What is the Stank Face?
Why do people express disgust when enjoying to certain music?
Someone @ ‘Psychology Stack Exchange’ says:
There's a word for this, stank face. Not sure what genres it is associated with, but I experience it mainly when I listen to and enjoy funk or rap. The "fatter" the beat and the groovier the music, the harder the stank face (I don't know much musical terminology so "fat" will have to suffice).
Now, stank face looks a lot like a disgusted face, hence the name. I wonder why this is. Is it a purely coincidental thing that the face people have when disgusted is the same face people put on when enjoying and showing their respect of music? As in, people learn about it as a way of expressing musical enjoyment (it may be taught implicitly through observation or explicitly), and then they employ it themselves, before it becomes automatic (hence people's reflexive stank face).
Or, is there a neurological link between disgust and the enjoyment of these kinds of music? Is it perhaps a type of synesthesia? If any of the aforementioned possibilities are true, how come this happens more often with certain genres? Do these genres exclusively cause this phenomenon or do they more strongly/often cause this phenomenon? Perhaps all music can cause it, but the expression is more associated with these genres because of its listeners and players having listened more deeply than others, and therefore experienced the effect more greatly, thus causing the association (even though the phenomenon applies to all music)?
A friend of mine suggested that it happened due to the music causing some kind of sensory hyperactivity, of which the brain is only used to when in a disgusted state (as the evolutionary point of disgust is to avoid toxic and poisonous agents), thus causing the brain to misinterpret the stimuli as that of something disgusting.
Worth adding is that a stank face can look like it has elements of anger or irritation in it. However, in my experience, a lot of disgusted faces looks like they have some anger or irritation in them.
ChatGPT
Hey, ChatGPT: ‘Why do People make the Stank Face when Hearing Exceptionally Good Music?’
The "stank face" or a facial expression of intense pleasure or enjoyment when listening to exceptionally good music is a spontaneous and involuntary reaction that many people experience. There are several reasons why this phenomenon occurs:
Emotional Response: Exceptionally good music has the power to evoke strong emotions. When a song hits the right chords emotionally, it can lead to an immediate and visceral reaction. The stank face may be a way for the body to express the intensity of these emotions.
Physical Response: Music often stimulates the brain's reward centers, triggering the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This can lead to physical responses like goosebumps, chills, or the stank face as a way to express the pleasure being felt.
Musical Tension and Release: Great music often plays with musical tension and release. Moments of tension in a song can create anticipation, and when that tension is resolved in a satisfying way, it can lead to a pleasurable physical response, including the stank face.
Surprise and Delight: Exceptional music often contains unexpected elements or musical surprises that catch the listener off guard in a delightful way. The stank face can be a spontaneous reaction to these surprises.
Expressing Enjoyment: Facial expressions are a natural way for humans to express their feelings and reactions to stimuli. When something is exceptionally good, people might not consciously control their facial expressions and instead let their emotions show.
Connection to Groove and Rhythm: In genres like funk, hip-hop, and dance music, the stank face may be a physical response to the infectious groove and rhythm. The body's natural inclination to move in sync with the music can manifest in facial expressions.
Sensory Overload: When the auditory experience is exceptionally good, it can overwhelm the senses, leading to a spontaneous and exaggerated reaction like the stank face.
Cultural Influence: In some music cultures, the stank face might be seen as a sign of appreciation or respect for the music. It can also be influenced by the behavior of peers or audience members.
Personal Taste: Different people may have varying thresholds for what they consider exceptionally good music. The stank face can be a reflection of an individual's personal taste and their particular sensitivity to certain musical elements.
Overall, the stank face is a testament to the power of music to evoke strong, immediate, and physical reactions. It's a manifestation of the pleasure and excitement that people derive from listening to music that resonates with them on a deep level.
When something is so wondrously good and dominating that one immediately purges previous stank & disgust