Before “Resting Bitch Face,” there was “Bicycle Face”
19th-century doctors invented the fake condition to dissuade women from riding bicycles
“Resting bitch face” or “RBF” is a facial expression that unintentionally suggests someone is angry or irritated when they’re actually relaxed and just trying to live their dang lives.
Practically speaking, RBF only applies to women. (The male equivalent, “resting a — hole face,” never seemed to catch on.)
Some might argue that RBF is used jokingly and not as a genuine insult. But ask any woman who has repeatedly been asked, “Why don’t you smile more?” or “You’d look prettier if you smiled.” It gets pretty old pretty fast when you’re constantly being accused of looking pissed off.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time women have been called unflattering names or diagnosed with ludicrous, fake ailments.
A century before RBF entered the pop culture lexicon, women had to contend with avoiding “bicycle face.”
The invention of the bicycle was a fun toy for men, but for women, it was an instrument of feminism.
When the modern bicycle was introduced in the 1880s, men and women went crazy over it, but for different reasons.
