A bloke in the street said 'cheer up love, give us a smile' and I did. Urgh!!!

[YoJesse]

And now I'm pissed off with myself. I didn't feel like smiling, I don't think I should have to smile because some random male said I should. I just instantly did as I was told before my brain even engaged. Then he said 'ahh, that's much better baby face' I always do this or look embarrassed and scuttle by with my head down when blokes say stuff like this in the street even though I would call myself a feminist. (I'm not great at putting my feminist beliefs into action).

What do other women do? Withering look, sharp comment or just ignore.
Is it unreasonable for something like this to get to me that much?

Nope, not gonna do it!

"I'm not here for your entertainment."

"Get some dick"

Is it me or is intelligent conversation taken a turn for the worse on MN? I mean, really. Get some dick? Can we start sending thick posters to Netmums please?

or maybe, just maybe, they aren't walking down the street concerned with looking happy in order to please some random fuck walking past them.

Absolutely this.

RupertPupkin Mon 11-Jul-16 16:30:06
"Get some dick"

Is it me or is intelligent conversation taken a turn for the worse on MN? I mean, really. Get some dick? Can we start sending thick posters to Netmums please?

southern HAHAHAHAHA

It's the same as 'cheer up, it might never happen'.

Women are not pleasant smiley amiable creatures to cheer up men's landscape. Like those rows of smiley ladies at Olympic and sport events. Fuck off!

I had a London cabbie say it to me, I told him my mum had just died (she hadn't but we don't speak) and that I was sorry for not looking more cheerful. He apologised and we travelled the rest of the journey in silence, thank god!

They're my facial muscles, mind your own fecking business what I do with them!

I was once really ill. Temperature, muscle aches, headaches.

I waled down to Tesco for some paracetamol looking and feeling like death and this guy says to me "cheer up love"

I took his head off. oops.

Whilst at uni I used to work as a checkout operator. I had to deal with men asking this at least once during every shift. Some customers would say it weekly, like it was a habit. I'd plaster on a smile whilst saying through gritted teeth 'if I was sat here with a perma-smile I'd look like a right idiot', then revert to my resting bitch face, whilst being pleasant enough not to offend (I hope). Apparently my face lights up when I smile, but I keep that for special people not random strangers ... x

I always "er... my mum just died" and give them a withering look. That usually shuts them up.
Actually she died 2 years ago but i still cry about it daily and people can fuck off, telling others in the street to cheer up. For all they know your mum could have just died, or your child could be very ill or any number of upsetting things happening in your life. God it makes my blood boil. I fucking hate it!

A guy said this to me on Monday last week. I was feeling pretty miserable because my DP was made redundant the previous Friday, and I actually burst into tears. Not sure what he made of that...

This from the fabulous Susan Calman.

Never had this said to me.

Oh, I love Susan Calman. Her book is on my list to read - when it comes out in paperback!

Love that so many of you do give the withering looks and one liners that I talked about in the op. It can be done and one day I'll do it (and not feel instantly guilty and horrible).

Even in my job it's been drilled into us to look nice, act nice and always pander to the rich, male businessman type customers.

I'm a waitress, not a hooked BTW!!

Wow MrsS1990, if you are in fact a woman, you are a poor excuse for one.

I think if a woman said "cheer up" to me, they'd get the exact same treatment as a man would, either I would ignore them or tell them to piss off depending on my mood.

A good response is "Why?"
and then walk away whilst they stand there looking lost.

I would have given him the finger but I'm feeling really shitty and hormonal (grin)

Extend both middle fingers and use them to prop up the corners of your mouth.

My DP does this. It makes me very . We were on holiday with his parents last week and apparently my being miserable all the time was a problem. I was not in the least bit miserable, just not constantly smiling. I like to think my RBF puts off the sort of people who think smiling 24/7 is a prerequisite of femininity.

The last time this happened to me actually was when my mum had just died. I don't think I was looking particularly upset, just minding my own business.

So I said my mum had just died and he said: 'Hur hur. Pull the other one love.'

There are times when I think extreme violence is the only response.

I absolutely hate this, it's deeply sexist. When I go about my business in the world I don't want my appearance rated, found wanting and to be changed on demand.

I'm a human, not an object for men to look at, comment on or approve of.

Lilyweatherwax - that's superb!

The thing is, I was always a very welcoming checkout operator and would always greet customers with a smile (I have excellent customer service skills, apparently) yet, these annoying people would still feel the need to comment. I don't like being passive aggressive actually I do but unless you put on a really exaggerated, false, OTT smile and look like a right wally you can't win...