Question Do you, as a woman, feel annoyed when a man tells you to smile?

Yes, very. ?

I always get that..it's annoying

Whenever I get told to smile more it's always a guy ? I've never had a woman tell me anything. I think it's annoying cuz there's always sarcasm behind it. It's even more annoying when someone uses it as a way to start a conversation. No sir ✋?you lost me at smile.

I hate being told what to do by complete strangers. So personally I get annoyed regardless of who says it. I also have a serious case of resting b**** face when I am tired and don't feel like smiling just to make people I don't care about feel better.

When I was around 12 the guy checking my grandma and I out at the register of the grocery store told me I'd be petty if I smiled.

Probably the #1 thing to make me not smile, and I remember being really upset with that comment. My grandma told him, "why should she? None of the models in the magazines smile." ?

Meh, smile :)

I hate it because you're telling someone to express an emotion that maybe they're not feeling in the moment.

I got told it a lot by older men when I worked in customer service. Even though I was chatting and being very friendly. I'm just not smiley. I think gender comes into play because more often than not, it's a man saying this to a woman.

I don't understand why gender is a factor in this question, nor do I see what is offensive. Eye-roll worthy, maybe, but...

Yes. It's misogynistic and ridiculous. I hate it. If I want to f-ing smile I will. Those comments mostly get either a fake smile or an eye roll.

I get told that by men and women. It pisses me off tbh. I have a resting b**** face. I can't help it- it's just the way my face is... it's a curse.

Yes. I do not exist to brighten anyone's day.

I was a cashier and super busy. An older guy told me I should smile for him. The lady behind him piped up with, "If you want service with a smile, go to McDonald's."

I was irritated because I had been chit-chatting him, then he just demanded a smile...

I'm not necessarily offended. But I'm definitely annoyed. I used to get that a lot. Now that I'm older and more mature they leave me alone mostly. I beleive they are flirting.

I've been told that before. I don't get offended. If he's being genuine (& not trying to hit on me ?), smiling is actually a good thing. When I'm mad about something, I'll force a smile & actually feel better.

Yes! Annoys me b/c I have RBF a lot of the time ?

Ha! I wonder how'd they respond to " you'd really be more attractive if you smiled more".

I've gotten that one before

We should all start telling men to smile.

As an experiment, of course

Annoying af. Who is he to tell you to smile. You may have good reason not to be smiling. Stop butting in where you're not invited.

It annoys the fack out of me! It's patronizing and sexist

I think it's rude and annoying but I work with over 500 men and I get this all the time and it's only the females the get told to smile or "you need to cheer up" even though they haven't spoken a word to me that's literally the first sentence out of their mouth. I feel her annoyance. Usually I'm just busy doing my job when a man will tell me to smile. When a guy is busy at work no one would stop and say hey SMILE!

Who stands at the gas pump with a random smile on their face? No one.

It's definitely annoying and has always seemed patronizing to me, and it always seems to be coming from men. I always give a little half smile because I feel awkward lol but leave it at that and go about my business. Women don't go around saying smile! To random strangers doing everyday things. When someone is by them self they're usually not just walking around smiling at everything lol.

Patronising, that's how I find it.

Men do it to women but never to other men. I'm not sure if they think it's s convo starter or what but it's annoying.

I just stare at them with raised eyebrows.

Blokes can call me 'luv' or 'darling' & I never get annoyed, being told to smile really p*sses me off. As of them talking to me suddenly makes me want to smile. Oh please!

I had a guy at a gas station yell at me one time that he "maybe would have hit on me if I had just smiled!"

Um, what? No. Newp. My smile is not an invitation for you to make advances on me.

Women are not obligated to smile all the time while doing mundane tasks.

Iv gotten told that before. I hate it. I smile for no man but my dh. And when I say that I mean I'm not going to smile bc some random guy tells me too. When dh tells me to smile I can't help but smile. ????

I give my most threatening look and respond with "Run". I don't know why this is a new thing men do. They don't tell other men to smile. If they did, they'd probably get punched in the face at some point. Mind your own business.

I'd smile and give the finger....

It annoys me. Leave my rbf alone.

Id say duck off

Yes

I used to get this ALOT when I was younger. Always by older men. Pi$$ed me the fack off.

I ve never in my life told another human being what to do with their face ( except for my own kids if their walking around with a push up face cause they got in trouble ). So I can not fathom why a total stranger feels the need to comment on my face. Its Rude!

I on purposed pull the ugliest and probably creepiest smile I can whenever someone tells me to smile. Especially if it's pms time like b**** I just want my cupcakes don't tell me to "lighten up and smile" ?

I hate when people say this. I'm particularly men. It just seems so antagonizing and unnecessary. You don't know why someone isn't smiling and to point it out is just plain rude.

