Fair Warning: Today I am on a soapbox. Continue reading at your own risk.
Recently in my church, I accepted a calling in which I am working with the Young Women in my ward. I absolutely love it! It is so much fun to be around a group of such bright, intelligent, and funny women. I have awakened a part of myself that has lain dormant for several years now, it's a part of me that enjoys crafts. Actually maybe "tolerates" is a better word, I tolerate crafts. It is a part of me that twice a week get's to giggle and joke and have conversations that would just never take place in my home. It is a part of me that is looking forward to camping and testimony meetings around the campfire! In this calling I get to be reminded that I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father. I get to be reminded that I have divine potential. Best of all, I get to be reminded that all women in this world have been given these same gifts.
Because I have this new frame of mind, something has really been bothering me lately. Actually it has always bothered me, but even more so lately. Why do women, smart intelligent and beautiful women, insist on posting pictures of themselves posing with a giant puckered mouth in pictures? Call me overly-sensitive, critical, old-fashioned or whatever you want but I do not get the self-portrait with the puckered lips and kissy-face trend! It's as if you need to exclaim to the world that "I only value myself as much as I am desirable to you!!!" or "Please see me as a sexual object with no other purpose!!!".
I find them to be really degrading and in most cases sad and pathetic. You either look slutty or you are just trying too hard to seem youthful and "hip" because all the cool kids (or your own kids) are posting these pictures. If you are thinking this then double shame on you! You have a kid old enough to pose in this fashion and you are too!?! This just makes me feel really sad for you. It doesn't really show that you have a funny side, that you are fun to be around. You just look stupid.
You might be thinking, "lighten up Emily, I took that picture as a joke." or "It's just a kissy-face". Well I assure you that this is not the message you are sending. Unless of course in these pictures you are dressed in a black frock and covered from neck to wrists to ankle with absolutely no make-up. Then I will agree with you, its a funny picture. I will even make an exception for pictures when an entire group of you, male and female are making kissy-faces. That is funny, and the intent is much different. What I am talking about here is those individual pictures of little old kissy-faced you.
Here is my opinion: Take a look at the picture you are about to post. Think to yourself "is this something that I am comfortable sending to my dad or my grandpa?" Be honest! If the answer to this question is no, then please do not post it. There are only a few people in our lives who should see us puckered up and ready to kiss. These people include significant others, children, and grand-children, maybe the French. Not Facebook friends!
Learn this simple mantra, is might change your life: There's no space for my kissy face (picture).
Rant out.
3 comments:
oh i am right there with you, that is just nasty and embarrassing.
Agreed and well said. So many people do that face. I've noticed that its mostly teenagers and Single adults (sometimes older than me!). I was friends on Facebook with a girl who is two years older than me (and single) and EVERY single one of her pictures in EVERY single one of her albums was a kissy face. Plus she added multiple new ones every day... It got so irritating to see in my news feed that I had to just delete her. It really is sad because the message they are sending out there is that they are desperate and don't have any self esteem.
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