Internet slang is constantly being updated with something new. One of these innovations was the facepalm meme, which first flooded the foreign sector of the Internet, then moved to Runet. It's worth finding out what facepalm is, how the meme is used, and how it is illustrated.
Origin
Facepalm is a meme used in conjunction with the verbal phrase of the same name and the image of the face supported by the palm of the hand. They are used either in pairs or separately. From the outside, it looks as if a person is suffering from a headache or he is extremely ashamed of himself or for the situation that is happening at the moment. A new meme appeared for the first time on 4chan.org somewhere in the mid-2000s (the well-known English-language imageboard), where it was instantly received with a bang by local visitors. The classic version of facepalm is illustrated by a shot from the old popular TV series Star Trek, which depicts Captain Picard in the described pose.
The facepalm meme penetrated into Runet very quickly, through similar image boards (2ch.ru, iichan.hk, etc.). Such great popularity is due to the fact that the image of the meme is very eloquent, understandable without words and comments.
Use
Facepalm is widely used in all areas of Internet communication: chats, forums, blogs, image boards, social networks. The main purpose of inserting a facepalm is to show your interlocutor that the opponent is extremely upset with what he says (weak argumentation, incorrect point of view, violent disagreement with the interlocutor's opinion, etc.). There are many variations that deviate from the classic Captain Picard portrayal. In general, any image where a person or some character holds his face with his hand can be perceived as a variant of this meme.
Very often, without attaching an image, the interlocutor can write facepalm, which indicates that he does not intend to discuss any issue at all with the person to whom this message is addressed.
Variations
An interesting version of the facepalm is an illustration of an image where a person is burying his face on a table, floor, wall, etc. This implies a stronger impact on the interlocutor than attaching an image of a regular version of the meme. There are also varieties like double facepalm, triple facepalm, etc., which, again, should enhance the effect.
Due to the fact that there is no analogue of this word in the Russian language, related memes are often used in Runet: "face palm", "rukalitso", "facepalm", "lobhlop", etc. Also, instead of the image of Captain Picard, a shot from the Soviet comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession" is often inserted, where the hero of the same name sits on a throne and rubs his forehead.
No less popular is the picture with the dog from the cartoon "Once upon a time there was a dog", where he covers his muzzle with his paws after the phrase of the wolf: "Now I'll sing!".