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DevilKisses
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09 Sep 2015, 8:26 pm

Does anyone else have this problem? I'm not that masculine, but I think my facial expressions look masculine. I think it looks ugly when my facial expression is masculine, but I'm wearing makeup and have long hair. Why do you think my expressions look manly?


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Unfortunate_Aspie_
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18 Sep 2015, 5:55 pm

I think the issue comes up when your expression is "flat" -if it is: I don't know for sure because I don't really know what your face looks like.

However, women are expected to have expressive, open, and warm and "friendly" expressions 24/7. When people don't meet those expectations they are said to be "cold" which tends to be a masculine trait or associated with masculinity. The jump to "you act/look masculine" wouldn't surprise me.



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18 Sep 2015, 6:27 pm

I have what they call "resting b***h face".

I wonder if it does put people off when I don't act in a way that is expected of women. :( What are we to do?


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xxZeromancerlovexx
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18 Sep 2015, 8:01 pm

I've had this problem. My facial expression can be blank and emotionless at times especially when I'm not wearing makeup. It doesn't mean I'm in a bad mood or angry. All it means is I don't smile all the time.

Maybe I'm tired. That's usually when my face looks off.


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Unfortunate_Aspie_
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18 Sep 2015, 11:40 pm

xxZeromancerlovexx wrote:
I've had this problem. My facial expression can be blank and emotionless at times especially when I'm not wearing makeup. It doesn't mean I'm in a bad mood or angry. All it means is I don't smile all the time.

Maybe I'm tired. That's usually when my face looks off.


Yes, I have this problem too. My "natural" face is a VERY neutral/blank face. If I am not actively putting a face up consciously- which is hard when I am tired- people often say: "What's wrong with you?"
Nothing is wrong with me, but my face is blank so people ask questions ...



Eloquaint
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21 Sep 2015, 12:48 pm

https://youtu.be/f8cHxydDb7o

But thanks to Apple, there's a cure:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 93795.html

And thanks to Queen Latifah, we can get the taste out of our mouths:

https://youtu.be/f8cHxydDb7o


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Edenthiel
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21 Sep 2015, 8:57 pm

As an older feminist, I say no girls and women are to blame for displaying the "wrong" facial expressions.

Ordinarily, I'd say it's just because people are insecure about their own group cohesion when they get upset about someone else not smiling. But since we've gendered proper facial expressions (men serious & fierce, women soft and friendly)...that angle kinda has to be explored.

For over two thousand years in western society, women have been taught that we must perform our gender to some arbitrary standard in order to survive. In many cultures, that is coming to an end and that's a good thing. But the expectations are still alive in the cultural memory & not all subcultures accept it. To not perform correctly is still often seen as not conforming with those expectations. The reaction is often hostile, as we are questioning their authority & even the validity of the whole system that says we must smile and appear harmless. Extrapolate out a bit further and it applies to women as well; historically we've have to signal and bond for safety for the same reasons.


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dianthus
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25 Sep 2015, 9:56 pm

Sometimes when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I think my face looks disturbingly masculine.