In this man’s world, you can’t do anything right. You can’t even walk down the street and not be smiling unless you want to get harassed. It does not matter that you’re a normal person who does not have their cheeks stretched 24/7. You are a woman; you’re supposed to be smiling always and forever for some reason outlined in “The Annoying Man’s Guidebook for Bothering Women”. So, you do: you walk around showing your teeth like a lunatic and then a man approaches you asking you why you look so happy. Because, get this, you’re not allowed to look too happy; you can’t smile too hard. You’re supposed to smile but it can’t be genuine. You’re supposed to smile that smile that says “I am nonthreatening and happy with the way I am treated in society”.
I want to understand Man’s obsession with women’s smile. I believe it is his attempt to show that he still has a little bit of control over her. Deep down, it’s about submission. Your ‘Resting B!#?h Face’ (a name obviously made up by men) is somehow a threat to him. And, Heaven-forbid a woman try to step out of her place. She should work out but not too much or she’ll look too masculine and being strong and powerful is only allowed for men. Or, if she’s tall, she shouldn’t wear heels because she might make the men around her feel uncomfortable. It’s a strange dance women must do, tiptoeing over male egos and insecurities to prevent emasculation and protect their fragile masculinity. We must meet their expectations but we can’t exceed them.
In men’s eyes, women are overly-emotional beings whose thoughts and actions are fueled and guided by their reproductive organs. There are some men who don’t even believe women should hold positions of power because they “can become unpredictable during that time of the month.” Why do we constantly have to prove ourselves? As if we haven’t been through enough already. We had to show that we were worthy enough to have the right to vote years ago so it does not surprise me that we are still always proving ourselves through trials and tribulations.
In these dark days where a likely serial sexual-assaulter is our President-elect and millions of women may lose access to affordable women’s healthcare, we must remind everyone that women are more than just objects to ogle at and grab inappropriately. We were not placed on this earth to appease unworthy men. We are strong and capable. We will rise above their stereotypes and attempts to keep us down. And lastly, we will not let inappropriate language and behavior about or aimed at women be dismissed as “locker-room talk”. It’s exhausting being women, but we won’t rest until it’s a better society for all genders and sexualities; this is but a small snippet of the bigger picture and we’re all fighting the same battle.