There comes a time in everyone's life when their whole world changes. One day they wake up and they are just...different. Everything that they knew about themselves is no longer relevant, and they must forge a new path from there on out.
This is that moment for Joe Manganiello.
And it's all because of a Twitter post. The actor decided to participate in the time-honored tradition of #ThrowbackThursday, sharing with his followers what he might have assumed would be a funny, innocent photo from his youth. But instead, this memory of the days of yore has utterly rocked our knowledge of Joe Manganiello. We present you with what will surely go down in history as the most epic #ThrowbackThursday of all time.
(But, very quickly, before you scroll further, please just take a moment to memorize the Joe you used to know, as shown here in a pivotal scene from the cinematic masterpiece Magic Mike XXL. You may want to take more than a moment, actually, because...well, just look at him.)
Now, onto the TBT.
Throw Back Thursday to 1996...#TBT pic.twitter.com/QeiiQSDuQh
— Joe Manganiello (@JoeManganiello) June 1, 2016
Joe captioned his Throwback Thursday (which was technically posted on a Wednesday, but we're giving him a pass since the contents of said post are so fabulous) "Throw Back Thursday to 1996," to which we say, simply, oh thank heavens!
This is, without a doubt, the most '90s photo we have ever seen in our entire lives. It's as though Joe Manganiello stole the very essence of famed Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath. Truly every single detail in this picture is magical. But we'll start with the hair. We never knew that a man as tall, dark and handsome as Joe Manganiello could have the wherewithal to try something as ballsy as the late-90s bleach job, but he has thusly proven himself to be capable of far more than we ever thought possible. We're not sure if it's the lighting or not, but we're also feeling very nostalgic for the slight shade of green that his strands have taken on; it's the color of all of our collective '90s crushes. We also applaud his refusal to bleach his eyebrows to match, because you have to draw the line somewhere.
Then there is the outfit. It's hard to discern with the crop, but it looks to be the now-infamous plaid-button-up-and-white-tank-top combo so favored by all the best '90s fashion icons. (Eminem, here's looking at you). He wore his blouse open because he is Joe Manganiello and he won't be confined to your rules, shirt-makers. If he wants to expose his beautiful chest (or, more specifically, clavicle) to the world, then so be it. We're all better for having been exposed to it.
And, finally, the soul patch. How could a speck of facial hair so tiny hold all our dreams? This, like the mystery of life itself, is a question that will never be answered.
It seems that we aren't the only Manganiello fans (manga-maniacs?) who feel simultaneously appalled and overjoyed at the sharing of this photo. The tweet garnered dozens upon dozens of reactions from fellow '90s survivors, with comments like "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up," "You look like a guy who gets killed second in a mid-90s Wes Craven movie" and "I'm speechless." Same, Twitter, same.
But with all of the looming questions this photograph poses (like how we will ever enjoy another Throwback Thursday again), we do know one thing: Joe Manganiello ages better than a fine wine.