'iPhone face' explained as raunchy new Netflix series leaves people with complaints
A brand-new, and incredibly steamy, new series has just landed on Netflix and it's already reached No. 1 in the Top 10 Series in the UK Today rundown.
The eight-part series in question, which is set in the late 1800s in Dublin, stars a bunch of familiar faces, including Derry Girls' Anthony Boyle, Enola Holmes' Louis Partridge, Happy Valley's James Norton, Game of Thrones' Jack Gleeson, Everything Now's Niamh McCormack, The Responder's Emily Fairn and Lakelands star Danielle Galligan.
The new series, which came out just a matter of days ago (25 September), follows the Guinness family following the death of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness. As the series progresses, Netflix viewers soon unravel each of his four children's multitudes of dark secrets they've been trying to hide as they power on as a very dysfunctional unit of four, holding the brewery's fate in their hands.
Now, amidst all the praise for the steamy beer-soaked romp, which features an avalanche of X-rated scenes you'd expect to see in any spicy period drama, is some major criticism over what some viewers have dubbed 'iPhone face'.
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This phenomenon, in short, describes how modern beauty standards have infiltrated historical period dramas.
Explaining the thought process behind this neat little phrase, Veth Johnson, Professor of Television and Media at the University of Leeds, told the Standard: "Audiences are smart and can be quick to notice details that register as contemporary, like the evenness of teeth, the smoothness of skin, the styling of brows and lips.
"With high-definition and streaming platforms, these signals are more visible than ever, and they can make the 'past' appear filtered through a distinctly 2020s aesthetic."
Basically, it's when the celebrity doesn't fit the era - something that many Netflix viewers think is the case for this sultry series in question, which is, if you hadn't already guessed it, House of Guinness.
Take a look at the official trailer here:
Comparing two of the show's characters, one X user hit out: "Sorry but House of Guinness is giving us the perfect example of an iPhone face. One feels like they belong in that time period, while the other looks too modern and unrealistic."
"I cannot watch the House of Guinness because there’s too much iPhone face for me to try and look past," slammed a second, while another declared: "I don't usually believe iPhone face is a real thing, but there is a case so egregious in House of Guinness it's actually crazy."
And a final X user chimed in: "Btw I like Louis Patridge as an actor but my boy has a severe case of iPhone face, I mean you can't convince me Mr Edward Guinness hasn't played Fortnite as a kid."
Others, however, couldn't disagree more.
"Heads up, someone from the 1800s isn't alive to act sorry," defended one TikTok user when speaking about McCormack's character, Ellen Cochrane.
A second piped up: "She doesn't strike me as iPhone face, she looks pretty typical Irish, I could see someone looking like that back then."
"No she is not iPhone face, I feel like she has his raw classic beauty and you can tell her features are natural."
"No, just because some of us have naturally big lips and sharp jaws doesn't make it iPhone face," commented another.
And a final TikToker echoed: "This issue is that this is the norm now and we're seeing plump lips, defined cheekbones and strong jaw everywhere!
"There were people with this bone structure, but the fact is that it is now the norm to have filler to make you look like this. But people do look like this naturally, and also did look [like this] 200 years ago.
"We're just bombarded with this as the standard!"
House of Guinness is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, Technology, iPhone, Apple, Social Media, Period Drama, Sex and Relationships
Rhiannon Ingle