You know that feeling when you're scrolling through your phone at 2:00 AM and you stumble upon a shot of someone mid-sneeze? Or maybe it’s a celebrity whose face has been caught in a weird, distorted grimace during a red carpet interview. It’s impossible not to smirk. We’ve all been there.
There’s something weirdly universal about pictures of people with funny faces. They cut through the noise. Honestly, in a world where everyone is trying to look "snatched" or perfectly filtered on Instagram, a genuine, ugly, hilarious facial contortion feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s raw. It’s human.
But there is actually some pretty cool science behind why we can't look away from these goofy images. It isn't just because we're immature. Well, maybe a little. But it’s mostly about how our brains are wired to recognize patterns and respond to social cues.
The Science of Why We Love Pictures of People With Funny Faces
Our brains are obsession-level focused on faces. There’s a specific part of the brain called the Fusiform Face Area (FFA). Its entire job is to process facial features. When you see a "normal" face, the FFA does its thing smoothly. But when you see a face that’s distorted—eyes crossed, tongue out, cheeks puffed—it’s like a little spark plug for your neurons.
Evolutionarily speaking, we had to read faces to survive. Is that guy angry? Is he sick? Is he joking? A "funny face" is basically a safe way to play with those survival instincts. It’s a signal that says "I’m not a threat, I’m just being a goober."
The Benign Violation Theory
Psychologist Peter McGraw from the University of Colorado Boulder has this thing called the Benign Violation Theory. It basically says that things are funny when they seem "wrong" or "threatening" but are actually totally safe.
A distorted face is a "violation" of what a human is supposed to look like. It’s weird. It’s technically "wrong." But because it’s just a picture and the person is clearly playing around, it’s "benign." That’s the sweet spot for a laugh. If the face looked distorted because of an injury, we wouldn't laugh; we'd be horrified. The context of the "funny face" is what makes it a winner for our dopamine receptors.
From Vaudeville to TikTok: A History of Making Faces
We didn't just start doing this because of smartphones. People have been obsessed with making weird faces for as long as we've had mirrors. Think back to the "Gurning" championships in the UK. This is a real thing. Since 1267, the Egremont Crab Fair has hosted competitions where people put their heads through a horse collar (a "braffin") and try to make the most hideous face possible.
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It’s an art form.
Then you have the silent film era. Jim Carrey didn't invent the "rubber face" technique; he just perfected it for the 90s. Legends like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin knew that a specific eyebrow raise or a mouth twitch could communicate more than a paragraph of dialogue.
The "Ugly Selfie" Revolution
Fast forward to the 2010s. Remember the "Pretty Girls, Ugly Faces" subreddit? It went viral because it poked fun at the burgeoning "influencer" culture. Women would take one photo looking like a supermodel and a second photo with five chins and their eyes rolling back.
It was a protest.
Basically, it was a way to say, "Hey, the perfect version of me is a lie." These pictures of people with funny faces became a tool for authenticity. It’s hard to be pretentious when you’re making yourself look like a thumb.
Why Some People Are Better at It Than Others
Not all funny faces are created equal. You’ve got your "classic" funny faces—the crossed eyes, the tongue out—and then you’ve got the more nuanced stuff.
Physicality plays a huge role. Some people have more "elastic" skin or more control over their facial muscles. This is actually a biological trait. The way our muscles connect to the skin in our face determines how much we can "scrunch."
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- Muscle Control: Some people can move their eyebrows independently.
- The "Squinch": Catching a face mid-motion often creates a funnier image than a posed one.
- Context: A funny face at a funeral? Dark humor. A funny face at a birthday party? Standard procedure.
Honestly, the best funny faces are the ones that happen by accident. The "action shots." A person hitting a high note in a song or someone reacting to a sour lemon. These are the ones that usually go viral because they lack the "try-hard" energy of a posed selfie.
The Cultural Impact of the "Derp"
The internet gave us a specific word for a certain type of funny face: the Derp. Originally popularized through memes and rage comics, "derp" usually refers to a face with eyes looking in different directions and a slack-jawed expression.
It’s a visual shorthand for "I’m having a momentary lapse in brain function."
While the term has evolved and sometimes faced criticism, the visual of a "derpy" face remains one of the most shared types of imagery online. Why? Because it’s relatable. We’ve all felt like that face looks.
Pictures of People With Funny Faces as a Stress Reliever
There is actual therapeutic value here. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins. Even a quick chuckle at a silly photo can lower cortisol levels.
In a study by the University of Kansas, researchers found that even "fake" smiling—or making a face that mimics a smile—can reduce heart rates during stressful tasks. While making a "funny face" isn't exactly a smile, it involves the same kind of facial muscle engagement that breaks the tension.
If you’re having a bad day, looking at a gallery of people failing to look cool is a legitimate strategy for feeling better. It reminds us that nobody has it all together. We’re all just fleshy bags of water that look ridiculous if you catch us at the wrong angle.
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How to Take Better (Worse?) Funny Face Photos
If you want to master the art of the funny face for your own camera roll, you have to lean into the "ugly."
- The Bottom-Up Angle: Hold your phone below your chin. This is the "no-fail" way to create an instant funny face. It emphasizes the jaw and creates that "thumb" effect.
- The "Sour Lemon" Technique: Imagine you just bit into something incredibly tart. Your whole face should pull toward your nose.
- The Disconnect: Try to make your eyes do one thing and your mouth do another. Wide, surprised eyes with a tiny, pursed mouth creates a "startled bird" look that is almost always funny.
- The "Slow-Mo" Capture: Take a video of yourself shaking your head back and forth really fast, then scroll through the frames. You will find at least five "funny faces" that you couldn't possibly recreate on purpose.
The Ethics of Sharing These Photos
We have to talk about consent for a second. There’s a big difference between you making a funny face on purpose and someone snapping a photo of you looking "ugly" without your knowledge and posting it.
"Candid" funny faces can be hilarious, but they can also be used for bullying. If you're sharing pictures of people with funny faces, make sure the "victim" is in on the joke. The best kind of humor is the kind where everyone is laughing together, not at someone’s expense.
Actionable Insights for Using Funny Faces
Whether you're a content creator or just someone who wants to liven up the family group chat, here is how you can use this "silly" power effectively:
- Break the Ice: Using a funny face as a profile picture on a dating app or a casual professional Slack can make you seem more approachable. It signals that you don't take yourself too seriously.
- Boost Engagement: If you’re a brand or an influencer, posting a "behind the scenes" shot where you look ridiculous often gets more engagement than the polished final product. People crave that human connection.
- Memory Keeping: When you’re at a wedding or a big event, take one "serious" photo and one "funny face" photo. Ten years from now, the funny one will be the one that actually makes you remember the joy of the moment.
- Mental Health Break: Keep a folder on your phone titled "Giggles." Fill it with the most ridiculous faces you find or take. Open it when you're stuck in traffic or waiting for a stressful meeting.
At the end of the day, our faces are our most expressive tools. They aren't meant to be static, perfect masks. They’re meant to move, scrunch, and look weird. Embracing the "funny face" is really just embracing the fact that being human is a bit of a messy, hilarious accident.
Next time you see a photo of someone looking absolutely ridiculous, don't just scroll past. Take a second to appreciate the FFA in your brain working overtime, and maybe make a weird face back at the screen. It's good for you.