kiss vs. duckface

I wanted to take the time to write about something controversial today.  Something that's been on my mind for a long time but I never had the patience to get to the bottom of it.

I'm talking about the almighty duckface.  Yes, I know, it's a huge, super important worldwide issue.  We all know what someone is talking about when the term "duckface" comes into play... or do we REALLY?

This word frustrates me because over the years the criteria for said duckface has seemed to force it to evolve into a huge category that indeed, isn't duckface at all.

I'm talking about the ever powerful KISS.  Many have confused the workings of the duckface with that of the kiss, and I'm here to set the record straight.  Why do I even care?  Because if you knew me about five years ago, you would know that a kiss was my trademarked photo op pose.  There are probably at least 200 photos of me puckering up. It has since been tarnished and tainted by the growing popularity of wannabe kissers producing only what can be recognized as the duckface.

Let the battle begin.

It's a fine line, but once you understand the differences you will be a new person, reborn into a world of acceptable facial expressions.

First of all, to get to the bottom of this issue we have to examine the inner workings of both the Kiss and the Duckface.

A kiss is an expression. It is a meaningful pose. It brings character and happiness to a photo that can be treasured for years to come.  It is cute and genuine. The kiss should come from a place of joy and be conveyed not just through the lips, but also through the eyes. A kiss should never be used as a way to simply make your lips look fuller or give you model cheekbones.  It needs to have heart. A wink and a kiss? The perfect combination.

The duckface is nothing. It is not an expression of anything but a failed attempt at a classic kiss pucker. It is a diluted way for women (and men) to somehow convey that they have modelesque features when they don't.  It is emotionless and nowhere near as awesome as a kiss.

Left: Kiss - Right: Duckface

I am someone who is all about making facial expressions. On a daily basis, my face probably transforms into about 20 different expressions conveying my mood or for speaking without words. I scrunch my face, lower my brows, and move my puckered lips to the side when I am mind boggled. I can give the best "look of death" to men ever.  I have gangsta faces (gangsta faces vs. duckfaces is a whole other topic...), "oh no!" faces, and even do my best screwy duckface impersonations.  That said, when it comes to photograph time, I love to cheese it up the best I can.  What's better... a photo full of character and kisses that bring you back to the happy feeling you had when it was shot, or a dull classic "smile for the camera" photo.  Standard smiling photos typically aren't my cup of tea.... or should I say WEREN'T my cup of tea until the duckface phenomena took over.

I can no longer flash a kiss without feeling as though someone will label it DUCKFACE. That, my friends, is no way to live. Which is why I'm taking a stand.

In the above examples, I can remember those exact moments. There was goofiness and love with friends.  There was no "trying to look hot for the camera" with a failed attempt at a model face. Real kiss photos are quick and capture a mere second of life... and that, is why they trump duckface any day.

p.s. If you can't make a classic kiss pucker, please stop trying, you're ruining it for the rest of us.