Monday, June 10, 2013

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2424:
Giada De Laurentiis on Conan O'Brien
Beautiful Teeth but Insincere Smiles and
Some Body Language Signals of Waning Love
(Video, Photos)



Giada De Lauentiis recently appeared on Conan O'Brien some of which is included in the above video. The talented and beautiful chef, writer and T.V. personality gives away some personal secrets (without meaning to) in multiple body language tells.


Giada certainly has beautiful teeth, however she makes the same mistake a lot of people do when they put on their "Social Smile" - they display the bottom teeth. The lower teeth should only be exposed in the context of a smile if it mixed with laughter, out of fatigue (holding the smile too long in a pose) - or with a downward camera angle or line of sight from a significantly taller person. Although she does laugh a fair amount here - not of such scenarios apply. Thus despite her gorgeous pearly-whites, her smile transmits insincerity. I wish to emphasize that this does not indicate that anyone who uses such a social smile is as a whole insincere - only in that moment. We all need to smile when we do not feel joy-happiness and some pull it off better than others. Ms. De Laurentiis would project much more sincerity if she would not force herself to expose all 32 of her teeth.







This image, captured at 1:37 in the video is less than a second before Conan mentions Giada's husband. She is pushing out her social smile which was just preceded by laughter.











As soon as she hears and processes the word "husband" (1:38), Giada displays a tight upper lip and a foreshortened mouth opening consistent with anger. Although she does have a prominent chin, she is jutting it forward here. Clenching of her jaw muscles can also be seen. This cluster context is highly consistent with anger.

Note also how her body slumps and looses its high-anticipation appearance it had at 1:37. Her hands immediately configure into a defensive mode, her shoulders slump and her head, neck and torso all lean back in her chair.





At 1:39 Giada's mouth takes on a very clear configuration of regret expressed in a near-microexpression.


















At 1:40 there is a very brief (another near-microexpression) display of disgust. There remains a component of regret present.
















Less than a second later (still at 1:40) Ms. De Laurentiis displays lip pursing. This is strongly suggestive of clandestine disagreement/plan. She could very well be thinking of divorce in this moment.










Note the above four images occur in rapid succession between 1:38 and 1:40. Go back and watch this segment in the video several times. It is quite telling.



Later in the video (2:08 - 2:09), Giada twists her wedding ring when recounting the story of her husband. In this cluster context this anxiety signal (MAP surrogate) is congruent with the findings above.

There are some interesting parlanguage tells in this video as well. One of these is the distancing language of  "my husband" - rather than calling him by name - Todd (Todd Thompson, her husband is a fashion designer). While some celebrity couples (or their agents') insist on using such "distancing language" it is impersonal and always telling when not directed by such outside influences. There are multiple other paralanguage and nonverbal indicators in this video which indicate Ms. De Laurentiis and Todd Thompson are having significant marital difficulties. She is ready to take her wedding ring off. How many other signs did you spot?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2:  Body Language of Blake Lively and Penn Badgley - Strongly Suggests an Impending Break-up in Near Future

Romance and Dating Secret # 202: Revealed in a Kiss -  Prince Albert and Princess Charlene

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1916:  Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise are getting a Divorce - What Body Language Metric could have Predicted this  Back When They Were Dating?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2191: Anne Hathaway's Impersonation of Katie Holmes on SNL -  "Norming" Katie and Variations on a Theme

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1866:  Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth are Engaged -  An Affection-Love Sincerity Signal

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2203:  A Body Language Metric of Intimacy and Affection -  How Do YOU cuddle?

Romance, Marriage and Dating - Body Language Secret # 609: Going from High Heels to Flats and then back to Heels?

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