# We need to lose the "rolls eyes" emoticon.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [May 31, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602 "2012-05-31T01:33:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/41 "2012-05-31T17:25:49Z")

</div>

> [@Cheshire\_Human](#):
>
> :rolleyes: Some people just have _too_ much time on their hands… :rolleyes:

You’re right about that :rolleyes: It’s my slow season at work and I’m easily amused :rolleyes: And a shameless bandwagon follower :rolleyes:

Hey, this is fun :rolleyes: 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/42 "2012-05-31T17:38:11Z")

</div>

> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> It’s perfect when a poster writes something that is eye rollingly stupid. Happens all the time. It’s directed at the post, not the poster.

Not that I really give two fucks about this issue, but, I don’t really agree. I don’t think people use it because it is the perfect response, I think people use it because they can’t actually say why they think something is stupid. Its a crutch for the inarticulate, which is why you will see certain posters that use it every second post. In real life they would be the old biddies “tsking” and “tutting” in the background but who have little to say when pressed on what their problem is.

When I see it I always see the poster as doing their Kevin the teenager routine, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfHM568oBWg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfHM568oBWg). Not a pretty look.

In the real world though, this is less of an issue than the bolded names thing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/43 "2012-05-31T17:53:33Z")

</div>

> [@bucketybuck](#):
>
> Its a crutch for the inarticulate,

I… you… why…

:rolleyes:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/44 "2012-05-31T18:07:48Z")

</div>

> [@bucketybuck](#):
>
> Not that I really give two fucks about this issue, but, I don’t really agree. I don’t think people use it because it is the perfect response, I think people use it because they can’t actually say why they think something is stupid. Its a crutch for the inarticulate, which is why you will see certain posters that use it every second post. In real life they would be the old biddies “tsking” and “tutting” in the background but who have little to say when pressed on what their problem is.
> 
> When I see it I always see the poster as doing their Kevin the teenager routine, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfHM568oBWg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfHM568oBWg). Not a pretty look.
> 
> In the real world though, this is less of an issue than the bolded names thing.

:rolleyes:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/45 "2012-05-31T18:46:02Z")

</div>

> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> I… you… why…
> 
> :rolleyes:

> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#):
>
> :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/46 "2012-05-31T19:22:16Z")

</div>

> [@bucketybuck](#):
>
> Not that I really give two fucks about this issue, but, I don’t really agree. I don’t think people use it because it is the perfect response, I think people use it because they can’t actually say why they think something is stupid.

During the great “baby with possibly dirty diaper sitting on the resteraunt table…ewww” debate one poster claimed to never have seen a leaky diaper. Despite being a parent of I think 3 kids. Now keep in mind he didn’t say it was rare enough to not be a realistic worry, or even if they did leak its not that big a deal health. No, it just did not happen. Fracker even ignored PICTURES of the damn things leaking and other parents going WTF? Obnoxious jerk IMO just wanted to win the argument so damn bad he was wasn’t going to admit anything.

IMO crap (heh) like that deserves a :rolleyes:

And ISTR one very smug full of themselves poster (who now gets regular shit for being that way) telling me they “couldn’t take me seriously” in an arguement because I had used its rather than it’s or where rather than were or somesuch typo/lazy posting error. Now, unless that arguement was about how superhuman a writer I was or the like that is IMO some intellectual snobbery/stupidity that also deserves a :rolleyes:

Some people need a fracking :rolleyes: smackdown on occasion.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/47 "2012-05-31T19:40:35Z")

</div>

> [@billfish678](#):
>
> During the great “baby with possibly dirty diaper sitting on the resteraunt table…ewww” debate one poster claimed to never have seen a leaky diaper. Despite being a parent of I think 3 kids. Now keep in mind he didn’t say it was rare enough to not be a realistic worry, or even if they did leak its not that big a deal health. No, it just did not happen. Fracker even ignored PICTURES of the damn things leaking and other parents going WTF? Obnoxious jerk IMO just wanted to win the argument so damn bad he was wasn’t going to admit anything.
> 
> IMO crap (heh) like that deserves a :rolleyes:
> 
> And ISTR one very smug full of themselves poster (who now gets regular shit for being that way) telling me they “couldn’t take me seriously” in an arguement because I had used its rather than it’s or where rather than were or somesuch typo/lazy posting error. Now, unless that arguement was about how superhuman a writer I was or the like that is IMO some intellectual snobbery/stupidity that also deserves a :rolleyes:
> 
> Some people need a fracking :rolleyes: smackdown on occasion.

