“why don’t you smile during your videos?” my daughter asked me
“I’m not trying to NOT smile” i said, “I’m just concentrating”
“well you need to concentrate less and smile more” she says…
kids give the best advice 
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Is that the “state of yo”?
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I love this! Stay Gold, @Splizacular
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Your daughter isn’t wrong lol.
I just watched my last video and took a screen grab and I was like, yeah, I gotta work on that lol
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What’d it do, throw insults at you?
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oh yes, i went back and looked and yea i dont smile like at all, it’s just laser focus…that or masked rage and fury 
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Normal looking throwing face. A giant grin would look kind of creepy. Do people who enjoy math smile when doing math?
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Resting yoyo face
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I think it’s definitely worth pointing out cultural gaps. If you actively want to smile and that fits your personality, smile away. But lots of people just don’t like outwardly expressing emotions like this. Being told to smile is extremely annoying.
In Finland you will very rarely see anybody smiling or making noticeable expressions in public. This isn’t because people are angry all the time, it’s because emotions like that are something personal to be shared in private with people you know.
This conversation has come up a couple times in yoyo, but I’d definitely say it’s a very American way of portraying yourself in public. Assuming others should do the same comes off as a bit rude imo.
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Huh, interesting. For one of my assignments I help teach Ukrainians English. I’ve learned a bit about their culture, including that if someone is having a bad day, they will make sure their face shows it. Sometimes Ukrainians can be quite blunt, lol.
Literally, the word “please” isn’t in the Ukrainian vocabulary, so if a guy wants to borrow someone’s phone for a call, he’ll just walk up to a stranger and say “Give me your phone.” And the stranger will do it! No questions asked!
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quick disclaimer: this was only ever an attempt to share and laugh at a wholesome childhood moment and should not be taken as a request by me or my daughter for anyone to smile more and there is certainly no Epectation to do so, in the usa or anywhere else
having gotten that out of the way,
we all work within our cultural norms and understandings. if ppl live in a culture where smiling frequently is the norm, wanting to see it more is a perfectly normal extension, much like in more private cultures im sure ppl often wish expressive cultures did so less frequently. this is not typically an attempt to discredit or belittle anyone else’s way of thinking nor does it necessarily denote an unwillingness to acknowledge others have diff ideas and culture. thinking others are being rude for acting or speaking within their cultural norms is a knee-jerk reaction i see levied at americans pretty frequently and it isn’t always warranted
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Well… if she talks you into smiling more in your videos…. Once you knock your front teeth out, she won’t find your ‘not smiling’ a mystery any more.
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I usually only smile after I complete a trick or burst out laughing after I mess up spectacularly. That’s what I love about this hobby, even the mistakes make me smile.
If you are making a video, it can be nice to have a family member offer feedback for what’s arguably a performance. I see that as different from random strangers telling one to smile at the grocery store, which has happened to me and is infuriating.
I used to be in a barbershop chorus, which was much more concerned with appearance (costumes, make-up, choreography) than the other community choirs I have joined. They told me that I needed to smile while singing, at least with the eyes. They were only satisfied when I made what felt like the most ridiculous and uncomfortable wide-eyed expression. I guess that’s show biz, but I left that group for one that was just about the music.
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i do if I’m not recording. if I’m recording, any smiling is the result of that insane sort of smile that happens when you’re trying your level best not to throw your yoyo across the room 
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