LOS ANGELES— Local woman Emma Collins, 32, is still grappling with the unsolicited feedback she received at a party last night, when a well-meaning acquaintance informed her that she “looks so much prettier when her mouth is closed.”

Collins, who was smiling and actively participating in the conversation, was stunned by the comment. “I just kind of froze,” she said, her face still frozen in a polite half-grin. “I wasn’t even saying anything. I was just listening. It wasn’t like I was giving a TED Talk on smile theory. But then… ‘you look better with your mouth closed.’ That was it.”

The remark came from Brad, a casual acquaintance known for his “refreshingly blunt” communication style, according to those in his social circle.

“He’s just being honest, you know?” said Rachel, a friend of Brad’s who was also at the party. “Some people think smiling too much makes you look desperate. So yeah, probably for Emma’s own good, Brad told her that shutting her mouth would really help.”

Still processing the comment, Collins now feels unsure about her entire social persona. “Do I have to just stand there with my mouth shut at all times? Are people going to think I’m angry or sad now?”

Collins pauses and wonders why did she pay so much for her braces when she can just hide her teeth.

Brad, being both direct and thoughtless, has already moved on to sharing his honest thoughts with someone else on their “interesting shoe choices”.