Analysisof Why Women Smile

In her article titled, Why Women Smile, Amy Cunningham argues the value of the fake smile. She refers to not only her personal experience with smiling but also to societies’ historical take on it; and she also includes a psychologist’s perspective and research in order to support her assertion. Her assertion being that, women smile too often and for the all the wrong reasons.
Cunningham first iterates her point by referring to the fact that although she has smiled brilliantly all of her life her smile has as she says, “Has not been servicing [her] well” due to the fact that she smiles for whatever reason, be it happy or sad. She then backs her statement that, “Smiles are not the small and innocuous things they appear to be: Too many of us smile in lieu of showing what’s really on our minds” by pointing out that women, “Smile so often and so promiscuously when [they’re] angry, when they’re intense, when they’re with children, when they’re being photographed, when interviewing for a job, when meeting candidates to employ, that the smiling women has peculiarly become and American archetype.”
She questions why our culture has, “Kept [womens'] smiles on autopilot,” pointing out that although by nature women are less irritable than men and thus more likely to smile, our culture has had a big influenced on us as well by citing the ENTER SMILING signs put up by our moms. She also questions this cultural custom by introducing the idea that in nature many animals smile in accordance to their instincts of fear or for protection, not simply just for happy emotions. She infers that when women pose that fake smile they also declare themselves non-threatening be it for protection or not.
Cunningham gives another reason to cut down on smiling when she mentions the findings of Psychologist, Paul Ekman, stating that there are 18 different types of smiles showcasing a myriad of different emotions. Cunningham notes that, “[Womens'] baseline smile isn’t apt to be a felt expression that engages the eyes” such as the Duchenne Smile would because it is used so frequently and has less to do with emotions at all.
Cunningham then resorts to history and mentions that women were not always expected to smile and seem as she says, “Animated and responsive; in fact, immoderate laughter was once considered one of the more conspicuous vices a woman could have, and mirth was downright sinful.
Cunningham uses all of these examples to explain her motive for trying to quit smiling. She sees our society and culture forcing woman to keep fake smiles and she is rebelling against that. She sums up her argument when she says, “To limit a woman to one expression is like editing down an orchestra to one instrument.”