The Great Roy Greenhilt & Everybody Else Facepalm Count

[Gwynfrid]

Huh, I did miss several from DStP, even though having the book helps a lot... I expect we aren't done, not even close.

Haley - bonus comic 642c - Crystal
Haley - 649 - Durkon

[Gwynfrid]

Here's a bunch from NCFTPB (does it show I have lots of time on my hands these days ?)

V - 126 - Elan and Belkar
Roy - 140 - Belkar
Belkar (yes, even Belkar!) - 223 - V
Roy - 231 - Elan
Haley - 250 - Miko
Nale - 256 - Thog

Also, Roy, #263 panel 7, thanks to Elan.

I beg to differ. This one is thanks to Belkar, who proves he can be exasperating even when absent. In this panel, Elan his on the same page as Roy, although he expresses it in a different way.

And so Miko and Thog enter the roster of Most Exasperating Characters as Ranked by Facepalms Caused. And Belkar extends his already sizeable lead.

[RndmNumGen]

I'm not sure I would count 1, 3, and 5 as facepalms. 1 looks like V is pulling her hair out, 3 seems more like Belkar gripping his face, and 5 seems like Haley is raisign her hands in exasperation.

[LuPuWei]

I beg to differ. This one is thanks to Belkar, who proves he can be exasperating even when absent. In this panel, Elan his on the same page as Roy, although he expresses it in a different way.

Oh riiiiiight.....

@RndmNumGen I agree on V and Haley, however, 231 is totally a facepalm for Roy, its just that he's lying down

I searched a bit for an O Chul facepalm (the one about Scruffy's lunch and the one with the Elven Gas) but no luck. Seems the Great One is not prone to such insignificant expressions of exasperation.

[Larkspur]

126, 223 and 250 are all head-clutches, not facepalms, as ruled by the supreme judge of the compilation, ie. me. But I admire your diligence, Gwynfrid!

Keep up the good work, everyone.

[Gwynfrid]

126, 223 and 250 are all head-clutches, not facepalms, as ruled by the supreme judge of the compilation, ie. me. But I admire your diligence, Gwynfrid!

Keep up the good work, everyone.

Thanks.

However, I'd like to file a motion for appeal. The difference in the gesture's appearance, as drawn in stick figures, is minuscule. In spirit, there is no difference at all. Plus, remember you already accepted V's "can't move but the spirit is there" facepalm.

That said, you're the OP and I acknowledge you have the final say.

[Gray Mage]

Well, I think we should set a criteria of what is a facepalm, so that there won't be too much of a diference of opinions. Plus I would take off V's "in spirt" facepalm, or we would have to add all ocasions were Roy went *sigh*.

[St Fan]

I agree that the stick figures makes facepalms not as obvious as you'd expect with other styles, so there will be necessarily some subjectivity.

Note also that the definition of facepalm on TV Tropes is rather wide, including other gesture of exasperation like pinching the bridge of the nose or pulling down a hat over the face.

And of course, there's the double-facepalm, which with stick figures would be difficult to tell apart from a head-clutch.

[Gwynfrid]

A few more:

Haley - 309 - herself; this is a double facepalm to me, and again, the spirit is there, but if you want to be strict on the appearance, you might rule it out.
Roy - 320 - Transport Security Administration
Roy - 323a - Durkon

[LuPuWei]

And of course, there's the double-facepalm, which with stick figures would be difficult to tell apart from a head-clutch.

Yes, but shouldn't the head generally be hanging? Can a face palm really be a face palm if your face is skyward?
In which case this:

...
Haley - 309 - herself; this is a double facepalm to me, and again, the spirit is there, but if you want to be strict on the appearance, you might rule it out.
...

Would be a facepalm, but the earlier Miko-induced one would be a head-clutch...

[Bongos]

Yes certainly a 'sigh' does not equal a facepalm.

I would define a facepalm thusly.

facepalm:
an action where one or both hands touch the face as an expression of exasperation, resignation, frustration or similar emotion.

[Larkspur]

However, I'd like to file a motion for appeal. The difference in the gesture's appearance, as drawn in stick figures, is minuscule.

I'm rejecting the appeal for the time being, but I will release the full ruling :

As a general rule, facepalming is done to express exasperated dismay or exhaustion at dealing with other people's crap. It's rarely (never?) accompanied by angry eyebrows. It's also generally a one-handed gesture.

