The Obama Rage Face meme, also known simply as "Not Bad" Face, features an image of former U.S. President Barack Obama exhibiting a controlled but noticeable expression that conveys mild approval or surprise. The expression can be described as a tight smile paired with slightly raised eyebrows, creating a vibe of being impressed or approving. This meme format is typically used to react to situations that turn out better than expected or to acknowledge a result that surpasses initial expectations.
The meme originated from a photograph taken during President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's visit to the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace on May 24th, 2011. The photo captured by a Reuters photojournalist shows Obama with a subtly impressed expression, which was featured in The Telegraph's "Picture of the Day" on May 26th, 2011 reference the photo. The image quickly gained meme status when a user named joeyjoejoe99 created a rage comic titled "Not Bad Obama" and uploaded it to the f7u12 subreddit. This comic showcased the Obama image photoshopped into a rage comic reaction face, behaviorally expressing satisfaction with the caption "Not Bad" see the original Reddit post. The same day, another related meme titled "Not Bad, Michelle" featuring First Lady Michelle Obama was also posted on Reddit by user thrsdy view the Michelle meme post.[1]