To ask for your best retorts when told to smile

[tympanic]

I'm over it. I even get it from my husband. Not my fault I have resting bitch face. I know the hive will have some witty retorts so let's have them.

@Dnaltocs

No need to be rude. Someone may be concerned about you. Why the need to be rude or aggressive?

People who do the smile love bullshit, have zero concern. They do it for attention. Why is itdirected at women? If you're concerned about someone you can ask if they're OK or if they need help.

@LovelaceBiggWither

Once in a cafe, the cafe owner who was holding an adorable baby looked at me and I thought oh god please do not. I knew I still looked pregnant. He came over with a huge smile and said would cuddling the baby make you feel better? I burst into tears and said my baby was stillborn last week.

So yeah that went well for all of us.

That’s heartbreaking, I’m so sorry

@ItsNotJustCharlieWhoSeesYou

If it's a stranger look slightly over the top of their head and whisper into your sleeve MI5 style "hold fire!...I repeat, hold fire, it's not the target!"

Love this

People who do the smile love bullshit, have zero concern. They do it for attention. Why is itdirected at women?

Some women do it to other women (and it's internalised misogyny from them), but generally it's from men to women, IME. It's not about concern at all, it's about men expecting women to be subservient and decorative, and not displaying any real feelings.

I'm in my 50s, and I'd thought this was behind me now. But no, had some older bloke say "Smile, it might never happen" at me this week.

I normally ignore them but my dad died 10 days ago, and I was feeling a bit raw while remembering him. So I ended up snarling "my dad died, so fuck off" at him. He stalked off muttering "you don't have to be like that".

Wazzock.

I have said " My mother just died." That put their gas at a peep.

This happened to me recently I simply replied "No", the guy became visibly agitated and said "You'd be prettier if you did". I told him I don't owe him pretty or a smile, this happened on a train platform so I moved away from him but he proceeded to follow me and told me I'm an ugly cunt anyway. I had to ask a station attendant to intervene as the guy was becoming really threatening.

Whilst I'm glad I stood up for myself, in hindsight just ignoring may have been a better approach. I hate this smile bollocks and how weak it makes me feel.

@HereBeFuckery

I intend to buy this t shirt and wear it daily.

I love how that model has RBF while wearing the tshirt

i get it a lot - my resting face just looks f#cking miserable! But it depends who said it and how they said it. 'F#cks sake - cheer up love' pees me right off so does 'oi - give us a smile' like being told to smile is going to make me burst with joy 'hey - smile' in a soft voice with a smile and lifted eyebrows says ' i've noticed you look like you need a pick me up'

Usually i just say - sorry that's my face. But more often than not it's a slimey old bloke having a pop and usually when im having a really bad day so i tell them exactly why i'm not going to smile especially on demand.

But sometimes - i'm feeling a bit down and it does actually make me smile and feel like i count, and i always say thanks - i needed that. Because actually that person just lifted my day and that is a big deal.

However my estranged husband use to do it daily and it made me want to knock his block off. But then he was abusive and loved to chip at the emotions. If that's the case - i would look hard at what it really means.

I work in a supermarket, and it's amazing how many times a day it gets said to us. Maybe because they know we can't say much back. I usually just stare at them, then ask if they'd like a carrier bag, totally ignoring the comment.

@Oldbird69

I work in a supermarket, and it's amazing how many times a day it gets said to us. Maybe because they know we can't say much back. I usually just stare at them, then ask if they'd like a carrier bag, totally ignoring the comment.

Do women ever say it or is it always men?

I'm a (seemingly) perpetually miserable looking small man and men say it frequently, sometimes women but not frequently

It's a power play regardless of who says it.

I say "fuck off and die

@Kanaloa

For strangers, none. That’s what they want. I just completely ignore, and if it persists I would say ‘leave me alone.’

For a husband? I’d say stop saying that, I don’t like it. If it continued I’d have a look at why my husband treated me like that.

‘Witty retorts’ are generally just a bit embarrassing in my opinion and only enter into ‘banter’ with someone being rude to you. I prefer a dignified silence or asking someone not to speak to me.

I would ignore this OP and just tell them all to fuck off haha