Just about everyone looks better when they smile. It’s true regardless of gender. I don’t see where sexism enters the equation.
I feel pretty oblivious. What am I missing?
I don’t know if it’s sexist but it sure as hell is annoying. Don’t tell people to smile if you don’t have a very good reason.
Because it’s sexist to ask me to look better for you
I initially didn’t understand the context of the question as I assumed you meant when taking a photo.
Fuck the downvotes. This is no stupid questions!
Its considered rude towards women. Because a lot of men just say it to women to look more attractive or to just looke more nice as if women bare the responsibility to be nice to men or always be attractive otherwise they wont be considered women at all. I think it became like because many men just say it a lot (or many boomers dont know).
It’s considered rude.
As a girl, my job isn’t to look attractive to guys. I smile when I feel like it, which happens a lot because I’m happy, but I’d still consider it rude if anyone told me to smile like it was an order. If you’re a guy and you wouldn’t tell other guys to smile in the same context, then that falls under discrimination based on sex.
I don’t think it’s sexist. It’s just rude, no matter who you’re asking. I’d equate it to someone asking me to dress differently as if it’s my job to please them.
It’s not women’s job to be attractive.
They aren’t there for your viewing pleasure.
They’re not for you; they’re not a public amenity.
You have no more right to expect them to smile in order to make your surroundings more aesthetic than you have a right to expect them to get their tits out for you to gawp at.
Ah I see!
So you’re essentially saying that instead of asking women to smile, I should also ask them to get their tits out for me to gawp at!
Thank you :)
/c/NoStupidQuestions
Asks a “stupid” question
-22
Wow, you really played yourself didn’t you, OP?
Seriously, wtf is even the point of this subreddit at this rate?
Some people on Lemmy act all high and mighty while considering themselves as “different” from all the regular social media normies owned by corpos. But they’re still the same here as well. Just a different coat of paint.
And I’m not even just referring to this post or even this community or instance. They are all just as retarded and lack any self awareness as much as all the other people online.
It’s the same as when people on Reddit act superior and different, because they don’t have their real names on the account compared to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, ext.
You know the “It’s not the same social media, we are different” that is popular both here and there and most other places to be honest.
I mean we have countless Reddit stories where someone’s dog died that day, and while groceries shopping someone tells them “hey, a beautiful girl like you should smile”.
That’s just an a**hole move. You don’t know anything about that person. Maybe they’re not smiling for a reason. I’d say it is very likely that this might be the case… Otherwise they’d probably already smile… And people keep forcing themselves on other people and telling them what to do. Like smile. When it’s really none of their business and very intrusive.
Why is how good a woman looks to you more important than her own feelings?
Why are you turning this into a personal attack? Asking women to smile is not something I do.
Just about everyone looks better when they smile.
You’re the one who brought looks into it.
Context matters:
Taking a group photo? Stock photo models? PR? Greeter? - yes, asking someone to smile for a goal is fine
Someone just minding their own business - no, asking them to smile is selfish and just for your personal satisfaction. People don’t need to justify to you why they don’t feel like smiling. It’s rude to demand it of others
Greeter? you think the people at walmart want to be there? 60+ and the best job they find is minimum wage and standing on their feet all day getting ignored by people mostly so other employees don’t walk out the front with loot?
apparently everything. Why do women need to “look better”?
This, I think, is a stupid question.
No. OP seems to be asking in good faith, and has been receptive to the answers provided. Genuine curiosity should never be condemned.
First, think how you’d feel if someone said it to you. Second, think how you’d feel if seventeen people said it to you in one day.
It’s not sexist, it’s threatening.
While you may mean well, the vast majority of times a woman is complemented by an acquaintance or stranger, it’s because that person is trying to hit on the woman.
You might think “shouldn’t that be flattering?” No, it really isn’t. Every single woman I know has countless stories about how they have been harassed by desperate men trying to get into their pants. If you could barely walk into a public place without random strangers harassing you, you’d be soured on the idea too. To further compound the problem, men are on average bigger, stronger, and more aggressive than women.
So as an example, I was out with my girlfriend once, walking down a crowded street. There was a group of people we had to walk around so we went single file. In less than 30 seconds, she already had some shitty man cat calling her with loaded compliments. I shoved some people aside to make sure I was standing next to her again and he shut up immediately. This is just a fact of life for most women.
Men may not understand this because they only very rarely receive random compliments, but it hits very different as a woman.
There is an appropriate time to compliment women, and it’s after you have already built up a trusting friendship. Besides, a compliment means more coming from a friend than a stranger.
I constantly have to remind myself that I can be perceived as “threatening”, because I’m typically not threatening at all. Having some empathy is a good start, but there’s so much I don’t know about what women deal with on a daily basis.
“dangerous by default” because you are a man and just as disposable; ain’t the patriarchy swell?
It’s a weird thing to say in general. Would you say that to a man?
I’ve never said it to anyone (well, except when taking a group photo). You’re right; it’s weird. I’m just looking for perspectives on why it’s weird.
It’s weird because it sets you up as the objective authority on what makes them attractive.
With another man, that just comes across as a neutral weird. With a woman, it comes across with a bunch of historical and cultural baggage tied to how a large number of men treat women, and automatically associates you with that group of misogynists.
That is hysterically arrogant and appallingly nauseating at the same time.
Exactly.
