Where Did The 'Why Not Both?' Reaction Meme Originate?

Why not both? is a reaction meme that is instantly recognizable to anyone who was online in the early 2010s. The meme saw international usage at a time when most people weren't even cognizant of what a "meme" was.

But not everyone knows where the image of a young girl with a short bob and fringe shrugging and asking, "Why not both?" comes from, or the route it took on the digital highway to reach its present position as a proto-meme classic.

Here's the origin of the "Why Don't We Have Both" image, and a recap of how it went from Spanish TV commercial for a taco shell company to the classic reaction image that has been settling internet arguments for over a decade.

Where Does The Image Of The Girl Saying 'Why Not Both?' Come From?

According to a Buzzfeed interview with the El Paso Taco girl, the commercial the "Why not both?" meme is sourced from was shot in Sydney, Australia sometime in 2007. Mia Agraviador, the child actress in question, uttered the phrase "Por que no los dos?" in the commercial to settle a debate about soft shell tacos versus hard shell ones.

How Did The 'Why Not Both? Girl Become A Meme?

Memes featuring an image of the young girl saying, "Why not both?" can be traced back as early as June 2010, when a fan page for the girl in the commercial was launched on Facebook. While early memes featuring the girl clipped footage from the actual advertisement, by 2011, the image had become a reaction meme often posted to sites like FunnyJunk and Cheezburger.

Many early memes featuring the image could be classified as overly edgy or "dark," with people finding humor in the juxtaposition between a grim choice and a little girl offering a resolution.

What Are Some More Examples Of 'Why Not Both?' Memes?

For the full history of "Why not both?" be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.