The men who tell women that they should smile more "because they're prettier are correct
Summary
A straphanger delivers a brazenly specific take: the men who tell women to smile more are "correct" about the words themselves, even if their sentiment is "toxic and problematic." She separates the statement from its creepy delivery, insisting everyone looks prettier when smiling. The conversation spirals into granular smile philosophy. Training in the mirror before picture day? Essential. Smiling with teeth versus without? It's about whether you've "done the work." Kareem gets schooled on "serving," an aura that apparently requires a straight face. The rider clarifies that you can serve and be happy simultaneously, though when pressed, admits Kareem wouldn't understand. He's an ally to the community, not in it. She's doubling down on everything.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? The men who tell women that they should smile more because they're prettier are correct. 100% agree. I think everyone is prettier when they smile. I agree. I think that when you have this, you know, resting face or whatever, you're serving a different kind of thing, but it's not necessarily pretty. Pretty is like when you're smiling and you're joyful. And these men are usually coming in from a really horrible place, but the words that they're saying are correct. So I agree with the specific words that are coming out of their mouth. The sentiment. No, you don't agree with the sentiment. The sentiment is like toxic and problematic. Exactly. The sentiment and the delivery and everything else about it. I don't agree with. But the actual words that are coming out of their mouth I agree with.
What you're saying is facts. Exactly. It's facts. It's truth. Doubling down on that. I think that when you are smiling, smiling with your teeth specifically like for a photo or whatever is better. I think that showing your teeth is more joyful and happier and you look prettier usually.
Thank you so much. Yeah. Some people I think smile better like this. I think that when they look better doing that, it's because they don't know how to smile with their teeth. They haven't done the work in the mirror, the training.
Yeah. Because before picture day in elementary school and all that, I would train in the mirror and be like, "How do I want to smile with my teeth?" Because sometimes there are awkward teeth smiles, but sometimes there are beautiful teeth smiles when you're walking around Manhattan. Yeah. Are you smiling? If I'm trying to give pretty, if I'm trying to serve, I will not be smiling.
What is serving? It's just an aura around you. So if you're serving, you're not smiling.
No, I think that you can be and happy and that is a different thing. But mostly I think that if you're serving, you're not smiling. If you're serving, you're not smiling. But you can be happy.
Yeah. And in that case, are you smiling? Yeah. You wouldn't get it. You're just not in the community. You're an ally, but you're not in the community.
Who says I'm an ally? Oh, I did. Am I wrong?