The Smile

"Smile more in photo's and you will look prettier in them" Aria's first boyfriend told her. This message of a woman being made to be more appealing in photo's if she appears unthreatening is also heard in the song Absolutely(Story of a Girl) by Nine Days. Although the songs intent is to highlight how the male wanting the desired female to be happy, it also stigmatises a womans sadness and depicts it as unattractive. When subjected to the male gaze we are expected to smile because men are drawn to a womans 'happiness' which denies a woman the right to her full spectrum of emotions and being loved unconditionally by the man.