Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3028: Chris Rock's (and other Comedians) Body Language Trick that Gets You Laughing Easier (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Chris Rock (and many other comedians) employ a nonverbal trick that makes it much easier for their audiences to laugh. He maintains a near-constant suppressed smile/near laughter expression. When it is within social context (and even sometimes when it is not) - seeing another person with an expression of suppressed smile/laughter alone elevates the mood of most everyone who see it. Human beings also strongly tend to mirror facial expressions of other people - which, in this context, further pushes us into a joy-laughter emotional state. Such suppressed smiles usually have a significant unilateral configuration. Few pull this off better than Chris Rock.

Maintaining such an expression also has a positive emotional feed-back effect on the person displaying the expression. Those who can reliably reproduce this nonverbal sign have at their disposal the best, built-in mood elevator in existence.

Are Rock's expression a sincere suppressed smile or an insincere one? If there are other emotions present - what are they (and their specific nonverbal tells)?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3027: Janay Rice interview on "Today" regarding Ray Rice's Assault

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2508: Anne Frank, Sincere Smiles and Emotional Comfort 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No, 2341:  Angela Bassett Interview -  Rationalization Rapport Empathy Expression  R2E2, Body Language & "Olympus has Fallen"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2312:  Bruce Willis' Body Language -  Contempt vs. Suppressed Smile vs.  Pseudo Smile vs. Sincere Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3016: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and a Suppressed yet Sincere

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2917: Thank you Robin Williams - examples of a Suppressed Smile and a Bitter Smile - Dead Poets Society

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2933: Will Hayden ("Sons of Guns") Arrested - Body Language of His Mug Shot

3:36

Mouth-closed suppressed smile

3:34

Mouth-open partially suppressed smile










_________________________________________________________________________________