With its conclusion yesterday and my experiencing divided loyalties (country of nationality versus country of residence :-) I find a reason to pose to you all yet another question I didn't see coming...
Until Nadal got knocked out.
In the usual post-mortem by all the newspapers as to how this could ever happen, I came across this article in the Daliy Mail.
(I really do appreciate Boris Becker's attitude when it comes to sporting defeat, I must say. When at 19 years old, he lost in the first round at Wimbledon having won it at 17 and 18, he replied to the press at the press conference:
"Don't wory! No-one died. We didn't lose the war! It's only a tennis match!"
So true. How come one so young had so much sense?)
Anyhow, I digress.
The article above shows a picture (the fifth one) of the famous Nadal 'sneer'.
The first four pictures of course are of no interest whatsoever to me :-)
Now, apart from his bizarre 'rituals' (which actually I believe is common to all top athletes) the one thing we have all grown accustomd to is indeed the Nadal 'sneer'.
Somehow it is very much a part of who he is. Just as much as his muscles...which of course I barely ever noticed :-)
But...the 'sneer' is something I notice more and more as part of the standard 'pose' (for want of a better word) by celebrity women (mostly, but some men do this too) who want to appear 'sexy'.
Is this what we have to do to appear desirable to men?
Really?
Then I'm out :-)
Maybe it's a good thing I am not the audience of such women who 'sneer' (because it would be a failing strategy with me lol), but I wonder what their audience really think about this?
Is the 'sneer' ever attractive in a woman?
Or is it a masculine thing, which is why I am confused when I see it in a woman and laud it in Nadal?
Am I just a 'double standards hound', or is there something to this?
If it is designed to be a seductive thing, then why are women encouraged to smile more?
Would Helen Andelin approve of the 'sneer'? Is this ever a part of femininity that I just haven't quite uncovered yet? Believe me, I am trying very hard.
Now, I think I have mentioned before on this blog that in real life, I am not particularly the smiling type.
I do smile when it's necessary, but it's not my default facial expression :-)
It is partly because I am always thinking 'why' and I think that question in one's mind is incompatible with a smile.
:-)
But jokes apart, even with my non-smiling self, I do automatically smile when I need to make myself more attractive ;)
It's automatic.
And to me, that makes sense.
All the 'Girl Game' books advise this afterall.
And most women in fact do this, whether it comes 'naturally' or not.
A smile is an effective way of saying 'all is well with the world' - even when it is not.
And those with nice smiles and beautiful teeth have an unfair advantage here :-)
But somehow, the script got flipped whilst I was at the dentist :-)
Someone is telling women that a sneer and a cold stare are the ways to appear attractive to men.
Since when did this become true?
Will the men care to explain why this phenomenon is happening?
Is someone misrepresenting their wishes?
I sincerely hope so, because whilst I don't smile a lot (I am trying to do that more), I can't see myself 'sneering' either.
If men want a 'sneer' I shall be single for life :-(
There is also the 'pout'. Now, whilst I always thought that was an obligatory side effect of too much 'collagen fillers' injected in the lips, (i.e. the 'trout pout'), I see that this also features on the faces of women who swear they haven't had this procedure.
So it's another learned 'technique'.
As is the 'scowl'.
I don't get it.
I am missing a serious trick here.
But maybe I am supposed to.
Is the sexy sneer a secret code for something I wouldn't want to know about?
Am I about to enter a locker-room that is neither male nor female, but a combination of the two with a bold red sign that says 'keep out'?
Who is advising these women?
And what is the motive behind this advice?
Anyone know?
In case you wondered what I mean...
Some examples for your expert perusal...
Victoria Beckham had a smile before she got married.
Um, should it scare me that she has never smiled in public ever since?
(Gulp...)
The trout pout...
Lauren Goodger and Jordan do it best.
But...is it worth it?
This facial expression of Kate Bolick's is barely detectable to me as a 'sneer', but several men over at HUS thought it was there. That tells me I don't have a good enough 'radar' on this...but then again, should I? I am never going to be the target of such an expression. Unless I get on a different bus...
I think this is the worst one of all...what is this? It's not a sneer, it's not a pout...
I guess Eva Longoria is trying to be 'sexy' here. But she still keeps her smile. Do the men think this takes anything away from her 'sexiness'?
(I think not...but as a woman, my opinion on this doesn't count, surely :-)
I notice that in all the examples above (except the last one), the 'sneer' comes later in the woman's life.
Is this what I can look forward to?
I really sincerely hope not!
How to avoid the 'sneer'?
Any useful tips would be most welcome :-)
