Stepford Smiler: Difference between revisions

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* When fans fell in love with [[Spider-Man|Mary Jane Watson]], many writers attempted to reconcile her "devil may care" party girl image from her first couple of years of existence by revealing that her party girl facade was something she came up with to cover up her screwed up homelife, which included [[Abusive Parents|a physically and mentally abusive father]].

** {{spoiler|Sistah Spooky wound up playing this trope [[Tear Jerker|tragically straight]] after Mindf██k dies, literally using magic to force any expression aside from utter despair onto her face.}}

* Taken to downright depressing levels in issue #8 of the 2007 revival of ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'', a story starring [[The Flash]] and the [[Doom Patrol]]. Elasti-Girl is constantly smiling throughout, even when things look horrifically dire. (Master artist George Perez takes great care to give make her expression ''completely identical'' every time: a bright grin with eyes that betray just a hint of utter desperation.) Flash explains to his freaked-out kids that she used to be a movie star and since gaining superpowers she feels like a freak of nature. She smiles because it's the only way she can still feel pretty, and she thinks it puts people at ease. Flash's daughter comments that it isn't working.

* {{spoiler|Shiki}} from ''[[The World Ends With You]]'' has this as she {{spoiler|tries to pretend to be her bubbly best friend because she feels the real her is worthless.}}

* In ''[[Fire Emblem Elibe|Fire Emblem 7]]'', the [[White Mage|Cleric]] Serra is a mix of [[Genki Girl]] and [[Rich Bitch]] who [[Well, Excuse Me, Princess!|acts like a princess]]... {{spoiler|but truly is an orphan dropped at a small, miserable Ostian convent by an Etrurian clan in danger of being wiped away. Her parents never came back for her and she was badly traumatised by their abandonment.}} Get her to support with people like Hector or Lucius to get more details.

* Melody from ''[[Rune Factory]]'' is a Type A example.

* In ''[[System Shock]] 2'' you find the protocol droids, robots made to work like secretaries, greet people, give directions, etc. When they turn against you, they walk around searching for you, saying things like "Where are you, sir?" "I cannot help you if you keep hiding. "Please wait, I can offer you my assistance.". When they get near to you, they FRIGGIN EXPLODE.

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

** Boss Smiley from ''World's End'' is, as one can deduce from his name, an exaggerated example.

* In ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'', one of the presidential candidates is known as 'The Smiler', and is shown as willing to kill just about anyone, including his wife, to improve his ratings.

* Vincent and Carrie Raymond (in Geoph Essex's ''Lovely Assistant'') are astonishingly warm and cheerful [[The Beautiful Elite|Beautiful People]], {{spoiler|though their plans to summon a galaxy-sized monster and destroy the world places them squarely as Type C Stepford Smilers}}. Jenny even thinks about the Stepford effect by name.

* ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]''

*** Luna could also be a subversion, if her serene personality is completely genuine.

** Xenophilius Lovegood puts on a Type A act in ''[[Harry Potter (Franchise)/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|Harry Potter]]'' when Harry, Ron, and Hermione come to his house. He pretends that everything is well and good and that Luna herself is only out getting ingredients for soup when he's actually been depressed and afraid because the Death Eaters have Luna and have threatened to kill her unless he captures Harry Potter for them, which is just the thing he's attempting to do.

*** There are dangers in breaking the facade. The story goes that the broadcaster who broke into tears when the Hindenburg blew up (the "Oh the humanity!" guy) lost his job for his "unprofessional behavior".

* One of the reasons for the "grim Russian" stereotype is that in Russian culture ''anyone'' who smiles when talking to complete strangers is assumed to be either a Stepford Smiler or just an insincere person. There is an old Russian joke about this: "Americans look at you with phony politeness. We look at you with sincere hatred".

* [[Friendly Playful Dolphin|Dolphins]]. They have that "smile" on their faces regardless of their mood. Unfortunately, many people think that because of their "smiles", dolphins are nice gentle creatures. They are not.

* Persons of ''both'' genders who are or have been physically/sexually/emotionally abused in one way or another, often become this to hide their suffering from others.

* Psychopaths are often type C, being superficially charming but having no real emotions.

** Many have emotions all right, just not that of empathy. Others, on the other hand, end up committing horrible crimes with the simple goal to receive some kind of emotional stimulus, which quickly becomes addictive. The term is Shallow Affect, and 'describes the psychopath's tendency for genuine emotion to be short-lived and egocentric, with an overall cold demeanor'.

** Only when taken to its logical extreme, which is not necessarily encouraged.

*** Barbara Ehrenreich talks in depth about this aspect of the positive-thinking movement in her book ''Bright Sided.''