Smiley: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:23, 9 December 2024

A smiley is a stylized representation of a smiling face, commonly represented as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing a mouth. The smiley has become a universal symbol of happiness and is widely used in digital communication to convey positive emotions.

History[edit]

The concept of the smiley face can be traced back to the 1960s. The first known use of a smiley face was by Harvey Ball, an American graphic artist, who created the iconic yellow and black smiley face in 1963. Ball was commissioned by an insurance company to create a symbol that would boost employee morale. The design was simple yet effective, consisting of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc for a mouth.

In the 1970s, the smiley face gained popularity in popular culture, particularly in the United States. It was used in various forms of media and merchandise, becoming a symbol of the counterculture movement. The smiley face was further popularized by the "Have a Nice Day" slogan, which often accompanied the image.

Digital Evolution[edit]

With the advent of digital communication, the smiley face evolved into the emoticon and later the emoji. In the early days of the internet, users began using text-based representations of smiley faces, such as ":-)" to convey emotions in emails and online chats. These text-based emoticons were the precursors to the graphical emojis we use today.

In 1999, Shigetaka Kurita created the first set of 176 emojis for a Japanese mobile phone operator. These included a variety of facial expressions, including the smiley face. Emojis have since become an integral part of digital communication, allowing users to express a wide range of emotions and ideas quickly and effectively.

Cultural Impact[edit]

The smiley face has had a significant impact on popular culture and communication. It is recognized worldwide as a symbol of happiness and positivity. The smiley face has been used in advertising, fashion, and art, often as a symbol of optimism and goodwill.

In digital communication, smileys and emojis have transformed the way people express emotions. They provide a visual shorthand that can convey complex emotions and ideas in a simple and universally understood way. This has made them an essential tool in modern communication, bridging language barriers and enhancing the emotional tone of messages.

Legal and Trademark Issues[edit]

The smiley face has been the subject of various legal and trademark disputes. In 1971, French journalist Franklin Loufrani registered the smiley face as a trademark in France and later in other countries. Loufrani's company, SmileyWorld, has since licensed the smiley face for use in various products and services.

The trademarking of the smiley face has led to legal battles over its use, particularly in the context of digital communication and merchandising. Despite these disputes, the smiley face remains a widely used and recognized symbol.

Also see[edit]

Emoticons^[1] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A	B	C	D	E	F
U+1F60x	😀	😁	😂	😃	😄	😅	😆	😇	😈	😉	😊	😋	😌	😍	😎	😏
U+1F61x	😐	😑	😒	😓	😔	😕	😖	😗	😘	😙	😚	😛	😜	😝	😞	😟
U+1F62x	😠	😡	😢	😣	😤	😥	😦	😧	😨	😩	😪	😫	😬	😭	😮	😯
U+1F63x	😰	😱	😲	😳	😴	😵	😶	😷	😸	😹	😺	😻	😼	😽	😾	😿
U+1F64x	🙀	🙁	🙂	🙃	🙄	🙅	🙆	🙇	🙈	🙉	🙊	🙋	🙌	🙍	🙎	🙏
Notes 1.^ As of Unicode version 16.0

