The 'What Happened to Him?' meme template originates from a scene in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), where Patrick Star gazes in horror at a dried-out version of SpongeBob and asks about his condition. In the digital age, this template has evolved into a versatile reaction format used to mock someone's physical decline, a bad take, or the soul-crushing effects of a specific hobby or job. It usually features a character looking devastated or unrecognizable in the bottom frame while another character asks the titular question. Users often pair it with gaming references, corporate burnout jokes, or satirical commentary on how certain life choices can change a person for the worse.