# Most girls in HotOrNot. com make duckface in their pics. Do they think it's actually attractive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580 "2014-10-26T16:17:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guesswhoiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e274bd/32.png) [@guesswhoiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guesswhoiam)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/1 "2014-10-26T16:17:02Z")
So just for fun I signed up on HotOrNot. com (a website where you can rate picture of nearby people as “hot” or not, and potentially offer connection between people who rate each other as hot). Among other things, I found that a significant number (maybe almost half) of the girls make duckface in their pictures. I (heterosexual male) don’t find this attractive, I’m much more likely to vote such picture as “not hot”. But why is it prevalent? is it considered attractive for most people? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/2 "2014-10-26T16:17:55Z")
I have no idea what “Duckface” is. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/3 "2014-10-26T16:19:53Z")
I’m not sure, either. But I am sure this is more IMHO than any form of Great Debate. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/4 "2014-10-26T16:28:44Z")
[Duckface](http://www.duckfacedivas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/duckface-116.jpg). I think it’s supposed to be sexy. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/5 "2014-10-26T16:31:20Z")
[Making girls look](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3glBey3XCU) like [The Salt Vampire](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20061220174649/memoryalpha/en/images/7/7a/M_113_Creature.jpg) for way too long. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/6 "2014-10-26T16:45:24Z")
I’m not clicking that site. As to the question, no, not a good look. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/7 "2014-10-26T16:53:21Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > [Duckface](http://www.duckfacedivas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/duckface-116.jpg). I think it’s supposed to be sexy. I thought it was the opposite. It’s something women do to deliberately make themselves less attractive. Women are aware that they’re often being judged by their looks. (The existence of sites like HotOrNot is a part of this.) Making a duckface is essentially a way for a woman to resist this by making an intentionally ugly face and taking herself out of the competition. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/8 "2014-10-26T17:18:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I thought it was the opposite. It’s something women do to deliberately make themselves less attractive. > > Women are aware that they’re often being judged by their looks. (The existence of sites like HotOrNot is a part of this.) Making a duckface is essentially a way for a woman to resist this by making an intentionally ugly face and taking herself out of the competition. Is this a joke? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/9 "2014-10-26T17:21:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Making a duckface is essentially a way for a woman to resist this by making an intentionally ugly face and taking herself out of the competition. Wouldn’t it be simpler to not join the site in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/10 "2014-10-26T17:25:11Z")
For those living in caves he[re is what a “duckface” is.](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/duck-face) ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/11 "2014-10-26T17:25:15Z")
How is HotOrNot still a thing? Did we suddenly rewind to 2001 and no one told me? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/12 "2014-10-26T17:32:10Z")
Couldn’t someone who makes a duckface come across as MORE attractive, because someone who makes such a face is communicating that they have a sense of humor and that they are confident their awesome natural looks will always shine through? Also, it makes sense that a woman prone to duckfacing would seek out a man who is tolerate of this behavior. By posting pics, she’s basically saying, “If you’re bothered by me smooching my lips like this, please don’t contact me. Because you will never make me change my duckface ways.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/13 "2014-10-26T17:36:19Z")
> [@andros](#): > > How is HotOrNot still a thing? Did we suddenly rewind to 2001 and no one told me? I’m surprised to hear that HotOrNot and duckface are both still a thing. I think I first learned about the latter in a thread here on the SDMB. I don’t remember which thread specifically; the oldest one I could find was this one: [The sideways peace sign and puckered lips. Whaddup wid dat?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545880) In that thread, **weisser83** quotes the website [antiduckface.com](http://antiduckface.com) as saying > [@](#): > > the subject(s) of the photo “pushes [their] mouth out in that weird combination of a pout and a kissy face to make it look like [they’ve] got big pouty lips and model-quality cheekbones…” The site also advises that people “STOP DOING IT. IT ISN’T SEXY. YOU LOOK STUPID. REALLY REALLY STUPID.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/14 "2014-10-26T17:38:26Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Couldn’t someone who makes a duckface come across as MORE attractive, because someone who makes such a face is communicating that they have a sense of humor and that they are confident their awesome natural looks will always shine through? > > Also, it makes sense that a woman prone to duckfacing would seek out a man who is tolerate of this behavior. By posting pics, she’s basically saying, “If you’re bothered by me smooching my lips like this, please don’t contact me. Because you will never make me change my duckface ways.” In other words, “ **It’s okay if you’re doing it ironically** ”? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/15 "2014-10-26T17:44:16Z")
