# We need to lose the "rolls eyes" emoticon. **URL:** \ **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:** 7
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/121 "2012-06-03T20:20:38Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > There’s message boards more retrograde than the SDMB? [http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/6-message-board-announcements/62868517](http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/6-message-board-announcements/62868517) Note the date on that post. 2 weeks ago and they just finally added spoiler tags. :rolleyes: ---
**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 3, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/122 "2012-06-03T20:44:44Z")
> [@cheshire human](#): > > just push the “quote” button, you’ll see how he does it. It basically comes down to " too much time on his hands". Or "“all day to kill, and not much to do to kill it”. It’s easy to do, but incredibly time consuming. ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ███████████████ ---
**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 3, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/123 "2012-06-03T21:05:45Z")
Well played, sir. Well played. ---
**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 3, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/124 "2012-06-03T23:10:03Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ What is that, the Bedroom Eyes smiley? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/125 "2012-06-03T23:39:02Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ It’s against the rules, here, to respond appropriately to that. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/126 "2012-06-03T23:45:16Z")
NM… wrong forum. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/127 "2012-06-04T00:21:09Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ > ███████████████ we can’t say “Cunt” here. I’m probably going to get dinged for that. ---
**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 4, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/128 "2012-06-04T00:22:43Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > What is that, the Bedroom Eyes smiley? It’s one of those green girls Captain Kirk…entertained. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/129 "2012-06-04T00:38:33Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > we can’t say “Cunt” here. > > I’m probably going to get dinged for that. (!) Damn thing is upside down. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/130 "2012-06-04T03:13:27Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > (!) > > Damn thing is upside down. I’m trying to figure out how to turn **elmwood** ’s creation upside down. No doubt he already knows how. (¡) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/131 "2012-06-04T03:18:16Z")
damn it…i always miss the obvious… ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/132 "2012-06-04T03:39:11Z")
You know, you could have put one of these (¡) at the end of your post.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/133 "2012-06-04T03:40:04Z")
Now you’re just rubbing it in… ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/134 "2012-06-04T12:09:58Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > Just push the “quote” button, you’ll see how he does it. It basically comes down to " too much time on his hands". Or "“all day to kill, and not much to do to kill it”. It’s easy to do, but incredibly time consuming. O\_o That still takes a bit of skill, from what I can see. Yes, he needs a hobby. But holy crap, he does it well! ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/135 "2012-06-04T15:25:49Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > But on the topic of emoticons-as-softeners, I’m sticking to my guns. [Here’s a citation](http://the99percent.com/tips/6991/Email-Etiquette-II-Why-Emoticons-%28And-Emotional-Cues%29-Work), though really, this idea was almost conventional wisdom at least in the early days of www/email. Emphasis in original: I am not questioning the idea that emoticons, _in general,_ act as softeners. Particularly, the smiley, the winking smiley, the big grin, etc. I am, however, questioning how the rolleyes smiley particularly is a _softener_. Nothing about that face is a softening of the emotions displayed. Just like in real life, rolling your eyes at somebody is not a softening of emotional content. It is a dismissive move. It is the expression “what you said is unworthy of consideration”. It is the equivalent of “that is just stupid”. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/136 "2012-06-04T20:19:18Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I am not questioning the idea that emoticons, _in general,_ act as softeners. Particularly, the smiley, the winking smiley, the big grin, etc. > > I am, however, questioning how the rolleyes smiley particularly is a _softener_. Nothing about that face is a softening of the emotions displayed. Just like in real life, rolling your eyes at somebody is not a softening of emotional content. It is a dismissive move. It is the expression “what you said is unworthy of consideration”. It is the equivalent of “that is just stupid”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/137 "2012-06-04T20:25:38Z")
> [@boomerwang](#): > > O\_o That still takes a bit of skill, from what I can see. Yes, he needs a hobby. But holy crap, he does it well! There’s no way he’s not using some sort of script or utility to convert those from gif to vB. (It wouldn’t be that hard – you just need to grab the RGB values of each pixel of a smiley into the closest vB color field around each █.) Elmwood is way too computer savvy to do something that repetitive manually. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/138 "2012-06-04T21:14:51Z")
Emoticons are just like curse words, they can be a crutch for someone with a poor vocabulary. At the same time, somtimes “fuck” is the only word that works. Someone who over uses any particular emoticon is no worse than anyone who overuses a particular word or phrase. It probably just seems a little bit worse here because they stick out visually where certain words will only stick out if you read the post. But, at worst, I can’t see how replying to an entire post with a roll-eyes emoticon is any worse than simply say “that point isn’t even worth responding to”. Yeah, someone could take it to mean “that point is fucking stupid and so are you” and be offended by that, but that’s more on the person over-reacting since it doesn’t inherently mean that, certaintly not just by itself. I’d rather just see the board culture go against people who respond with just emoticons the same way we respond to people who type out in text speak and not just ask for the emoticon to be removed altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/139 "2012-06-05T00:54:07Z")
Well they haven’t come out with the Picard Facepalm emoticon yet… ---
**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 5, 2012, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602/140 "2012-06-05T07:30:48Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I am not questioning the idea that emoticons, _in general,_ act as softeners. Particularly, the smiley, the winking smiley, the big grin, etc. Whew. Because my cites were flakey, though I didn’t know quite how prove something that seemed so obvious to me. > [@](#): > > I am, however, questioning how the rolleyes smiley particularly is a _softener_. Nothing about that face is a softening of the emotions displayed. … Often it’s not used to soften. Actually, methinks it usually doesn’t soften. That said, sarcasm unaccompanied by any emoticon can look unduly harsh. Pinning a rolleyes next to it retains the much of the negativity, though not all of it. Sometimes. IMHO, YMMV, etc. Anyway, Mr. Dubious tends to soften more, which is part of the reason why I think he is preferable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-to-lose-the-rolls-eyes-emoticon/623602.md?page=8)