Gen Z Pout: Not Smiling is the New Power Move, Tracing Back to Buster Keaton

• The Gen Z pout, a blank-eyed, lip-lifted expression, is a trending phenomenon seen on celebrities like Lily-Rose Depp and on TikTok.
• This trend is not new; it's a comic technique with historical roots, exemplified by silent film star Buster Keaton who found audiences laughed more when he maintained a serious expression.
• Comedian Rachel Sennott uses the deadpan pout as a comedic bit, highlighting the gap between the occasion and the expression, a self-aware approach to humor.
• The pout also has a fashion lineage, reminiscent of 1990s supermodels like Naomi Campbell, who conveyed sovereignty and power by not smiling for cameras.
• Unlike the 'duck face' or millennial 'effortful approval-seeking' smiles, the pout signifies a detachment and a refusal to perform happiness, reflecting a generation accustomed to constant surveillance.