Aggressively telling women to smile...

[Anonymous]

I didn't read all the bickering threads but its interesting that the OP is scandinavian. I am too and not smiling is my normal resting facial expression. Everyone in my family has the "upside down mouth" and high cheek bones. We can smile of course and look lovely in pictures but when we don't make an exagerrated effort our mouths turn down more. I have had other people tell me to smile my how life and it drives me nuts. It was worse when we were younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I HATE this. It is sexist and belittling. No one EVER tells a man to smile. But because we women are supposed to be decorative and pleasant to look at all the time, any moron feels free to tell women who are complete strangers to smile. Next time someone does this to me, I'm going to let them have it.

That's not true. I am a man and I used to get it all the time. It was either that or "what's bothering you?" Then I stopped walking around with a frown.

So, a lot of other men say this to you? Huh. Cause I can't imagine as a woman, seeing a frowning man on the street and saying anything to him. Women don't tend to confront frowning men they don't know. Seems kinda dangerous. Odd that so many women are doing this, odder still that a dude would it. Really I would imagine most men don't give a shit if you are frowning or not.

That's because you have already decided that this is sexist thing, so it makes no sense to you. It isn't possible that you are wrong.

And yet it used to happen to me.
I'm not wrong. There is no guy I know who would tell another guy he's never met, randomly on the street, to smile. That is just laughable.

[Anonymous]

OP, add me as another person who thinks it is rude. I think most people who do it are probably not trying to demean anyone, but just have bad manners. Saying hello to someone is a polite way to show interest or greet a stranger. Telling someone who looks glum to smile is just bad manners, probably carried out by someone who doesn't know any better. Occasionally you'll get someone who knows people think it's rude and just does it anyway; usually this is a form of intimidation. This happened to me ALL THE TIME when I was much younger and much less confident - so I think when you walk more confidently, it happens less and less.

Once, when I was 8 months pregnant, I walked out of a shopping center and a woman who worked at the store came up to me and said "smile, you pregnant!" and not only touched my belly but actually grabbed it with two hands and gave it a shake. I normally let the "smile" shit roll off of me, but I nearly decked this woman. I'm SURE she had no idea how rude she was, but still.