I've been watching the movies in the AFI Top 100 and one of them was the Manchurian Candidate. A character in the movie is a Korean servant. He's off on vacation over Christmas and the two people he works with have this conversation:

Man 1: (talking about why the servant didn't want to take the vacation) That's probably because he's a Buddhist and he doesn't celebrate Christmas.

Man 2: I don't think that Chunjin is a Buddhist. He smiles all the time.

Man 1: Oh, what a shame. I thought he was a Buddhist, or I would have sent him a Christmas card.

Isn't that odd, that they assume Buddhists never smile? When I think of Buddhists I think of them smiling! Where do these stereotypes come from?

It's odd to us isn't it - especially considering Thich Nhat Hanh is well-known for teaching a 'smiling meditation'! I think it is just the stereotype of the monk sitting alone stoically meditating. I think it also has to do with the the misunderstanding to 'detachment' that sometimes arises - that it is is about detaching from all emotion.

This puzzles me too. Perhaps it's the idea that spirituality is serious business? Certainly when I helped out a "Broomsticks" Pagan shop a lot of the Buddhists that came in didn't seem all that happy. Calm, yes. Happy...not so much. Considering the sense of humour of the Dalai Lama few seem to follow this aspect of the Path.

I do enjoy doing the Inner Smile technique for health- I think it shows appreciation to my physical form

The Dalai Lama is great. I love his smile.