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[file:SmileyFace.png|thumb|SmileyFace]] [[file:SmileyFaceEmoticonExample.png|thumb|SmileyFaceEmoticonExample|left]] [[file:Sabritas_smiley_face.svg|thumb|Sabritas smiley face]] [[file:The_Billboard_1922-03-18-_Vol_34_Iss_11_(IA_sim_billboard_1922-03-18_34_11).pdf&page=28|thumb|The Billboard 1922-03-18- Vol 34 Iss 11 (IA sim billboard 1922-03-18 34 11)|left]]&page=28|left]] [[file:Authentic_Worcester-made_smiley_face,_Harvey_Ball.jpg|thumb|Authentic Worcester-made smiley face, Harvey Ball]] [[file:Codepage-437_(cropped).png|thumb|Codepage-437 (cropped)]] {{Short description|Graphical representation of a smiling face}}
+[[File:Smiley.svg|thumb]] [[File:SmileyFaceEmoticonExample.png|thumb]] [[File:Sabritas smiley face.svg|thumb]] [[File:Authentic Worcester-made smiley face, Harvey Ball.jpg|thumb]] {{Infobox smiley
-{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
+| name = Smiley
-{{Infobox symbol
+| type = Emoticon
-| title = Smiley
+| origin = 1960s
-| image =
+| uses = Communication, expression of emotions
-| caption =
-| unicode = U+263A ☺, U+263B ☻
-| related = [[Emoticon]], [[Emoji]]
 }}
-A '''smiley''' is a stylized representation of a smiling humanoid face, commonly depicted as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing the mouth. The smiley has become a part of popular culture and is used in various forms of communication, including [[text messaging]], [[email]], and [[social media]].
+A '''smiley''' is a stylized representation of a smiling face, commonly represented as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing a mouth. The smiley has become a universal symbol of happiness and is widely used in digital communication to convey positive emotions.
 ==History==
-The smiley face was first created in 1963 by [[Harvey Ball]], an American graphic artist. Ball was commissioned to create a symbol to boost the morale of employees at an insurance company. The design was simple, consisting of a yellow circle with two black dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth. This design quickly gained popularity and became a symbol of happiness and good will.
+The concept of the smiley face can be traced back to the 1960s. The first known use of a smiley face was by [[Harvey Ball]], an American graphic artist, who created the iconic yellow and black smiley face in 1963. Ball was commissioned by an insurance company to create a symbol that would boost employee morale. The design was simple yet effective, consisting of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc for a mouth.
-==Variants==
+In the 1970s, the smiley face gained popularity in popular culture, particularly in the United States. It was used in various forms of media and merchandise, becoming a symbol of the counterculture movement. The smiley face was further popularized by the "Have a Nice Day" slogan, which often accompanied the image.
-Over time, the smiley face has evolved into various forms, including:
-* [[Emoticon]]s: Text-based representations of facial expressions, such as :-) or :D.
+==Digital Evolution==
-* [[Emoji]]: Graphical representations used in digital communication, which include a wide range of facial expressions and other symbols.
+With the advent of digital communication, the smiley face evolved into the [[emoticon]] and later the [[emoji]]. In the early days of the internet, users began using text-based representations of smiley faces, such as ":-)" to convey emotions in emails and online chats. These text-based emoticons were the precursors to the graphical emojis we use today.
-* Animated smileys: Used in [[instant messaging]] and [[social media]] platforms to convey emotions more dynamically.
+In 1999, [[Shigetaka Kurita]] created the first set of 176 emojis for a Japanese mobile phone operator. These included a variety of facial expressions, including the smiley face. Emojis have since become an integral part of digital communication, allowing users to express a wide range of emotions and ideas quickly and effectively.
 ==Cultural Impact==
-The smiley face has had a significant impact on popular culture. It has been used in various media, including [[film]], [[television]], and [[advertising]]. The smiley has also been adopted by various subcultures and movements, such as the [[rave]] scene and [[acid house]] music.
+The smiley face has had a significant impact on popular culture and communication. It is recognized worldwide as a symbol of happiness and positivity. The smiley face has been used in advertising, fashion, and art, often as a symbol of optimism and goodwill.
+In digital communication, smileys and emojis have transformed the way people express emotions. They provide a visual shorthand that can convey complex emotions and ideas in a simple and universally understood way. This has made them an essential tool in modern communication, bridging language barriers and enhancing the emotional tone of messages.
+==Legal and Trademark Issues==
+The smiley face has been the subject of various legal and trademark disputes. In 1971, French journalist [[Franklin Loufrani]] registered the smiley face as a trademark in France and later in other countries. Loufrani's company, SmileyWorld, has since licensed the smiley face for use in various products and services.
-==Legal Issues==
+The trademarking of the smiley face has led to legal battles over its use, particularly in the context of digital communication and merchandising. Despite these disputes, the smiley face remains a widely used and recognized symbol.
-The smiley face has been the subject of various legal disputes over trademark rights. In the 1970s, French journalist [[Franklin Loufrani]] trademarked the smiley face in several countries, leading to legal battles over its use and ownership.
-==Related Pages==
+==Also see==
 * [[Emoticon]]
 * [[Emoji]]
 * [[Harvey Ball]]
-* [[Text messaging]]
+* [[Shigetaka Kurita]]
-* [[Social media]]
+* [[Digital communication]]
-* [[Instant messaging]]
-* [[Rave]]
+{{Emoticons}}
-* [[Acid house]]
+{{Communication}}
 [[Category:Symbols]]
-[[Category:Popular culture]]
+[[Category:Emoticons]]
-[[Category:1960s introductions]]
+[[Category:Digital communication]]
-[[Category:Graphic design]]
-{{symbol-stub}}