Picard Facepalm

Origin

The facepalm gesture, pressing a hand to one’s face in exasperation, predates the internet, but the image of Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation covering his face became its definitive representation. The still is reportedly drawn from a TNG episode and spread widely as a reaction image around 2011. Picard’s dignified bearing makes his moment of despair especially funny, as even a starship captain is reduced to burying his face in his hand.

Meaning & usage

It reacts to stupidity, embarrassment, or frustration too great to put into words. Whenever a situation is so foolish that a verbal response feels pointless, the facepalm says it all. The ‘double facepalm,’ using both hands, escalates the exasperation further for truly hopeless cases. It remains one of the most universal reaction images on the internet, understood across languages and communities.

Notable examples

The single-hand Picard facepalm and the two-handed double facepalm are the two standard variants. It is often paired with, or stacked against, other exasperation and disappointment images to signal escalating disbelief at something absurd.