Demanding?? Seemed like more of suggestion...I mean you can take it or leave it...truthfully it shouldn't really affect you....(not you necessarily Pp I mean in general)

It's like "don't hold the door for me I'm having a bad day", "don't say hello to me I'm having a bad day" and omg "don't even think to suggest that I smile because I might be having a bad day".....lol....how does that sound...smh..lol

Haha haha, yeah. If you want to brighten someone's day you make a joke or give a compliment (not in regards to how "phat" they are) not by giving a command.

Trying to brighten her day? By demanding she smile? No. Compliments brighten days.

Someone telling me to smile out of no where would kind of make me laugh...so bam there goes the smile right there?...of course in my mind I'm like um..I do not know you but I'd start thinking...goodness was I really looking all mean standing here pumping this gas? Lol...maybe because I had to even get out the car...lol....you know when you're in the car ac blasting music bumpin then you have to get out to pump gas?

....I mean even if you did have a valid reason for being all sad/down...wow what a coincidence that someone tried to bring a smile to your face not even knowing about what you were even going through...

I'm the oddball here. I probably would've cracked a smile unless I was truly saddened. If I was saddened I would've shortly told him why. But smiling is contagious and even a forced smile makes you a little more happy. He was just trying to brighten her day by telling her to smile. Most of these responses make me visualize a bunch of mean ladies in public lol.

Yep. Exactly, this is my face I'll do with it what I please.

I've had men ask me what's wrong but seemed genuinely concerned, and that's something I can appreciate. If I see a stranger looking sad or upset I like to reach out as well.

But to tell me to smile so that I'll be prettier for you to look at ??

I get annoyed when anyone, male or female, tells me to smile. Most of the time I'm not scowling I'm deep in thought and even if I am upset about something, my facial expressions are mine to control. I find it condescending and intrusive for anyone to tell someone else what emotion to express.

Soooooo annoying. I've even had one pig tell me "he bets he could make me smile" I flicked him off and continued my day.

I have chronic batch face so this has happened more than a few times I'm always just like, nah brah gtfo my face ?. Then they leave me alone ?

Falcon punch! I seriously hate this. She should have shook the window cleaner squeegee thing at him and got his clothes gross. Ok, not really, but what a weasel.

I don't like when guys associate this with beauty. Like "you're pretty, you shouldn't be frowning." Uh, no. My frown is appropriate for how I'm feeling. Which I'm entitled to. And that doesn't mean I'm a prude. And what you think about my appearance is not a concern of mine. And no, I don't have to smile at your shallow compliment.

Anybody seen that YouTube video of a woman walking silently in NY being catcalled unprovoked? She had the best response to "smile, beautiful." I've used it a few times.

"Say something funny."

I've never ever had this happen to me. I've heard other women complain about it though so I would assume it feels patronizing but I have no personal experience so I'm not sure...id probably be annoyed but not let it bother me too much

Oh he yelled at her? Never mind. Ya that's rude lol

She was probably just pulling her leg! No need to get her panties in a bunch ? I look way too serious when I'm just focusing on something and I get bugged all the time for it!

It absolutely annoys me! This is my face to do what I please with it. I don't owe anyone a smile, and I hate when men say that shat. It's even better when you respond to their BS with something they weren't expecting and they get all pissy about. Men don't walk around telling other men to smile, just women. Patronizing as hell. ?

Depends on who is telling me and how they say it. I used to be a waitress and a cashier and it was usually by strange men trying to be patronizing. I don't welcome it.

I'd be willing to bet most men have never been told to smile by a random person on the street.

Why is it anyone's concern what my face looks like? It's not. It's rude and annoying when a random (usually a man) tells me to smile.

A man said that to me on a particularly bad day and he got an earful.

Maybe she looked sad and he was merely trying to let her know everything will be alright?

Eta. I just read the part where he yelled it at her.

Yeah, he was rude.

She also was a waitress/bartender for over 10 years and gets easily frustrated by guys being obnoxious. We were talking about this and she was wondering if she was being too sensitive or if she was justified.

I used to waitress and I also had plenty of men coming in telling me to smile. I would, because it was my place of work, but I feel irritated when I'm out at a store for example and I'm told to smile.

I can't imagine anyone going to up to my dh and telling him to smile. That's the difference, I don't see anyone telling men to smile.

I'd be annoyed but would just ignore it.

I constantly have RBF. Bad. People constantly tell me to smile.. I just tell them to simply mind their business they have no clue what i have going on in my life..

Most people say im too young to be stressed..when i tell them my situation w my daughter everyone turns around real quick.

I should smile more.. I know that but im also not going to walk around cheesing ?? man or woman telling me I have the same response..

The cashier at the gas station near my house tells me to smile every time I go in there. It's so annoying. I told him "Nah I'm good." But he still says it. Now I just roll my eyes and continue with my transaction.

The guy yelled it at her, he said "Hey, it wouldn't hurt to smile!"

And she told him to mind his business, to which he got offended over.

Exactly pp, you would never tell a man to smile like that.

Is she bothered because it was a man asking? If it had been a women would it be different? How was it said? This is a bit silly to me. lol I would probably just smile and go on with my day.

I tell them to mind their business ?

I think they wouldn't tell a grown man to smile. ?