Chronic bitchface

March 26th, 2011

Just doing my bit to spread awareness for this common, but little understood condition. Thousands around the world are affected by chronic bitchface, with sufferers having to endure being told to “SMILE” and “cheer up” by well meaning, but irritating strangers. There is no known cure.

(Prints of this are now available!)

482 Comments

  1. Shel says:

    I love your illustration! I’ve been told I have a “bitch face” when Im in deep thought. Now they call it my “PTA Face” because Im usually working on Parent Teacher Association Volunteer Work when I get the “look”.

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  2. [...] uh oh. I think I have this. [...]

  3. kate says:

    amazeballs :) i love your illustrations, kris!

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  4. Peach says:

    Ahh finally this condition has been recognised!
    After years of being told to smile by strangers in work I am glad awareness is now being raised. You should start a support group.

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  5. Polly says:

    I hate when people say smile! It makes me want to roll my eyes way way back in my head!

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  6. Trude says:

    ZOMG this is totally me too! I get “What are you mad about?” It’s been a slow process correcting this awful condition. :)

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  7. Kasey says:

    Wow, I cannot express how relieved I am to find out that “BitchFace” is a condition that someone other than myself has. How irritating is it when you feel perfectly content to then have a complete stranger tell you to “smile, it can’t be that bad” or tell you that you look pissed off. How rude is that?!? I was content before, but now I’m justified in wearing my “BitchFace”….thank you very much!

    I need this in tote form, t-shirt form, notepad form, and art form stat!

    Thanks!

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    Kylie says,

    March 31st, 2011 @ 3:13 pm

    This is totally me. Back then, this girl used to ask me all the time, “What’s wrong?” every single time I hung out with her. “Yea, I guess something is wrong! Since you keep insisting!” I wanted to tell her. But seriously, all I think about is lala land and people think I’m pissed or sad. Glad some people understand.

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  8. sparky says:

    and here is the actual medical symptom: Tardive dyskinesia

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  9. jess says:

    omg me too! people think i’m always judging them?? -___-

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  10. This is the story of my life!

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  11. I am always being told to smile as well. ***sigh*** I guess I suffer from this disease as well. Hopefully one day there will be a cure.

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  12. britney says:

    you have GOT to sell this as a print. i need it….

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    Kristi says,

    March 29th, 2011 @ 5:35 pm

    Hear here!

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  13. Sam says:

    I understand your pain!! My walking face, my thinking face, my bored face, and my paying attention face….. they all look like I am super pissed at the world. So often I am asked “are you alright?” and the answer is YES! It’s just my face!

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  14. Love love love this, especially the contrast of “how I feel” and “how I look.” So Cinderella-esque in that first panel!

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  15. In agreement says:

    Haha, I am soo with this, I feel like this is how people perceive me !

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  16. Zareste says:

    It’s not you. There are just angry people with associative disorders who run around calling everyone mad when they’re in a bad mood.

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  17. SO FUNNY! I have a terrible case of bitchface too – my hubby just dubbed me “Frowns A Lot” even though I am a total goofball/happy gal.

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  18. Frances says:

    LOL stumbled on this and love it…so true.

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  19. NaughtyMobi says:

    ha ha, but it terrible. automatically get lumped in with the unhappy with something group, even if you’re thinking of rainbows and puppies at the moment! :_)

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  20. Janie Baby says:

    I know that I have this…
    You know that even my husband, up to this day, Oh and I hate this with a passion..
    (say’s to me) What, What, what did I do now? I’m sitting there quiet as a bug, its that
    I just so happen to look at him.. and with my look, he thinks I’m mad or something……
    OOOOOhhhhhhhhhh……… Yea , now i’m mad……let me look at you some more.. LOL

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  21. Thalia says:

    Hahaha – do I ever have an acute case of the “bitchface”!!! I was walking in downtown Vancouver, BC at 1:30AM on a Sunday night, dressed in baggy sweatpants, a fisherman’s sweater, and sneakers – combined with my super-short, partially shaved head, resembling a short, stocky, little boy – and STILL some dude walking by told me to “Smile, gorgeous”!!!…??? So I can TOTALLY relate…

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  22. Gracie says:

    Classic!

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  23. sosays_she says:

    wow, i actually say that phrase to people when they catch me with this face!
    thanks for illustrating this moment!

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  24. Serene says:

    When I saw this, i immediately thought “She was drawing me”.
    Yes, I am one of the thousands unfortunate “bitchface”.
    Le sign.

