Making that face
This facial expression is inexplicably ubiquitous online lately. The duck face is still popular in drunk group photos but for selfies, this is the one to make. It’s especially popular in hook-up apps. Is it supposed to be “Hot?” Is it an unconscious ironic “comment” on the need to take a picture of yourself? Weird.
January 26, 2014 at 9:25 PM
As long as we're on the topic of online photo clichés, let's not limit the criticism of that picture solely to unnatural mouth contortions. The obligatory beanie hat (worn indoors), the oversize grocery store novelty glasses, and the substandard, ungroomed beard all point to a recurring example of hipsterism in social media image uploads. Twitter seems to be the main repository for solitary photos of this brand, but I've seen my share on okcupid and other dating sites as well.
If I were to venture a guess, I'd posit that it's basically a surrender to conformity insofar as all this guy's friends have similar photos in *their* profile pictures coupled with a palpable lack of creativity in self-portrait taking and general pedestrian personality. QED.