You can soon own a cool collectible bust of the now famous meme of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Jean-Luc Picard facepalming. Although the image traveled all across the internet, in various forms, the origins of the meme may not be as well-known. The moment occurs in The Next Generation season 3 episode “Déjà Q”, which aired in 1990. During the opening moments of the episode, Q (John de Lancie) explains that he has been turned into a mortal as punishment for spreading chaos across the universe. Stripped of his powers, Q confesses that Picard (Patrick Stewart) is the closest thing he has to a friend. Picard reacts with surprise, after thoroughly burying his face in his palm.
The earliest known use of the scene as a reaction shot occurred in 2007 when Johan Jacobsen utilized it in a YouTube video. Since then, the sight of Picard facepalming has slowly but surely grown familiar. The scene, pulled from what's considered to be one of the funniest episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, has generated more than 23,000 memes since it was uploaded to the website Meme Generator in 2012. Picard’s display of exasperation, and possibly weariness, has resonated enough that it has led to more than one collectible bust commemorating it.
Retailing at $79.99, the Star Trek: The Next Generation Picard Facepalm Limited Edition Bust is an 8-inch scale bust crafted from polystone. Limited to 1,701 pieces, the bust is hand-painted and individually numbered. It features a right shoulder sculpt, which is modified, and a prominent Starfleet emblem. The collectible, which is currently available for pre-order online via Entertainment Earth, will be released in August. Check it out, below:
Back in May 2019, ThinkGeek also began selling a bronze collectible bust of the notorious facepalm. Weighing about one pound, the bronze collectible was made of resin and retailed for the price of $69.99. For those who didn’t like the look of that collectible, or perhaps those hoping to add to their collection, they can soon get their hands on this newest Picard Facepalm bust. Originally, the bust was to be one of several items going on sale exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con International, but it is now being made available online. Although the event was cancelled in April due to COVID-19 concerns, it was since announced that Comic-Con would be moving forward with a virtual event instead.
Regardless of whether or not you plan to purchase the collectible, the fact that it exists illustrates the ways in which pop culture has coalesced with internet culture. We can all likely cite memes connected to our favorite fandoms. Some shows, such as American Horror Story, have even structured their scenes and scripts in such a way to increase the potential for memes and online virality. Star Trek, and Picard’s facepalming, was ahead of the curve.
Source: Entertainment Earth (via CBR)