I told
my friend Ken, who took this photograph a couple of days ago and labeled it "Visionary,"
1 that I tended not to feel comfortable with photographs of myself in which I was not smiling. He commented that smiling is much over-rated in America. If you look at photographs from just a few generations ago, you'll see no one smiling.
I wonder whether anyone has studied this. I think that a history of the smile in America could be fascinating. How did the smile come to be over-rated? When was the tipping point? Et cetera.
Says Ken:
"History of the Smile in America" would indeed be a fascinating study. My guess is that the smiling photo evolved in the 30's and was locked in (think frozen grin) by the 40's. I'd also guess that the Europeans didn't follow until the 60's. Our influence around the world is so great that we have actually affected the way 6 billion people want their faces recorded! Compared to that, the spread of English and the use of the dollar as currency are small potatoes.
In any case, I'm grateful to Ken for helping me feel comfortable being photographed just the way I happen to be at the moment. Without the specially requested face (and its associated frame of mind
2).
_______________
- February 3: The photo shown above replaced this one, which Ken labeled "Git Off My Propity":
- See the chapter, "Seven Seconds in the Bronx: 3. The Naked Face," in Malcolm Gladwell's 2005 book, Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking.
I told my friend Ken, who took this photograph a couple of days ago and labeled it "Visionary,"1 that I tended not to feel comfortable with photographs of myself in which I was not smiling. He commented that smiling is much over-rated in America. If you look at photographs from just a few generations ago, you'll see no one smiling.
I wonder whether anyone has studied this. I think that a history of the smile in America could be fascinating. How did the smile come to be over-rated? When was the tipping point? Et cetera.
Says Ken:
Moristotle, you have a very handsome face, in the Clint Eastwood mold. There is a nobility and sincerity in your face that a smile would not convey nearly as well. I think the "unsmiling Moristotle" projects the depth of your humanity more effectively.
ReplyDeleteI think you look like a sourpuss. Sorry, just one man's opinion.
ReplyDeleteSteve in Germany
I should have added that a smile makes you look much friendlier, which I know you are.
ReplyDeleteSteve in Germany
Ha! I should have added that Ken did label the photograph I used "Git Off My Propity!" I used it (rather than another which he labeled "Paragon of Species") because it was a smaller file and I didn't have the software available to me in California to resize the other one. (And, now back at home, I haven't found the time yet to do the resizing.)
ReplyDeleteStill, maybe "looking friendly" is over-rated too. Why must one "look friendly" in a photograph? I continue to feel lighter in my spirit knowing that smiling isn't a requirement to be photographed. One has the option of telling the photographer to fuck off (but the thought of saying that to a photographer does rather make me smile).
Steve, I hope that you find "Visionary" less unsettling.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, seeing that smiling "Walt Whitman" in my profile reminds me that I have an unsmiling version I might use instead!
I liked the picture, one doesn't always feel like smiling. I know I sure don't much these days. Take care.
ReplyDeleteLove ya
your Niece Dawn
The new photos is much better. I would have to say less harsh. A non smiling picture can be nice, it depends on the subject and the photo.
ReplyDeleteSteve in Germany