Jonathan Frakes refers to his patented Riker Maneuver with some unkind words

When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted inthe 1980s, many fans were wondering what the show would be about. Would it embrace the trends and ideals of the first show? What would the characaters be like? And some probably thought, "What will be the most endearing thing the show leaves behind?" And fair play to those people.

Yet, those people would likely be shocked to find out that the most memorable thing to come out of The Next Generation was the way William Riker sat down. Dubbed the Riker Maneuver by fans of a modern age, the way Riker sat down during his time on the U.S.S Enterprise-D caught on with fans in recent years, causing it to become a meme.

Riker's untraditional way of sitting down, where he stepped over the back of the chair with one leg before sitting, became an iconic part of the show, and Jonathan Frakes doesn't seem to keen on that. In a recent AMA (via TrekMovie.com), Frakes revealed that he doesn't see it the same way as others have responding to a fan saying;

KingRabbit_: "Who came up with the Riker maneuver on TNG (by which I mean, extending your left leg over the top of a chair anytime you sat down because you’re just that damn tall and virile)? Be honest, it was you, right? What a power move."

Jonathan Frakes: "It happened by chance when we first used 10 Forward…the chairs where low enough to step in ….frankly it’s kind of an a**h*le move …but I’m glad it found life as a Meme"

While Frakes may think the move wasn't the most flattering way to get around, the fact that he sees the meaning in it and is happy that fans have embraced is a wonderful thing. Sometimes you can't help what fans enjoy, you just have to hope that you see value in it.