Image: Sergio Vassio Photography I believe it was the too-brilliant-to-induce-envy Tavi Gevinson who introduced us to 'resting bitch face'. Even going as far as to create a guide for those who struggle with furrowing their brow in a dismissive expression to demonstrate levels of high bitchnosity. Since this guide was published girls and women across the world have been able to express their displeasure with the flicker of an eyebrow and the crinkle of a forehead. Then two or so years later Taylor Orci wrote the script for a short film drawing attention to "Bitchy Resting Face" in a plea to the general public not take BRF personally. It's just their face! However, many members of the general public do seem to take it personally and believe women in particular should tread the streets with a smile in their face and maybe an upbeat Taylor Swift song in their heart. I'm willing to bet most women's first taste of mild street harassment (for it is street harassment) was being told to smile. Or cheer up. Smile! you live in a patriarchy.
Prompted by this constant request Brooklyn based artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has created a public art series Stop Telling Women to Smile. Fazlalizadeh has created a range of posters that have been displayed on the streets from sketches and interviews with other women. The result is flattering portraits of women with slogans beneath them saying: "Women are Not Outside for Your Entertainment" "Women are not seeking your validation" "Stop telling women to smile" and "I am not your property, you're not in control of my body" among others.
These posters have been pasted up (usually at night) in pedestrianised cities across America. In Chicago posters were defaced with the words 'slut', 'liar' and 'whore'. Fazlalizadeh told the Telegraph "All this work is asking you to consider the fact that a lot of women, including myself, don't like this behaviour and don't want to be treated this way - it makes us feel as if we are outside to entertain you and we are not here for that".
These posters have been pasted up (usually at night) in pedestrianised cities across America. In Chicago posters were defaced with the words 'slut', 'liar' and 'whore'. Fazlalizadeh told the Telegraph "All this work is asking you to consider the fact that a lot of women, including myself, don't like this behaviour and don't want to be treated this way - it makes us feel as if we are outside to entertain you and we are not here for that".
| The trouble with street harassment that consists of so called compliments or are of a 'friendly nature' is that it's very hard to get people to recognise that it is street harassment. Instead a man saying "smile!" to a lone woman is often seen as some kind of verbal equivalent to an avuncular chuck on the chin. | how quickly a smile request can turn nasty. Yet women are repeatedly asked what their problem is. |
But, like most things that can be interpreted as, at the very least, 'iffy' the question is where does it stop? Who decides what's acceptable and what's unacceptable? As ever it is not the victim. We excuse it, oh they meant it as a compliment. Well you know what? I'm sick of being told a catcalling man's intention was anything other than to intimidate and I am sick of being intimidated. The Chicago graffiti on Fazlalizadeh's project unintentionally drives the point home - how quickly a smile request can turn nasty. Yet women are repeatedly asked what their problem is.
The posters put up in New York city have sparked a written debate on the work on whether the 'smile' catcall is good or bad. Fazlalizadah says: "The point isn't to stop interaction between men and women at all. I speak to men and women outside on the street all the time...But it is promoting the idea that women have agency over their bodies and how they want to be treated and interacted with outdoors. So if I say I don't want you to tell me to smile, that doesn't mean I don't want you to talk to me at all, it means I don't want you to tell me what to do with my face."
It is interesting to see the reaction to the Telegraph article - at the point of writing there are four comments. Two are positive. One is from a woman who finds catcalling flattering, which is dismissive of those who don't and shows how much this depends on context, looking at the Everyday Sexism Project it appears some women can't go out without being told how beautiful she is, this is not OK but sometimes on low days I admit does not sound so terrible. But it is not up to me to interpret it.
Another comment is kind of baffling to me but has been up voted eight times: "'I am not your property. You are not in control of my body.' Fine, but then do not ask ME to pay for your medical care. After all it's YOUR body, not mine." I'm not sure Right Field Ball is aware of how tax works, or perhaps he is not UK based. But it's a huge leap to link a request to be able go about your business without harassment and refusal to contribute in any form towards women's health.
Hey guys, it's just a request to leave us to our resting bitch face. Take it as an excuse, a holiday from having to compliment us. I don't know what your problem is.
Squeamish Kate
The posters put up in New York city have sparked a written debate on the work on whether the 'smile' catcall is good or bad. Fazlalizadah says: "The point isn't to stop interaction between men and women at all. I speak to men and women outside on the street all the time...But it is promoting the idea that women have agency over their bodies and how they want to be treated and interacted with outdoors. So if I say I don't want you to tell me to smile, that doesn't mean I don't want you to talk to me at all, it means I don't want you to tell me what to do with my face."
It is interesting to see the reaction to the Telegraph article - at the point of writing there are four comments. Two are positive. One is from a woman who finds catcalling flattering, which is dismissive of those who don't and shows how much this depends on context, looking at the Everyday Sexism Project it appears some women can't go out without being told how beautiful she is, this is not OK but sometimes on low days I admit does not sound so terrible. But it is not up to me to interpret it.
Another comment is kind of baffling to me but has been up voted eight times: "'I am not your property. You are not in control of my body.' Fine, but then do not ask ME to pay for your medical care. After all it's YOUR body, not mine." I'm not sure Right Field Ball is aware of how tax works, or perhaps he is not UK based. But it's a huge leap to link a request to be able go about your business without harassment and refusal to contribute in any form towards women's health.
Hey guys, it's just a request to leave us to our resting bitch face. Take it as an excuse, a holiday from having to compliment us. I don't know what your problem is.
Squeamish Kate
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