Kerry's Forced Smile

[SoDesuKa]

They told John Kerry to smile, but it came out forced and phony-looking. Or maybe they told him to be natural. Either way, it looks like he's straining for effect.


Smile, John. SMILE!!


http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/25/dems.main/index.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Gimme a break.

Jeebus in a jump seat...the man is simply happy and smiling. A Bostonian on the field at Fenway.

What do you think his appropriate look should be? Crosseyed and drooling, with his tongue hanging out?

[SoDesuKa]

2. Man of the People

Sorry. That's how it struck me. The man of the people act won't work unless it's believable. In this case, it looks forced.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Bostonians are more reserved and smile less frequently

and Kerry typifies this.

[SoDesuKa]

16. JFK Had a Natural Smile

All the Kennedys have a natural smile. It goes with being a politician.

Kerry's got to do better than this. If he doesn't know how to smile without looking like somebody put him up to it, it's time he learned.

[WyLoochka]

21. Gimme a break

You can look at about 100-200 new photos a day of Kerry on Yahoo's slideshows. The man smiles a lot and most of the pics are great. This one pic is not one of those really great ones and you gotta start a whole thread on it? With friends like ... who needs ... well you know the rest.

[formernaderite]

29. Kerry's smile is fine...even if he's a crappy pitcher.....

....his handlers should have thought better...heck my wife's a better pitcher.

[KC21304]

8. You can tell that from a picture ?

Aren't you great. What do you think Bush is trying to look like ?

[SoDesuKa]

17. He Looks Tense

The picture suggests he has trouble relaxing. Not a good sign, especially in an election that may turn on personalities.

[tom_paine]

20. Well, I don't believe YOUR nonsensical post (sorry, but that's what it is)

This is the sort of trivial nonsense and armchair psychiatry I would expect to hear on Rush Pillbaugh or Bill O'Reichley.

I would also expect to read of this pointless triviality from Ann Coulter or Charles "here's how the Soviets used psychiatry to discredit THEIR enemies" Krauthammer.

Or on a site which I cannot name, otherwise the mods will ding me for pointing out the obvious.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR?

This is utter nonsnese. All that remains is to wonder is it inadvertant or deliberate?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. Oh brother

:eyes:

[SoDesuKa]

18. I See It, You Don't

It looks to me that Kerry can't relax at a baseball game. I see the tension in his face, and you don't. I may be seeing something that's not there, but that's definitely my perception.

[phillybri]

5. What a bunch of shit...

Great post. Lots of substance here...:eyes:

[SoDesuKa]

49. You Don't See It

You could disagree without being nasty. You don't see any tension in his face, but I do. In fact, that's what leapt out at me when I saw the picture. There's a possibility that Kerry was being booed as the picture was being taken. That would explain the conflict.

[Zynx]

6. I don't know. I think he was having a good time.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Plus, he can't throw the heater with that grip.

nt

[SoDesuKa]

36. He Didn't

n/t

[Spinzonner]

9. Well, at least it's not a smirk

[flpoljunkie]

10. Can't we leave this nitpicking criticism to the Republicans, for once?

It is so totally inconsequential. As John Edwards likes to say, 'American people are going to reject this tired, old, hateful, negative politics of the past.' 

Amen!

[JI7]

14. why ?

why would they when some of them have the same goals as the republicans in regards to kerry.

[bowens43]

11. unbelievable.

Not the smile the attack..............

This is right up there with 'Micheal Moore is fat'.

[SoDesuKa]

45. You Don't See What I See

You don't see any tension in Kerry's face. I do. Let's leave it at that.

[MaineDem]

12. Oh Please!!!

This just boggles my mind!

:eyes:

[SoDesuKa]

47. It's a Pretty Big World

Your mind boggles fairly easily, I'd say.

[JI7]

13. sorry, doesn't look phony

[SoDesuKa]

19. It Does to Me

This is the picture CNN chose to run, and I think it's unflattering. Your perceptions and my perceptions aren't necessarily congruent, but my perception is valid to me.

[Cocoa]

15. it will work in Kerry's favor

people will look back on the 2000 election and regret how they paid attention to this kind of trivial crap. They'll compare Bush and Kerry on the subtance this time.

[leyton]

22. Well, so what?

People who know me personally know that unless its spontaneous (and usually coupled with laughter) I don't smile wide, and I certainly don't open my mouth when I smile. So I empathize with John Kerry in that manner.

