THERE’S much tut-tutting online from columnists decrying what they’ve dubbed the “porn face” — that puffy-lipped, far away-eyed selfie pose pulled by all Kardashians and those who want to be them.
You’ll know the look: slicked and slightly open lips looking like their hottie owner is still stinging from the plumping jabs, and gaze, well, pretty vacant — apparently submissive.
It’s being interpreted as a sexually suggestive look supposed to make the subject look available, or as one huffy columnist put it, making her look like “a simpering sex bot”.
Only she’s not, she’s a brand-builder cashing in on a pose she calculates will work for her.
She’s about as accessible to you as that gorgeous face you see in the window of a speeding train. If you gave her your seat, she would most likely wipe it before sitting and not say thanks.
So-called “porn face” is a very studied look, tightly controlled (despite the carefully arranged bed-hair) and highly contrived.
Like the peace-sign/kiss pout or Mylie Cyrus ‘tongue-out’ before it, “porn face” just happens to be the facial meme of the moment for anyone who is (or was) someone, and yes, their imitators.
To cut to the chase, despite the lashings of blush and gloss, yes it does make you look a bit like a blow-up doll. And yes, I’d very much hope 13 year olds aren’t copying it, though no doubt some are.
But it’s such a stereotypical version of softly-softly sex appeal as to be almost ironic — especially when such shameless merchandisers as Madonna or Liz Hurley do it.
Yet despite its cliche silliness, “porn face” has fallen seriously foul of critics, who in a style that could remind you of your most severe school mam are telling you to stop it!
Women are “demeaning your sex” with this “X-rated face”, we’re told. They are behaving like “simpering sex bots”.
Sorry, but this sounds a lot like good old “slut shaming” to me. How about we concentrate on the more important issues to do with portrayal of women and girls online — like the non-consensual sharing of intimate photos by exes or the predatory actual porn pages set up creepy men instead of piling onto women manipulating their *own* images any way they like.
The difference is, for starters, the women setting up those carefully styled images are in charge.
They may look a little vain, and a little flushed-slash-dazed like an allergy has flared and they took one too many antihistamines, but they are calling the shots and no one else.
They are not victims or unwilling objects but creators of their own agenda — to get your attention, your likes and clicks.
Silly “porn face” will pass, and something else will come along. And in the meantime shammers, if you don’t like it look away.