I have no argument with any of that, and it may be that I am projecting from a couple of idiots whose eyes remain rolled continually onto everybody who uses the thing.

Still, I do think its a very passive aggressive posting tool that gets used far too often in many situations where it is not warranted.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/48 "2012-05-31T19:43:24Z")

</div>

> [@ivorytowerdenizen](#):
>
> i loved the jewish guy. Where else on the internet could i find a little jewish smilie? And it was useful!

१|˚-˚|५

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/49 "2012-05-31T19:43:50Z")

</div>

> [@bucketybuck](#):
>
> Still, I do think its a very passive aggressive posting tool that gets used far too often in many situations where it is not warranted.

:rolleyes: (just teasing there)

Yeah, that’s certainly possible (and I believe I even said so myself upthread somewhere)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/50 "2012-05-31T19:44:50Z")

</div>

> [@elmwood](#):
>
> १|˚-˚|५

Jesus Christ that poor little guy has lost some weight.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/51 "2012-05-31T19:45:00Z")

</div>

> [@elmwood](#):
>
> १|˚-˚|५

Awwww… makes me miss him even more.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/52 "2012-06-01T00:09:17Z")

</div>

> [@ivorytowerdenizen](#):
>
> awwww… Makes me miss him even more.

█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████  
█████████████████████

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/53 "2012-06-01T00:15:43Z")

</div>

> [@elmwood](#):
>
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████

- bows down. We, sir, are not worthy. Not worthy indeed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/54 "2012-06-01T00:47:12Z")

</div>

**elmwood** , this is not going to sound like a compliment, but please believe me when I say it is: I try to find you creepy and weird, but gosh darn it, I just plain like you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/55 "2012-06-01T01:39:51Z")

</div>

> [@Cheshire\_Human](#):
>
> :rolleyes: Some people just have _too_ much time on their hands… :rolleyes:

They’ve got nothing to do and all day to do it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/56 "2012-06-01T02:01:23Z")

</div>

> [@bucketybuck](#):
>
> I don’t think people use it because it is the perfect response, I think people use it because they can’t actually say why they think something is stupid. Its a crutch for the inarticulate, which is why you will see certain posters that use it every second post. In real life they would be the old biddies “tsking” and “tutting” in the background but who have little to say when pressed on what their problem is.

+1 : “Crutch for the inarticulate”.

Though Mr. Rolley is vastly over-used, it can on occasion fulfill its function on a message board: that is it can _soften_ the written word. Similarly Mr. Dubious acts as a milder form of Rolleyes. (And smacky is an improved version of embarrassed.) So I disagree with the OP.  
I’ve said this before, but an alternative to winky might be helpful. I made this icon years ago but have been unable to name the guy. [http://wm40.inbox.com/thumbs/2c\_130b92\_3bbb2b38\_oG.gif.thumb](http://wm40.inbox.com/thumbs/2c_130b92_3bbb2b38_oG.gif.thumb)  
Call him ::hope:: ?

I’ve seen “small big grin” on another board: that seems useful too.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/57 "2012-06-01T02:11:44Z")

</div>

> [@MeanOldLady](#):
>
> **elmwood** , this is not going to sound like a compliment, but please believe me when I say it is: I try to find you creepy and weird, but gosh darn it, I just plain like you.

_blush_

Okay, maybe a _little_ bit weird.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/58 "2012-06-01T02:12:24Z")

</div>

> [@NoClueBoy](#):
>
> We should remove with so people won’t end sentences with it.

But we you don’t want sentences to end with “it,” then shouldn’t we ban “it”? \<— Oh no! There’s another one! You’re right!

> [@MOIDALIZE](#):
>
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:  
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:  
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:  
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:  
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:  
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:  
> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
> 
> :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
> 
> :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
> 
> :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
> 
> ```copy
> 
> ```

We recently viewed the tattered “Star-Spangled Banner Flag” at the Smithsonian in Washington. That’s the one Francis Scott Key saw flying over Fort McHenry and then wrote the anthem. I commission you to re-create that one.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/59 "2012-06-01T02:15:43Z")

</div>

> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> +1 : “Crutch for the inarticulate”.
> 
> Though Mr. Rolley is vastly over-used, it can on occasion fulfill its function on a message board: that is it can _soften_ the written word.

No, no, I’d become Banned.

Just :rolleyes:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/60 "2012-06-01T02:25:16Z")

</div>

> [@elmwood](#):
>
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████  
> █████████████████████

This made me cry, just a little. 🙂

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602.md?page=2)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602.md?page=4)