June 22nd, 2010

Mean Mugging: A Look at the Face of Aggression

You may have heard the phrase “mean mugging” before and you may not have.  But I guarantee you know what it means.  You’re walking down the street, minding your own business for the most part, maybe people-watching a bit, but not doing anything that could possibly offend anyone in their right mind.  Then, out of nowhere, you see him (inevitably, the mean mugger is a bloke.)  And he is GLARING at you.  His face is screwed up horribly, his twisted eyes reflecting anger, contempt and a complete willingness to give you a solid bashing if you continue to look at him.  You’ve just been mean-mugged.

Why do they exist, the mean muggers?  Is it to jar us from the comfort of the everyday?  Is it to remind us, that without the safety that society guarantees us, there are still people who would be at our throats in a moment’s notice?  Or is it simply because some dudes have ugly teeth, and a close-mouthed scowl is the perfect way to hide certain dental shortcomings?  The answer to these questions is hardly obvious, but the ubiquity of the mean mugger does reveal something definitive: some people like to walk around with aggressive expressions on their faces.

This is good news for the rest of us.  In the never ending quest to hang around people we actually like, the mean mugger is virtually wearing a sign on his face that says “ignore me.”  Or rather, “Pay me no mind, for I am, in all probability, a massive douche.”  This would be an extremely wordy sign to attach to every arsehole’s face, but thanks to the mean mug, dealing with that problem is no longer necessary.

So don’t be cowed by the screwface.  Pay no mind to the mean mug.  Think of him as a blessing, a person who can be disregarded as soon as one lays eyes upon his ugly features.  Maybe, when the mean muggers realize that no one likes a grumpy face they’ll drop the act, and rejoin the rest of us neutral, pleasant-faced citizens.  Or, maybe they’ll drop the mean, become actual muggers, and the police will arrest the whole sorry lot of them.  Either way, we win.

Photo by Steve Kindle

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