It seems to me that even a static photograph can freeze the emotional state and present it to the viewer, who could then make use of that innate ability I am referring to. Perhaps an evolutionary instinct has developed to help humans identify the anti-social types among them, based upon expression. And perhaps criminals, even those who are brash about their lives of crime, can not help but express the reality that they are anti-social on their faces.

I don't know if I am remembering now this particular Slate article or something else I've recently read, but there are studies wherein people have been able to identify homosexual men quite consistently by just seeing photographs. I have noticed too that I can "see" gayness on a man's face by just looking at their face, not their dress, mannerisms, speech, etc. and that has been borne out later than I am correct.

And I have also been able to identify people from foreign countries by just looking at the face and expressions. For instance, I can often identify a European by just his or her face, and differentiate him from a guy born and bred in Los Angeles.

All to say that I believe a lot of cultural baggage is lugged around by the face, from criminal culture, to gay culture, to national origina. And I suspect that people are reading that, rather than physical characteristics per se.