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Smiling and RBF...


HerNameIsBuffy

5,053 views

I am one of those women always being told to smile.  I have resting bitch face and so even when I'm perfectly content I apparently look somewhat annoyed.  Or focused.  Or stop looking at my face if you don't like it...

This has been going on since I was a child.  I never understood it.  I'd be happily engrossed in a book, playing dolls, or color-forms and someone would tell me to smile because I'm so much prettier when I do.   Absolutely no difference between that and sitting behind a bank of monitors focused on work.  I wondered why I needed to be pretty when I'm busy...and what kind of person would just smile for no reason whilst reading or working?  At myself?  Alone?  Who does that?  

Another thing I don't get is the people who light up with a big grins whenever you greet them.  I'm not Ed McMahon nor do I have a giant check for a million dollars with their name on it, so they might want to ratchet down your excitement at seeing me.  Nothing I bring to the table will elicit that kind of joy.  

But I digress...my point is I'm a person who has been told to smile on at least a weekly basis for my entire life.

a much younger, much prettier version of me...

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My struggle...

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My philosophy...

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My answer to people who think they are entitled to a response...

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But today a co-worker commented that every time I reference this being my last week ....I smile.  A lot.  I'm super smiley apparently and was completely unaware of it.

So this is me now?

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It's amusing the people I like and annoying some others...hard not to smile at that.

  • Upvote 18

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clueliss

Posted

I get told to smile a lot.  I don't want to smile.  Maybe I'm just not that amused by you.  And I feel like a dork running around with a smile plastered on my face just to appease everyone.  And I agree in the smiling gives you wrinkles meme.  

  • Upvote 6
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HarryPotterFan

Posted

I have resting, "I am miserable face." It's like sorry if I'm just you know, sitting around existing, and I'm not happy looking. I dunno. There have been so many times when I've looked miserable when I'm not. Or I  just totally unenthused when im actually enjoying myself.

  • Upvote 5
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ClaraOswin

Posted

I am the same as HarryPotterFan.  When I first met my husband's friends years ago...I was told I was "stand offish" or something like that because I was just listening to everyone talk and not smiling enough. I had nothing to contribute to the conversation and I don't do well in large groups. And I don't just sit around with a smile plastered on my face. Oh well.

I always think of Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

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  • Upvote 4
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Maggie Mae

Posted

I DO look better when I smile. But I also lived through years, probably 6 though, oh,  college, where fellow students felt it was their business to complain when I smiled, complained and/or mocked when I didn't. In general, who gives a s*** about what other people think about your face? Do what you want. RBF it up if that's cool. 

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  • Upvote 6
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Grimalkin

Posted

I get asked "what's wrong?" A lot. I used to wish I could be more bubbly and outgoing. After a while SOME of the people I admired for being bubbly and outgoing start to get annoying and really seem self absorbed. 

Small doses.

  • Upvote 3
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WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?

Posted

It doesn't happen very often, but every so often I've been happy enough that I keep smiling. It's almost like I'm so full of happiness that it leaks out of me. I'm glad you're having that! :my_biggrin:

  • Upvote 3
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PreciousPantsofDoom

Posted

So, my 87 year old Uncle   keeps asking me why so many of the other old gimmers in his care home always look so sour. He generally says this at the top of his voice (sometimes pointing at the offending person. )   I usually gently remind him that some of them are not smiling because they might not be feeling too well etc., but last week I got bored of having that same conversation and explained the concept of resting bitch face to him. He quite liked the idea that the scowling people were not really scowling at him, just that their faces had settled into an unfortunate expression (and I didn't tell him that he himself often has RBF. )  

Of course, he does have dementia, so by yesterday he was back to loudly wondering why that woman over there looks so unpleasant...

  • Upvote 6
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usedtobenice

Posted (edited)

I'm envious of those with RBF. I have a tell me your life story face. When I'm at the neighborhood bar by myself, I have met so many people who just want to share way too much. It's like our local Cheers. Most of us are in the service industry and are good friends, but there are a few non regulars who come in and make a beeline for me. So yeah, wish I had resting bitch face lol

Edited by usedtobenice
  • Upvote 2
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Jellybean

Posted

@usedtobenice you took the words right out of my mouth!

Having pretty much the opposite of RBF, I promise it isn't always the panacea some people seem to expect. I'm a pretty hardened introvert, definitely not helped by years of being either mostly bed bound or housebound. Internally, I'm decked out with bunting and banners telling people to go away; externally, my face sends the exact opposite message. 

This face, coupled with an inability to make eye contact with people without smiling, and an inability to smile without using my entire face, means I get a lot of life stories. I also get a lot of people (mostly in hospitals) who think it's appropriate to tell me how happy they are to have met me because it really puts all their own problems into perspective. They sure do feel lucky in comparison. Sigh. 

Having anti-RBF means that I can't rely on my face as a deterrent. Hints rarely work because my face undermines them. So I have to be really quite rude, which goes against every fibre of my Britishness, and always makes me feel really unkind. People always look so shocked. As though they've been viciously attacked by a Labrador puppy.

