# I wonder if the folks who watched this in the 70's were as distracted by her teeth... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682 "2009-04-02T03:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/1 "2009-04-02T03:52:01Z")
Saw the **Mamma Mia!** show on Sunday (stunning!) and was poking around trying to find out just how old those songs really were… …and I found this ABBA [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY57jGNCN8Q) from the era. The music is great and the 70’s look was cool, but then they zoomed in on her teeth for the words “Mamma Mia!” at 0:55 and showed her imperfect bottom teeth. Not a horrible snaggle-tooth smile, but something I didn’t expect to see in a performer; it kind of grabbed my attention. Does it seem surprising to you as well when compared to contemporary artists? (btw, the title track was released on the album **ABBA** in 1976) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/2 "2009-04-02T03:59:10Z")
Um, no, Way Back When we didn’t expect perfection. A lot of us old farts STILL prefer breasts without silicone implants, too. And pubic hair. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/3 "2009-04-02T04:31:08Z")
What are the minute marks for the breasts and pubic hair? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/4 "2009-04-02T04:33:23Z")
They ain’t there, but we can imagine hot Swedish poontang. (This is ABBA?) Okay, CUTE Swedish poontang. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/5 "2009-04-02T06:53:51Z")
You know, I do concider some celebrities of yesterday sometimes and wonder if they would have the slightest chance today. Janis Joplin? Mama Cass? Recognised musicians for sure. But would they get a foot in the business? Freddie Mercury is a bit of a sex icon, but he’s got really funny teeth as well. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/6 "2009-04-02T07:30:41Z")
What, one dropped incisor? That’s kind of cute, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/7 "2009-04-02T07:51:21Z")
Two words: [Shane McGowan](http://heystupid.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/shane-macgowan.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/8 "2009-04-02T09:41:42Z")
I watched her often and the teeth were never a problem. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/9 "2009-04-02T10:22:25Z")
To answer the OP, no. No-one had a problem with the teeth. Or anything else. You’re referring to _Anni-Frid Lyngstad_ at the height of ABBA’s success. If her looks are a problem, that’s the kind of problem I wish we had more of. Now I think I’ll go and watch the video again. And again. ---
**Author:** ![Huvudtvatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Huvudtvatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huvudtvatt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/10 "2009-04-02T10:41:30Z")
I thought you were going to link to the other girl, Agnetha. She used to have a big gap between her front teeth, but had it fixed. You can see it in pictures from her solo career in the sixties, like here: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PwqKl2yJuWI/hqdefault.jpg "Agnetha Fältskog - Zigenarvän") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwqKl2yJuWI) ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/11 "2009-04-02T11:11:56Z")
I don’t think I was so surprised that her teeth were like that as I was that they would focus so closely on her mouth for the video. I mean, if an artist’s teeth aren’t her most perfect attribute, wouldn’t the film maker choose different scenes and angles? I like this video; they seem more human, real, and less plastic. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/12 "2009-04-02T11:39:46Z")
I f ya notice her teeth in this video [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SuB8xWeA59I/hqdefault.jpg "take a chance on me") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuB8xWeA59I) Im sorry. Hottest she ever looked(specially round :48 and :2;00) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/13 "2009-04-02T11:54:06Z")
As to if someone could be famous today with such a dental defect, may I introduce Jewel? ---
**Author:** ![Huvudtvatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Huvudtvatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huvudtvatt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/14 "2009-04-02T11:56:43Z")
I think you need to put things in perspective here. The video was made in 1975. At that time in Sweden, the politically correct thing would have been to make songs about social injustice, against the Vietnam war or violations of human rights in Chile. Instead, ABBA make a happy silly song, and produces a promotional film like this to help sell more records. They were already the height of commersialism in Sweden, and were widely criticized for that. One of the guys who used to make videos for ABBA has said that they got the job because nobody else wanted it, they were considered sell-outs among Swedish media people. A small imperfection like the one you mention would hardly be noticed. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/15 "2009-04-02T12:43:42Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > As to if someone could be famous today with such a dental defect, may I introduce Jewel? And have you met [Madonna](http://blog.syracuse.com/shelflife/madonna.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/16 "2009-04-02T13:20:51Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > And have you met [Madonna](http://blog.syracuse.com/shelflife/madonna.jpg)? You’re kidding, right? I think I might need a microscope for that one. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/17 "2009-04-02T13:38:36Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > You know, I do concider some celebrities of yesterday sometimes and wonder if they would have the slightest chance today. Janis Joplin? Mama Cass? Recognised musicians for sure. But would they get a foot in the business? Freddie Mercury is a bit of a sex icon, but he’s got really funny teeth as well. I have to think that people like Joplin and Cass, today, would be put through some kind of image boot camp before their label ever let the public lay eyes on them. After that, who knows. Amy Winehouse literally looks like the walking dead most of the time, and she’s famous and popular. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/18 "2009-04-02T13:43:39Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I have to think that people like Joplin and Cass, today, would be put through some kind of image boot camp before their label ever let the public lay eyes on them. > > After that, who knows. Amy Winehouse literally looks like the walking dead most of the time, and she’s famous and popular. Do you really think they would have stood for that? I can’t believe Joplin could have been anything less than she was. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/19 "2009-04-02T14:06:32Z")
Lots of sexy entertainers have had odd features. Bushy eyebrows (Mariel Hemingway, Brooke Shields), gap teeth (Laura San Giacomo), mustaches (Elizabeth McGovern), Moles (Cindy Crawford, Madonna), prominent noses (Cher, Barbra Streisand) and worse. I’ve always thought that Carmen Electra’s career has been held back because she doesn’t have any distinctive physical flaws I can hang my hat on (Her appalling taste in men isn’t a physical flaw). Put it this way: If Mort Drucker can’t draw a caricature of you, you won’t get skewered in **MAD** Magazine and your career will suffer accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682/20 "2009-04-02T15:23:50Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > You’re kidding, right? > > I think I might need a microscope for that one. Well, I may be more critical of this particular thing having had a very large space between my front teeth as a child, but when I look at her face it’s just about all I see. I don’t neccessarily find her unattractive, but I do find the space quite prominent. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-if-the-folks-who-watched-this-in-the-70s-were-as-distracted-by-her-teeth/491682.md?page=2)