Further Proof That Some Men Have RBF

I’ve had it so long that I finally decided to name it

Left: Me after a fun day at the MD Renn. Fest., but you wouldn’t know it from my unintentionally sour expression; Right: Me after playing music with some friends, showing a joyful smile. Both photos by author. Full image created in Canva by author.

Not to belittle some women’s experience with Resting Bitch Face (RBF), but many men must wrestle this creature, too. I’m proof.

For those who don’t know, here’s an example of RBF: you’re reading an article, listening to a lecture, or engaging in some other gray matter activity that requires concentration. You’re not angry or upset — you feel fine. To you, your face is neutral, showing absolutely no emotion. But to the rest of the world, you somehow look annoyed, bored, or intimidating. You’re unintentionally unapproachable.

And it’s not a gender thing.

No gender bias

Despite being unfairly shackled to RBF by the media, women don’t corner the RBF market. Various articles (like this one) speak of scientists using software (immune to gender bias) to research the causes of RBF. Along the way, findings uncovered that just as many men as women have this unfortunate experience. If you’re curious about this software that measures thousands of facial expressions, you can learn about Facereader.

For giggles, I even looked up other names for guys with this sinister affliction. My decidedly non-scientific research produced the terms Resting Dick Face, Resting Douche…