# First Time? > First Time? is a 2018 reaction image macro from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs featuring James Franco calmly asking a condemned man on the gallows if this is his first execution, used to joke about routinized extremes. "First Time?" is a reaction image macro taken from the 2018 Coen Brothers film *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs*, featuring James Franco's character calmly asking a crying man on the gallows if this is his first execution. The screenshot went viral in November 2018 as a template for joking about situations that seem extreme to outsiders but feel routine to those who've been through them before[1]. It became one of the most versatile reaction memes of the late 2010s, used across Reddit, Twitter, and Imgur to flex hard-won experience in everything from video game difficulty to everyday absurdity. ## Origin *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* is a Western anthology film written, directed, and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. It premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2018, winning the Golden Osella Award for Best Screenplay[1]. Netflix released the film on November 16, 2018, after a limited theatrical run starting November 9[1]. The specific scene comes from the second segment, "Near Algodones." Franco plays a cowboy who robs a bank, gets captured twice by different posses through sheer bad luck, and ends up on the gallows with three other condemned men. He looks at the crying man to his left and quips "First time?" before being hooded and hanged[1]. Netflix had uploaded the film's trailer to YouTube on September 12, 2018, which included the "First time?" clip. The trailer pulled in over 1.7 million views within three months[3]. The meme format kicked off on November 25, 2018, when Twitter user @Ayub_dz posted a screenshot of Franco on the gallows with the caption: "When you're hiding from a school shooter and the foreign exchange student starts crying." The tweet picked up more than 37,000 retweets and 131,000 likes within five days[3]. - **Platform:** Netflix (source film), Twitter (meme format) - **Creator:** Joel & Ethan Coen (film directors), James Franco (actor), @Ayub_dz (first viral meme post) - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview The meme uses a single screenshot from the "Near Algodones" segment of *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs*. In the image, James Franco's character stands on the gallows with a noose around his neck, looking sideways at a weeping man next to him and asking "First time?" with a knowing, almost amused expression[1]. The humor comes from the character's total nonchalance about his own impending death, treating execution like just another Tuesday. As a meme template, the image works in two ways. In its simplest form, a caption describes some terrible or ridiculous situation, and "First time?" is the punchline from someone who's already been through it. In object-labeling versions, Franco and the crying man are labeled as different groups, communities, or franchises to show one group's seasoned tolerance versus another's fresh horror[3]. ## How It Spread The same day @Ayub_dz posted the tweet, it migrated to Imgur and Reddit. The Imgur repost earned over 5,800 points and 158,000 views in five days[3]. On Reddit, it hit more than 58,000 points with 87% upvotes in four days[3]. Reddit's r/dankmemes community jumped on the format almost immediately. On November 26, 2018, Redditor Dako_01 posted a version about the anti-vaccination movement that scored over 15,000 points at 97% upvoted[3]. The next day, Redditor hunchoivs made one about kids crying when Mufasa dies in the new *Lion King* film, pulling more than 9,000 points[3]. By November 30, the template had evolved beyond simple caption memes. Redditor vk1198 posted an object-labeling variation referencing video game developers, where different companies were labeled on the gallows figures to joke about which studios were most accustomed to controversy. It earned over 2,700 points at 97% upvoted[3]. The format proved extremely adaptable. Users applied it to gaming communities dealing with server crashes, fandoms processing character deaths, professions handling recurring annoyances, and internet subcultures greeting newcomers to their particular brand of chaos. The two-character dynamic (seasoned veteran and panicking newcomer) gave it a clear emotional logic that made it easy to remix without explanation. ## How to Use The "First Time?" meme typically follows one of two formats: **Caption format:** Write a scenario describing something shocking, frustrating, or absurd above the Franco screenshot. The image itself delivers the punchline. The joke works best when the situation is genuinely alarming to most people but old news to a specific group. Example: a caption about a game crashing mid-save, with Franco's expression implying veteran players barely flinch anymore. **Object-labeling format:** Label James Franco as the experienced group and the crying man as the newcomer encountering the problem for the first time. This version often compares fandoms, professions, or online communities. The gallows setting adds dark comedy, so it pairs well with topics that are bleak but familiar. The key to a good "First Time?" meme is the contrast between panic and calm. Franco's expression does the heavy lifting. The caption just needs to set up a situation where someone's distress is met with casual indifference from someone who's seen it all before. ## Cultural Impact The meme tapped into a broader internet tradition of "welcome to the club" humor, where experienced community members greet newcomers with weary amusement rather than sympathy. It found heavy use in gaming circles, particularly around communities known for punishing difficulty or buggy launches. The film itself received significant critical recognition independent of the meme. *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* earned three nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, and the National Board of Review named it a top ten film of 2018[1]. The meme likely drove additional viewers to the film, as people sought out the original scene after encountering the format online. ## Fun Facts - James Franco's character in the film has no name. He's credited simply as "the cowboy" in the "Near Algodones" segment[1]. - The film is structured as six separate short stories with no connecting plot. The meme comes from the second of six segments[1]. - The character who says "First time?" is himself being executed for crimes he didn't commit. He was mistaken for a cattle rustler after the actual rustler escaped[1]. - The trailer containing the "First time?" clip sat on YouTube for over two months before anyone turned it into a meme[3]. - *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* was originally conceived as a six-part TV series before the Coens reworked it into a feature film[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the First Time meme? It's a reaction image macro using a screenshot of James Franco on the gallows in *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs*, asking a crying man "First time?" The image is used to joke about being unfazed by situations that terrify newcomers[3]. ### Where did the First Time meme come from? The scene is from the 2018 Coen Brothers film *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs*, released on Netflix on November 16, 2018. The meme format started on November 25, 2018, when Twitter user @Ayub_dz posted the first viral version[3]. ### What does the First Time meme mean? It expresses casual, been-there-done-that energy in the face of something others find shocking or distressing. The joke is that whatever horrible thing is happening is just routine for the person represented by Franco's character[3]. ### How do you use the First Time meme? Pick a situation that's alarming to most people but familiar to a specific group, then pair it with the Franco screenshot. Alternatively, label Franco and the crying man as different groups to show one's greater experience with a shared problem[3]. ### Is the First Time meme still popular? The meme peaked in late 2018 and early 2019, with heavy use on Reddit's r/dankmemes. It saw periodic revivals whenever communities faced recurring problems, though usage dropped off from its initial burst[3]. ### Who is the actor in the First Time meme? James Franco plays the unnamed cowboy in the "Near Algodones" segment of *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs*, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen[1]. ### What movie is the First Time meme from? *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* (2018), a Western anthology film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released on Netflix. It received three Academy Award nominations[1]. ### What happens in the scene from the First Time meme? Franco's character, wrongly captured as a cattle rustler, stands on the gallows next to three other condemned men. He notices one of them crying and asks "First time?" before being hooded and executed[1]. ### What was the first viral First Time meme? Twitter user @Ayub_dz posted the first major version on November 25, 2018, using a school shooter scenario. It earned over 37,000 retweets and 131,000 likes in five days[3]. ### Why did the First Time meme spread so fast? It hit Reddit's r/dankmemes within hours of the original tweet, earning over 58,000 upvotes. The simple two-character format made it extremely easy to adapt to any community or situation[3]. ## References 1. [Meme]() 2. [First Time? - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [First Time? - Know Your Meme]() 4. [The Ballad of Buster Scruggs]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/first-time Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library