I have never understood the compulsion some people feel to act as face police.

But, yes. It almost always seems to come the most aggravating people around us.

Maybe you should send him a polite email explaining the condescending and chauvinistic aspect of such requests. "I was just trying to be polite," is hardly an acceptable excuse. Ordering someone to govern their facial expressions according to his petty whim is not polite at all.