Stop Telling Women to Smile!

By Anči

I'd love to see someone tell this this lady to smile.

Just want to alert you all to a fantastic street art project called "Stop Telling Women to Smile" which aims to challenge one of the most predictable male-responses to contact with an unamused woman. That's right. We've all been on the receiving end of an unsolicited appeal to "smile." (Particularly those of us afflicted with resting bitch face syndrome.)

the original bitch face.

For some reason society has deemed it unacceptable for women to express anything other than  unbridled enthusiasm, when encroaching on a dude's line of vision. Reasons for this presumably include the inevitable disintegration of every bro-ego in the offending dame's proximity.... resulting in a "white male tantrum"-- the likes of which recently caused a government shutdown.
If you think about it though, it makes sense. If babes are going to take up space, it should be for the benefit of the surrounding boners: whether we're at school, at work, or at lunch.

You're right, this does feel more natural

 Actually scratch that. It makes no sense. In fact, it's that kind of attitude which often amounts to gendered-abuses like street harassment. (most "benevolently" manifested through dude nation's  cross-continental crusade to limit womanity's range of facial expressions to a generous:  happy, sympathetic, and horny. )

These public displays of male entitlement would be infuriating enough, without invoking the olde Patriarchal edict to "smile while female." For those of you not in the know, I am referring to the international "smiling dude-cree" supported and enforced by the babe-police. (otherwise known as "random-creeps-on-the-street.") Because apparently it's not enough that we're systematically surveyed for signs of sluttiness? (alliteration!) Or that the sanctity of our uteruses is routinely challenged, in an endless string of political plays? (See what I did there? Re-appropriating anti-choice language is my feminist super power)

Thankfully though, women like Tatyana Fazlalizadeh exist, to pioneer kickass campaigns like "Stop Telling Women to Smile." If it weren't for her, I'd probably be working on that other blog post i've been putting off. More importantly, womanity would be one movement-builder short of a teeming cooperative. (Just kidding. There's already more of us than the Manosphere can handle.)


That's all for now. Be sure to check out Tatyana's site, and spread the word.