Where Does The Image Of Principal Skinner Saying 'Pathetic' Come From? The Meme And 'Simpsons' Reference Explained

The Simpsons is ever-popular meme fodder, giving birth to iconic images like Say The Line Bart and Mr. Skinner's infamous Steamed Hams recipe. But here's a meme that comes straight from the very first season of the show, albeit with some crucial edits that turned it into a reaction image.

Here's the real origin of the screengrab showing Principal Skinner looking down and seemingly saying the word "Pathetic."

Where Does The Meme Showing Principal Skinner Saying 'Pathetic' Come From?

An episode in the first season of the long-running American sitcom The Simpsons follows Bart as he bungles his way into a school for gifted students. Titled, "Bart the Genius," the episode contains a scene in which Principal Skinner looks down at a spray paint can thrown by Bart.

Notably, the scene does not actually contain a line where Skinner says the word "pathetic." The addition appears to be an inference made by whoever deemed Skinner's face to be condescending enough to turn into a meme.

How Did Principal Skinner Saying 'Pathetic' Become A Meme?

Some early evidence of the meme making the rounds points to Tumblr in the year 2015, as seen in a January 2016 post shared by whatdoyouwanttobelieve, which gathered over 65,000 notes in about two years. The image is most commonly used as a reaction meme, as seen in a September 2016 example posted by Imgur user shinywaffle.

How Did The Meme Where Skinner Says 'Pathetic' Evolve Over Time?

As the image was popularized as a reaction image, internet users redrew it in the form of their favorite characters. A September 2019 post shows X user @potoobrigham's interpretation of Skinner as Kazooie, while a January 2021 post by @nachtfl_gal shows Lady Dimitrescu striking the pose.

For the full history of Principal Skinner Saying "Pathetic" be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.