The Scientific Reason Some People Have Creepy Smiles
<p>My Grandma Ella used to say you can tell the difference between a crook and an honest man in the same way you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. The <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/69168/whats-difference-between-alligator-and-crocodile?fbclid=IwAR1J9zF4bGE0wUO1girGG3GsaBybHSw5-EOp-_uA-1RKrU-ojSFdWfPdAcs&mibextid=Zxz2cZ" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">crocodile and the crook have a toothier grin</a>.</p>
<p>I remembered her words recently while watching the Republican debates.</p>
<p>During closing remarks, Gov. Ron DeSantis stared unflinchingly into the camera and promised, “I pledge to you as your President, we will get the job done, and I will not let you down.”</p>
<p>If only he had stopped there. Unfortunately, he punctuated his promise with a smile that could only be described as a horned melon’s attempt to appear human. Apparently, whoever was pulling the automaton strings only yanked the ones at the corners of his mouth, not his eyes.</p>
<p>Naturally, the pundits, comedians, and Lizard People conspiracists had plenty to say about DeSantis’ smarmy, sphincter-clenching grin. And, of course, the unwashed masses from the meme brigade <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ron-desantis-debate-smile_n_64e6f6dee4b01168be1763b2" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">took their cheap shots.</a></p>
<p>First, I do not support Ron DeSantis’ “the cruelty is the point” thuggish politics. DeSantis has about as much human compassion as a three-day-old turd. It is really hard not to mock him.</p>
<p>But…the comments were a tad mean-spirited. To start, smiling isn’t as easy as it looks. While scientists are still divided on how many facial muscles are engaged when smiling, an authentic, joyful smile can use as many as 43 facial muscles. And if you are not experiencing true happiness (who would while listening to Mike Pence sermonize), those 43 muscles don’t always cooperate.</p>
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