Everything is okay if you are doing it ironically. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/16 "2014-10-26T17:46:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Making a duckface is essentially a way for a woman to resist this by making an intentionally ugly face and **taking herself out of the competition.** Why would she even enter the competition in the first place, then? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/17 "2014-10-26T17:56:15Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m surprised to hear that HotOrNot and duckface are both still a thing. > > I think I first learned about the latter in a thread here on the SDMB. I don’t remember which thread specifically; the oldest one I could find was this one: [The sideways peace sign and puckered lips. Whaddup wid dat?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545880) > > In that thread, **weisser83** quotes the website [antiduckface.com](http://antiduckface.com) as saying I don’t think most people do the duckface to look “model-like”. They do it to look “gangsta”. Hence, why pooched-out lips are often paired with wannabe gang signs (NOT peace signs), like [this](http://www.quickmeme.com/img/b9/b95866efb546185247b1b0d0ab6009cdad6e52739bc32bf60994ea0c8243ebb0.jpg) and [this](http://emilytau.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/gang-sign.jpg) and [this](http://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/obama-kids-gang-signs.jpg?w=640). > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In other words, “ **It’s okay if you’re doing it ironically** ”? I don’t know how you inferred this from what I wrote. But I guess I agree with it. It’s obvious that the look communicates that the duckfaced person possess a certain sense of humor. If you don’t share that sense of humor, then you probably aren’t going to find that person attractive. But making that face would be a great way to signal to other duckfaces they’ve found a match. If I had to speculate, I’d guess that duckfaced women don’t have any problem finding mates, while it’s the guys complaining about the ugly duckfaced women who have problems in this department. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/18 "2014-10-26T18:13:09Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In that thread, **weisser83** quotes the website [antiduckface.com](http://antiduckface.com) as saying > > > [@](#): > > > > the subject(s) of the photo “pushes [their] mouth out in that weird combination of a pout and a kissy face to make it look like [they’ve] got big pouty lips and model-quality cheekbones…” The site also advises that people “STOP DOING IT. IT ISN’T SEXY. YOU LOOK STUPID. REALLY REALLY STUPID.” SHUT UP! Enough already, Ballstein! Who cares about Derek Zoolander anyway? The man has only one look, for Christ’s sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigre? THEY’RE THE SAME FACE! Doesn’t anybody notice this? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/19 "2014-10-26T18:19:12Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > It’s obvious that the look communicates that the duckfaced person possess a certain sense of humor. I guess I don’t understand why _unironically_ trying to look either model-like _or_ gangsta (or just mimicking an expression they’ve seen other people make) would be indicative of a sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580/20 "2014-10-26T18:33:23Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I guess I don’t understand why _unironically_ trying to look either model-like _or_ gangsta (or just mimicking an expression they’ve seen other people make) would be indicative of a sense of humor. I don’t know what you mean by “unironically”. It’s always people who are very much NOT gangsta who duckface, so I think the irony is obvious. Now are the duckfacers intending to be ironic? Or are they just mimicking what they see the cool kids do? The hell I know. All I know is that they think they are being funny. No one seriously thinks they are being “gangsta” when they pooch their lips and throw made-up gang signs. From their perspective, they are just having fun. You can argue that this is a silly way to have fun. But seeing as how the meme has lasted for as long as it has, it’s incorrect to say that it is universally “unattractive”. SOMEONE is attracted to it (or at least not turned off by it). That person just so happens not to be you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-girls-in-hotornot-com-make-duckface-in-their-pics-do-they-think-its-actually-attractive/702580.md?page=2)