internet, with people tweaking its wording and slapping on their favorite characters to fit the dialogue.

Where Did The Phrase 'It Couldn't Be Going Worse, Keith' Come From?

While it's unclear what YouTube video the interaction between Keith and TheMrdangles16 took place, a screenshot of it was first posted to Reddit's /r/youtubecomments forum in September 2020. The image was captioned, "Probably the rarest comment I've seen on YouTube."

The first comment, left by TheMrdangles16, reads, "I hate math… too confusing." Keith Halsell replies, "It's been 9 years, I hope you are doing great in life now." TheMrdangles16 responds, "It couldn't be going worse, Keith."

How Did 'It Couldn't Be Going Worse, Keith' Become A Meme?

The image showing TheMrdangles16 and Keith Halsell's interaction went viral in subsequent years, being reposted across the internet and even appearing in a Buzzfeed listical in 2022. In April 2024, Facebook page eStarland posted an edit of the meme where "math" is replaced with "water temple," a reference to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's infamously confusing water temple dungeon. This marks the first time the meme was edited to humorous effect.

How Did The 'It Couldn't Be Going Worse, Keith' Meme Spread Online?

In the weeks that followed the "water temple" edit, various internet users began posting versions of the screenshot with their favorite characters assigned to each comment, as if it were dialogue.

In May 2024, the water temple variant was reposted by Instagram user demotedmemes, while Redditor /u/AnInnocentMan1983 posted a version of the mem to /r/OkBuddyPersona.

What Are Some More 'It Couldn't Be Going Worse, Keith' Memes?

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For the full history of "It couldn't be going worse, Keith," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.