Chris Pine Tuning Out is the Internet’s New Favorite Meme

Ever just zoned out while a colleague was talking? We’ve all been there. Actor Chris Pine got caught in a similarly awkward moment at the Venice Film Festival press conference for his new movie Don’t Worry Darling, and it’s become an amusing meme.

Here’s the background: Pine stars in the Olivia Wilde-directed psychological thriller coming to US theaters Sept. 23. While few people have seen the film yet, it’s been making headlines for the supposed controversy surrounding on-set relationships and other issues. 

And now there’s the photo, taken at the Venice Film Festival before a screening of the film in which Pine stares off into the middle distance while co-star Harry Styles gives a bizarre answer to a question. “I think, you know, my favorite thing about the movie is that it feels like a… movie,” Styles said. Fans had plenty of opinions on what exactly Pine was thinking.

Many people grabbed for the same word to describe Pine’s look — “disassociate,” as in, Pine really really wishes he were somewhere else. (And as you’ll notice from his different outfits below, Pine didn’t just display that look once, fans have memed various photos from different press events.)

Wrote one, “Chris Pine looking like a white suburban mom the morning after a wine-night crying jag.”

Said another, “I understand you, Chris Pine. I too want to disassociate from what’s happening around me.”

The meme follows “spitgate”: On Monday, the internet lit up over-examining a piece of video which some thought showed Styles spitting on Pine at the press event.

CNET’s Mark Serrels summed it up well in an earlier article: “After close examination I am absolutely of the opinion that Styles did not spit on Pine because that would be insane.” And on Tuesday, People magazine quoted a representative for Pine who completely shot down the intentional spitting idea. 

“This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” the representative said. “Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”

If half of this offscreen drama shows up in the film, it’ll be an Oscar contender for sure.

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