So I’m not usually one for beauty pageants but I couldn’t help but notice the picture of the winner of Miss USA on Google News. It wasn’t her beauty that caught my eye but rather her facial expression after winning:
That is serious surprise. She looks so surprised and happy that she looks completely horrified. Like a rat just jumped on her foot.
This is pageantry: like acting except more emphasis on the spectacle and less emphasis on the plausibility. The ideal candidate for Miss USA is someone who can, at the drop a pin, conjure up an reaction that is that extreme, over the top: a caricature of itself. Of course she won.
So I suggested that Mika and I have own our pageant. We skipped all the fluffy bits with the swimsuits and talents and competed wholly on the bit that really mattered: the acceptance face.
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I think it’s close.
I have to say… this is probably the best post ever. I think everyone on the net should try to make an acceptance face and post it to their blogs or whatnot.
I for one would love to see those galleries.
I think your hackergotchi is a contender here, too. :)
I’m afraid neither of you managed to work the “about to sneeze really really hard” angle into it. Your expressions therefore lack the complexity of Miss USA’s facial canvas.
Hahaha, thanks for this post, really made me laugh…
I can see a hint of a smile in your surprise! It seems more like you’re having fun with it!
Mika, on the other hand, looks seriously surprised.
AWESOME!
stops laughing eventually
Oh my that’s a face America would surely love…however, your the expression on your face looks like the pageant has been staged grin
Only one has the look that something vicious just mounted her foot. mako looks more like he’s just been startled in a falsetto way.
Only one has the look that something vicious just mounted her foot.
Sure. It’s called a stilleto heel. ;)
Only one has the look that something vicious just mounted her foot.
Sure. It’s called a stilleto heel. ;)
Wow! I’m falling in love with you.
Stop exhibiting yourself!
Stop making me laugh!
Mika wins the contest…
The funny thing here is that you can’t really see the size difference between the two. If you factor in Mako’s size advantage over Mika, you will realize that Mika has won this hands down. Mika’s suprise is appropriately big for her size — if it were any bigger it’d look more like pain. Mako’s, on the other hand, is just a little on the exaggerated side for his size. If they were standing next to each other so that the size difference were apparent, Mako’s expression would be -extremely- exaggerated next to Mika’s expression. Mika wins.
I think Mika wins because (as other people have said) she looks less amused by the process.
It’s clear that you are the winner. Check out the closed eyelids.. that’s where a Miss USA pageant is won and lost :)