My brother has Classic RBF, which never seems to cause any problems for him. I wonder if it's more of an issue for women because were generally still expected to be softer and kinder, and to care about other people finding us attractive. 

Take heart, @HerNameIsBuffy. Your face saves you from many oversharing incidents - what a useful face! 

  • Upvote 3
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choralcrusader8613

Posted

On 9/23/2016 at 4:16 AM, usedtobenice said:

I'm envious of those with RBF. I have a tell me your life story face. When I'm at the neighborhood bar by myself, I have met so many people who just want to share way too much. It's like our local Cheers. Most of us are in the service industry and are good friends, but there are a few non regulars who come in and make a beeline for me. So yeah, wish I had resting bitch face lol

One of my friends has said I have "Resting-I'm-Going-To-Kill-You-Face". Somehow, that doesn't keep people telling me that they're having the worst week, etc. I'm going into a therapy profession, but I don't do that stuff off the clock :lol:

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Playagirl

Posted

I have Resting Sad Face. No matter what my mood is, unless I'm actually smiling I look like I'm about to cry. One of my siblings tells me it's cuz I have hooded eyelids, or as she likes to call them, super-sad puppy-dog eyes.  So I'm always being asked if I'm OK and of course not being believed when I say I'm fine. Getting older and having the corners of my mouth starting to droop is not helping matters at all. I sometimes try walking around with a smile plastered on my face to avoid the inevitable 'what's wrong?' but then I look like some sort of whack-job and people look at me strangely.  Can't win.

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  • Posts

    • LillyP

      Posted

      It's funny because as a mom of two young kids (6 & 3) I am very much a "time and place" person when it comes kids in public spaces. I think that 100% yes kids have a right to be in public places, and kids in restaurants and planes and places are just a part of life. BUT, I do think there is such a thing as using common sense and I feel like wayyyy too many parents these days feel entitled to bring their kids to places that while it's within their right to do so, it's probably not appropriate. 

      I do admit though that I am probably slightly biased on the subject because as a wedding & family photographer I see it alllll the time. I'm team no kids at weddings, which is always a hot topic. And for me it really boils down to the fact that weddings are formal events and *most* of the time the kids are a big disruption. And it's not that they're being bad, *they're just being kids*. Unfortunately too many parents just either a) don't pay attention or keep their kids in check, or b) are watching their kids and find nothing wrong with their behavior. 

      We are relatively strict parents when it comes to behavior, dare I say "old school". We take our kids out to restaurants A LOT, we fly with them regularly, etc. No kids are perfect, and no matter how strict you are every kid has their moments, tantrums, etc. IMO the difference is in how you handle it and doing so in a way that it doesn't disrupt other people. That might not be a popular opinion, but I absolutely feel that while it's my right to take my kids out to dinner, it's also the right of the other patrons to not listen to my kids yell and scream and be annoying.

    • treehugger

      Posted

      I really think it depends where you live as to what attitudes people have towards kids. I always felt really insecure about having my kids in public in Southern Ontario (where mega families were common) because people were unbelievably judgy about how they behaved and my parenting in general.
       

      Then we moved to downtown Montreal, where having more than 1 kid was considered a big family, and everyone is just so kind and supportive and encouraging. No one batted an eye at them. I swear that’s why we moved here. 

      • Upvote 1
    • LillyP

      Posted

      I feel like they're just regular old Fall family portraits...it's that time of year! All my clients are getting on the books for their Christmas card photos now too. At first I thought maybe an announcement based on the bear with pink ribbon, but I actually think it's more possible that is just to honor the loss they had. I can't imagine they'd give that much away prior to a big announcement. I could be wrong though.

      • Upvote 2
    • GuineaPigCourtship

      Posted

      My bet is it's all for show so they're not changing anything.  After all, these people side hugged their own kids.

      • Upvote 1
    • Howl

      Posted

      5 hours ago, sleepygirl1 said:

      Catch me up on the Bradrick family? Are they the ones that had a daughter in law wear a yellow wedding dress?

      Bradrick! and wife #1 Kelly were the darlings and the couple-of-the-year and marriage of the year  amonst the Vision Forum elite.

      Kelly and Bradrick! proceeded to quickly have six children before the perfect marriage imploded and Kelly sued for divorce, based on...nobody knows for sure.  I

      n the meantime,  Vision Forum had imploded because Doug Phillips was exposed as a sexual predator;  the Vision Forum gravy train left the station and left Bradrick! high and dry.  The young couple headed to the Pacific Northwest where Bradrick!'s family lives and Bradrick! became a realtor.  There's a classic photo of Kelly pregnant and maybe even barefoot, standing on the deck outside their mobile home on a damp day, surrounded by very young children. She looked so...over it. 

      Bradrick! stayed in the Pacific Northwest and Kelly and six kids flounced home to daddy Scottie Brown and then she married the current husband. 

       



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