[SoDesuKa]

43. Don't Run for Office

If you have trouble smiling, it's a handicap with the voters. Really, it is. If you're considering public service, you'd be better off going for jobs to which you can be appointed. Voters are shallow.

I'm satisfied with an explanation offered below, that Kerry was being booed at the time. The tension shows in his face. Some people don't see it.

[demwing]

23. Slop Psychology

You're going to analyze a man based on a single photo?

Are you a first year psych major?

[SoDesuKa]

42. I Can See It

I can see it. You can't. Tough! That's just the way it is.

[Claire Beth]

24. If it's natural then it isn't phony....

it looks like a natural smile to me. Give the man a break. GEEZ.

[SoDesuKa]

48. Do You Know The Circumstances?

He doesn't look very relaxed to me. There's pain in his expression. Someone suggested that he was being booed by the crowd as the picture was being taken. That would explain his conflicted appearance. Perhaps you don't see it.

[VOX]

25. (Insert Democratic candidate's name here) is wooden. He doesn't smile...

And when he does, it looks forced. He's too serious. He needs to loosen up. He doesn't look comfortable. He spends too much time on details, like writing his own speeches. He thinks too much. He isn't warm enough. Etc., etc, etc.

The last time these raps were trotted out against a Democratic presidential candidate, he won the popular vote and, if the votes had been counted correctly and legally, the presidency also.

Don't buy into this crap.

[spooky3]

26. And Edwards smiles too much, some say. Ya can't win!

[Zorra]

27. I'm curious, what motivated you to post this?

[SoDesuKa]

35. How 'Bout A Perception?

I perceive that Kerry has a forced smile on his face in the picture. Nobody has convinced me otherwise. We'll have to call this a disagreement. Fair enough?

[zulchzulu]

28. Welcome to Politics 101

You may notice that people who are in the public view do this:

Smile - a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

Verb
1. smile - change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

2. smile - express with a smile; "He smiled as he was in the crowd"

It is a necessary and even obligatory human expression that is needed when engaging in crowd gatherings where you are being watched, photographed, videotaped and otherwise put under meticulous scrutiny.

Please make a note of it.

[oasis]

30. Kerry's not pretending to be a Democrat. That's where my concern lies.

[TexasSissy]

31. Was this when they were booing him? My smile would look forced, too.

[SoDesuKa]

32. At Last An Explanation

There is pain in his expression. I can see it, even if most of the people responding here don't see it. If Kerry is trying to smile as people are booing him, that explains the conflict.

Most sports fans are right wingers. Boston, one of the more bigoted of Northern cities, elected Louise Day Hicks as Mayor simply for her opposition to school integration. Nearly all Southies are rednecks. I'm not surprised that Kerry encountered hostility at Fenway Park. The tension shows in his face.

[SoDesuKa]

39. Correction

Racist organizer Louise Day Hicks was not elected Mayor of Boston. However, she was elected to Congress using the slogan, "You know where I stand."

[Dying Eagle]

33. This sounds like a Freeper topic

Nice try, maybe you should next try to tell us how great Schrubs Smile is. Look up phony and you will see that stupid, fake smile.

[SoDesuKa]

34. Terms of Service

Remember the terms of service here. You're not allowed to call me a freeper just because you don't care for my opinions.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. He Didn't Call You A Freeper He Said The Topic Select Was....

NT

[Dying Eagle]

38. Thank you

DemocratSinceBirth, You got it :thumbsup:

[Cronus Protagonist]

40. Nope. You're seeing what you want to see.

Choose Kerry Lose Bush - FUCK BUSH - Drop Bush Not Bombs!
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[SoDesuKa]

46. Leaped Right Out At Me

Actually it leaped right out at me. Maybe I'm better at seeing inner conflicts in people's faces than you are.

[DrFunkenstein]

41. Kerry Has Been A Bosox Fan For Many Years

And considered this a great honor. I've seen Kerry's perma-smile, and this ain't it. That's the real deal.



Sorry, totally unrelated, but John Cusack rocks!

[SoDesuKa]

44. No Surprise There

You'd hardly expect the Senator from Massachusetts to root for the L.A. Dodgers.

[Moderator]

50. Locking

this thread has long outlived its usefulness.