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  25. A. says:

    PLEASE make this in print form, please.

    I get this ALL. THE. TIME.

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  26. Gordon says:

    Actually it’s called an RBF.. “resting bitch face”.. i’m working on the copyright on that.. anyways.. I’m glad people are talking about this :)

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  27. Britt says:

    As a fellow Chronic Bitchface sufferer, I appreciate you acknowledging this syndrome. Cheers.

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  28. evie says:

    haha love this! i know the feeling : )

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  29. Anna says:

    I too suffer from Chronic Bitchfaceitis. Thanks for making me feel not so alone.

    (also I’m giggling at the post, brilliant!)

    Best,

    Anna

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  30. Lemlems says:

    When complete strangers tell me to “cheer up it might never happen” I like to tell them I’ve just been bereaved and watch them try to back down desperately. I’m aware I may actually be evil…

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  31. Kevin says:

    Do one for guys… please.

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  32. Hannah says:

    Oh my God, that’s so true! :O
    Can I publish this illustration on my Facebook wall? I’ll share the link of this post, not the picture’s URL.

    BTW, your style is really admirable! This is one of the blogs I usually visit to get inspired ^^

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  33. LT says:

    OMG! I get that remark all the time. Its my thinking, going to school, bored, etc face. Yet I’m always happy on the inside D:

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  34. Tara says:

    THANK YOU! Now to print the poster and paste it around town.

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  35. Stephanie says:

    Hahaha, this completely made my day. Good to know I’m not alone.

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  36. Anya adores says:

    Hilarious – I now know that you can see right into my heart !! Made my day this did!
    Wicked
    A xx

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  37. This one made my day, I feel exactly the same way.

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  38. McGehee says:

    I just tell people this.

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  39. Nichole says:

    Thank you for creating something so relevant to my life.

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  40. Megan says:

    Thank you so much for this! I get “you should smile more” all the time. Ugh.

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  41. [...] Personal pet peeve: when a stranger on the street tells me to cheer up and “smile!” because I’m not walking around town with a s**t-eating grin on my face. Usually I actually do scowl and don’t respond, or if I’m in a truly bad mood, I’ll retort that only looney bin escapees walk around smiling to themselves and at leering strangers. But going forward, I am going to calmly explain that I suffer from CBF and then they will feel bad for having insulted someone with a condition that they cannot help. Ha! [Kris Atomic] [...]

  42. [...] Personal pet peeve: when a stranger on the street tells me to cheer up and “smile!” because I’m not walking around town with a s**t-eating grin on my face. Usually I actually do scowl and don’t respond, or if I’m in a truly bad mood, I’ll retort that only looney bin escapees walk around smiling to themselves and at leering strangers. But going forward, I am going to calmly explain that I suffer from CBF and then they will feel bad for having insulted someone with a condition that they cannot help. Ha! [Kris Atomic] [...]

  43. Emily says:

    “Nothing is wrong; this is my neutral face” could be my personal catch phrase.

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  44. Ms Kathleen says:

    Sweet. I love this :)

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  45. Michelle says:

    I too, my whole life,have been told to smile…its called the McGuire frown in my family, most of us got it from my grandaddy….we cant help it, we can be very happy on the inside but because we were born with those tiny corners of our lips/mouth turned a bit downwards, it appears were frowning all the time unless were ecstactically smiling or grinning and everyone assumes were “mad”..”why you so mad??” and im like “huh?? im not mad”…i wish we could all learn to stop judging people and their emotions on their looks and instead just talk to each other and accept each other..my daughter was born with a cleft palate, luckily not also a cleft lip but she would still be just as beautiful and gorgeous had she been! when i think of CBF i think of when someone sees a woman and asks her “when are you due??” only to a moment later, realise theyve made a huge mistake, the woman is not pregnant..? me thinks people should keep their mouth shut , its that old saying that seems to have gone the way of forgotten antiques..”if you dont have something nice to say, dont say nothin’ at all”?

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  46. Jaclyn says:

    So hilarious! I love your posts, they’re so great

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  47. Marie says:

    THIS HAS BEEN MY LIFE CURSE. Seriously. Because of my bitchface, I almost got my ass kicked in junior high. Thank you so much for making this IT SPEAKS TO ME SO

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  48. KCC says:

    FINALLY!

    Also, I think I also have chronic tired-face. “You look tired!” “Wake up!” etc, etc… UGH! I’M AWAKE AND I FEEL EXTRAORDINARY, DAMMIT

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