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About

March 1st, 2020 vs. March 1st, 2021 is a comparison meme juxtaposing two image macros of similar or the same characters, one looking optimistic and the other weathered. Like other March before and after pandemic memes, the meme expresses the personal anguish many felt during the year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Origin

On March 1st, 2021, many online noted the 12-month anniversary of coronavirus outbreak in the United States. While the first case in the U.S. was reported on January 20th, 2020 and President Trump declared the outbreak a national emergency, the start of the month served to reminisce about the optimism many had before the pandemic.^[1][2]

On February 18th, 2021, Twitter ^[3] user @caseyrobertreed posted one of the earliest examples of these comparisons, contrasting their calendar events from March 2020 and March 2021 (shown below, left).

However, Twitter^[4] user @SamHenken posted one of the earliest versions on February 25th, 2021, comparing two photos of a dog, one before grooming and the other after (shown below, right).

Precursor

Months ahead of the first anniversary of the outbreak, people began reflecting on how much time had passed in the form of memes about the upcoming March. One of the most popular variations includes a WikiHow Defending Against a Knife Attack meme.

Spread

In the hours leading up to March 1st, 2021, memes spread independently of previous versions. On February 28th, 2021, Twitter^[5] user @PleaseBeGneiss posted a version that compared two images from the animated series King of the Hill (shown below, left). The following day, Twitter^[6] user @nocontextmofy posted opposing images from Modern Family. The post received more than 9,300 likes and 1,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, center).

Additionally, on March 1st, Twitter^[7] user @itsdannyneary posted a version comparing the costuming and appearance of Willem Dafoe in the films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Lighthouse. The post went viral, receiving more than 526,000 likes and 82,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, right).

Various Examples

External References