What is it with [older] women putting their tongues out on photos?

[HermioneWalker]

This is slightly light-hearted.

I belong to a social (friendship) group and sometimes they post photos on social media of their events.

Lots of them stick their tongues out for the photo- these are women 40+ (not teenagers.)

I'm curious why this is now a 'thing'.

Sounds brilliant.

How dare older women do something that amuses them?

We’re now embarrassing and idiotic. I should be ashamed but I’m not. I’m having fun and I know I must come across as cringe. I’m at the point in my life I love to see beautiful younger women enjoy themselves more than they care how they look.
It’s like looking at myself 20 odd years ago.
I hope they never stop being themselves to conform to other people’s ideals

A few years ago people were doing a wierd 'open mouthed- astonishment' pose in photos, which I found really, really cringey. I think it started with photos of 'surprise' engagements where the woman would do this stupid look of surprise, usually with 'So this happened...' written underneath. It caught on and lots of middle-aged women looked very silly in every photo.

I find it odd that posters don't think 40 is an older woman. 40 is definately older.

This is nothing to do with what age = old.

It's the implication that older women are somehow more ridiculous desperate, disgusting, classless, cringe-inducing or cheap than younger women that's objectionable.

I've noticed that a lot of young chavvy looking girls/women do this 12-25 yrs old

They look very common

I absolutely hate having photos taken of me, so if it's unavoidable I often pull a silly face, it's an anixety thing I think, all my childhood photos are the same. Luckily I manage not to every ten years for my passport photo

Trying to make themselves look cool and fun?
Personally I think it looks stupid at any age. Same also with pouting (look like a fish), twisting at an angle (look like you have back pain), bending one leg (look like you need a wee), doing the peace sign (look like you've dropped a cigarette).
Whatever happened to taking nice normal photos of people smiling.

Yet another stick to beat women with.. oh but it's "slightly light-hearted" so that's OK...

I don't understand why people do it, it just looks stupid

It’s a certain type who do it who think it’s cute- but it’s just seriously naff. No one wants to see your lolling idiot 👅!

Omg that’s hilarious

I think it’s common to call people common. I didn’t realise anybody still used such phrases. Maybe just the common people?

Yes but at least she never trashed the economy, so people in glass houses and all that! 😉🤣

Me too. It looks very silly.

Surely that’s the actual point?

Well it IS more cringe-inducing in an older woman.... because to an extent you can kind of 'forgive' youngsters for doing it - I mean most of us did embarrasing things when we were 18yrs or even mid-20's but surely by the time you hit your 40's you grow out of doing things just to fit in, making very dodgy fashion choices etc. That's what's so cringey about it.

Its meant to be silly

Why? You never mess around with your friends? Never look less than immaculate? Never take off your pearls or get your knickers out of a twist?

This is putting me in mind of the Jenny Joseph poem. I might have to buy a red hat that doesn’t suit me.

I don’t do the tongue thing, but I totally reserve the right to piss around and be daft if I want to, however old I am.

For clarity- these women are part of a social networking group in my town (last count about 1000 members) for women who want to make new friends or want to do something social with other women (and who are lonely perhaps.)

Just tagging a few posters who've made points about age. @HaddawayAndShite @CaptainMyCaptain

We have a Facebook page where events are posted so women can go along to make friends. I guess the age range is from 25-70+.

So when I say 'older' at 40 I mean compared to 15 year olds !

I'm so pleased it's not just me who's noticed this.

Over the last couple of months there have been photos posted by some of them at social events. And I've just been really surprised to see at least one woman, if not more, in the photo sticking her tongue out ( like 'I'm so cheeky'!) or gurning at the camera.

Maybe they are taking the piss? 😝✌🏽

She totes did ✌🏽😝

I didn't want to start an argument over this.

Only wanted to ask if anyone else noticed this or even did it themselves!

There is evidently one photo of the late Queen doing this (which was reported in the media a few weeks ago.)

I’ve put my hand up to it. I am not ashamed or bothered it makes people think I’m…insert put down.
I’m in my 50’s and unashamedly having fun.
As previously mentioned, my youngest used to do it and my archaic brain was slow to catch on.
Try not to judge us for having fun. I may be classless and cringe but I’m finally happy in my skin ☺️
I can categorically tell you that I’ll start copying the latest trend in about 2 years when I’ll be even more cringe 😬