Why Captain Marvel’s photoshopped smile is wrong on multiple levels

Don’t tell women to smile. Just don’t do it. Don’t tell Captain Marvel she needs to smile more either.

The Captain Marvel trailer arrived this week, and many fans are thrilled. It’s great to see the excitement and hype surrounding the first solo Marvel movie with a female lead. But, of course, there are always those out there who have to ruin the fun, this time with sexist remarks.

I hate that we even have to be writing about this, but since it’s an important topic, it needs to be addressed anyway. Instead of focusing on questions about the film or talking about possible tie-ins to the comic, one Twitter user, who is most likely a troll if we are being honest, took the time to complain about how Brie Larson doesn’t smile enough in the trailer.

Here are the ridiculous photoshopped images of Captain Marvel smiling, because you know, all male superheroes smile all the time, too. Male superheroes are definitely criticized for being too serious and lacking range when they don’t smile. Oh wait, that’s right. They never are. I don’t really ever want to give this tweet attention, but in the interest of showing you all how ridiculous this is, here is the tweet.

Jane Ritt on Twitter took the time to photoshop smiles onto Marvel male superheroes such as Captain America and Iron Man to show how ridiculous and sexist this whole thing is. No one ever says these things about men, and the sexist double standard is all too real and far too ridiculous.

Most women have dealt with random men telling them to smile on the street, or been told they are all manners of derogatory curse words for not being warm and sweet when harassed. Don’t you just love being told to “perk up, sweety” because you didn’t smile at a man who bothered you while you’re just trying to pick up the latest ice cream concoction at Trader Joes?

I’m pretty sure that Captain Marvel would have some words, or fists, for men who tell women to smile. Men do not deal with this kind of treatment, and we are tired of it. Women don’t exist to make men feel comfortable, and we are not here to look pleasant and pretty.

Now that we’ve addressed this, we will be back with more regularly scheduled news about Captain Marvel and all the excitement surrounding it.

(H/T CBR.com)