126 fulfills the exasperation criterion, but it's two-handed and accompanied by angry eyebrows. It's arguably a double-facepalm, but V's hands are also pretty low for a faceplam. Of the three it's the closest, but I think there's enough odd factors that it shouldn't count.

223 clearly doesn't qualify; Belkar is expressing horror and confusion, not exasperation, he's got both hands up, and he has horrified eyebrows rather than no eyebrows or skeptical/resigned eyebrows as one would expect in a facepalm situation.

250 is more frustration than exasperation, IMO, it's two handed, Haley's head is pointed up, and she has angry eyebrows, and her mouth is open, presumably to utter some unrecorded scream of frustration. Facepalming and screaming don't mix well; try it and you'll see what I mean. Again, it's eliminated by a preponderance of irregularities.

I'm going to rule against 309 too, because it's two handed, Haley's got angry eyebrows and one hand at least is clearly clutching her hair, which suggests to me that the other one is probably clutching too, just at the side of her face. I suppose it could be a joint hair-clutch/facepalm, but that seems to me less likely- once you've got enough tension in one hand to clutch at your hair, it's hard to relax the other enough for a proper facepalm- and by the placement it's more of an earpalm, anyway.

To make our list definitive, I agree we probably shouldn't allow V's facepalm-in-spirit, so I've axed that one.

I'm not sure we need an actual written standard- there are few enough cases we can debate them individually if disagreements arise.

[Gwynfrid]

I'm rejecting the appeal for the time being, but I will release the full ruling :

As a general rule, facepalming is done to express exasperated dismay or exhaustion at dealing with other people's crap. It's rarely (never?) accompanied by angry eyebrows. It's also generally a one-handed gesture.

(...)

I'm not sure we need an actual written standard- there are few enough cases we can debate them individually if disagreements arise.

Thanks for taking the time to explain in such detail. This is a pretty good clarification of the term. By the way, this thread is the first time I've ever heard of "facepalm" (non-native English speaker here). So, much appreciated.

[St Fan]

Yes, but shouldn't the head generally be hanging? Can a face palm really be a face palm if your face is skyward?

For a normal facepalm, the head hanging is most common. However, a double-facepalm tend to be more extreme, so it would be just as expected to throw the head backward along with it. Here's an example.

[Bongos]

Yeah, I think it's perfectly acceptable for a facepalm to have the head tilted back, feel more like a facepalm of despair, or resignation. The palm usually goes over the eyes or is on the temple or forehead.

[LuPuWei]

For a normal facepalm, the head hanging is most common. However, a double-facepalm tend to be more extreme, so it would be just as expected to throw the head backward along with it. Here's an example.

Your link did not work.

Yeah, I think it's perfectly acceptable for a facepalm to have the head tilted back, feel more like a facepalm of despair, or resignation. The palm usually goes over the eyes or is on the temple.

I don't think we should classify any gesture involving a touch to the head/face as a facepalm. Facepalm's generally seem to be more about frustration over someone else's stupidity. Even if it looks like a facepalm in a stick figure drawing, I don't think someone standing over a grave with their head in their hands should be considered a facepalm.

I just persoanlly can't imagine myself throwing my head back and facepalming in exhasperation. Despair yes, anger, maybe- but not during a 'facepalm' moment...

[Bongos]

You are right, a facepalm has to be accompanied by the proper emotion. I feel the head back facepalm is a perfectly valid variation. It happens all the time.

[LuPuWei]

You are right, a facepalm has to be accompanied by the proper emotion. I feel the head back facepalm is a perfectly valid variation. It happens all the time.

Wokay. If you say so.

[St Fan]

Your link did not work.

Now that's weird, it works perfectly well from TV Tropes or when copy-and-pasting the link in the adress bar, but not as a direct link. Maybe there's some hotlinking protection... not a big deal anyway.

[Bongos]

Where are the bonus comics? In the books?

[St Fan]

Recent facepalms:

Haley, caused by Elan, in #766
Ian Starshine, caused by Haley, #772
Roy, caused by Elan, #772
Haley, caused by her father, in #774
Haley, caused by Elan, in #776

There may be more; I've checked from #750 to now.