Meaning
What does Best I Can Do mean?
Best I can do (commonly known as bestI can do is guy) is a meme format that refers to the American reality TV series Pawn Stars. During the episodes throughout the series, a key theme frequently recurs, where clients make pawn shop owner Rick Harrison an offer on an item, which he then undercuts by saying “best i can do is”, followed by a usually significantly lower price.
Online, the catchphrase has inspired the creation of ironic memes, reaction images, and exploitables alike.
via MEME
Origin
What's the origin of Best I Can Do?
The first episode of Pawn Stars aired in the U.S. in 2019, and the series since then has seen 19 seasons so far. Throughout the 19 seasons, there are dozens upon dozens of examples of Rick Harrison saying the infamous “best i can do” line in a bargaining context.
As a meme, the first occurence is believed to have been an Advice Animal image macro, however, we are not sure about exactly who came up with the idea.
Spread & Usage
How did Best I Can Do spread?
The first versions of the meme were circulating on the web from 2010 to 2010. These versions were aiming to mock the general style of the series, as well as the characters.
After 2012, the best I can do meme started to gain an ironic connotation and users started to utilize it as an ironic meme format on Reddit.
External resources
- Mostlyblogging.com – Best I Can Do Meme: How to Make the Best Memes in 2022 [for Free, 9 Ways]
- Old.reddit.com – r/dankmemes