Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Were Told to ‘Smile More’ by a Tabloid, and Twitter Is Pissed

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen don’t owe anyone smiles. Not men. Not photographers. Not the internet. Page Six learned that lesson the hard way when they published a slideshow on the twins’ 32nd birthday with a dozen pictures of the sisters, from their teenage years to modern day, giving photographers the same steely stare. The slideshow was meant to be evidence that the Olsens are “still figuring out how to smile,” but the internet wasn’t buying it.

After the slideshow was published, Twitter users slammed Page Six for suggesting that the Olsens owe the public a smile. The users explained that the slideshow was especially problematic given the stereotype that women are meant to be happy, pretty, passive, and willing to engage in unwanted conversation through a smile.

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The slideshow, which was tweeted with the headline, “Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen seem to be still figuring out how to smile,” was criticized, with people telling Page Six to “delete” the article and others reminding the tabloid that they smiled enough as children. However, the main criticism was Page Six’s assumption that because the Olsens are women, they’re expected to smile.

https://twitter.com/annetdonahue/status/1008542277877182465 https://twitter.com/JenniferLavery/status/1008737220642136065 https://twitter.com/themeanstine/status/1008488118213890048 https://twitter.com/msrobynxo/status/1008440873087008769 https://twitter.com/AlexEdelman/status/1008571149981138944

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Once again, the internet is right. Whether they’re child stars or grown women, the Olsens don’t owe anyone a smile.