# Natalie Portman: beautiful, pretty, hot, or not? (special superficial poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896 "2011-06-09T19:11:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/81 "2011-06-10T21:28:49Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Portman’s a Jewish name? \*[hijack] I don’t know IRL, but in Hollywood, the extension -man seems to always be attached to a Jewish actor. (Hoffman, Altman, Bergman, Berman, Feldman, Goldman, Silverman, etc) I know it’s a generalization, but it holds serve more often than not. It’s easier with “berg” or “stein” at the end, but even that’s not foolproof (see Goldberg, Whoopi) As far as the double ‘N’ vs. single “N” (portman vs portmann), I always thought the double “N” indicated german descent in the person’s background, not necessarily Jewish… although I have met at least one jewish person who’s last name was -mann, so I don’t know what the standard is. This is like the “sky” vs. “ski” ending for polish people and polish jews. Rule of thumb says that “sky” is jewish, while “ski” is polish. As a generalization, not an ironclad rule. There are always exceptions. [/hijack] \ ***SFP-steinbergski’s "Fun With Names! Game**" ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/82 "2011-06-10T22:42:14Z")
I always heard that as “-sky” is Russian, while “-ski” is Polish. Either could be Jewish or Gentile. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/83 "2011-06-11T00:24:26Z")
A few posters said that she acts like a diva. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen her act like a bitch, not that I follow Hollywood news all that closely though. That would disappoint me because from what I have seen, she seems fairly humble for being a movie star. Also I voted hot. I love her eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/84 "2011-06-11T01:39:43Z")
Saw an surprising piece of trivia in Entertainment Weekly. They had a little piece about Portman’s movies since _Black Swan_. They mentioned _The Other Woman_, which was made in 2009 but not theatrically released until this year. Its total domestic gross was $22,597. The weird thing is that the people who saw it apparently liked it - it got a very high approval rating. However, maybe that reflects the fact that probably the only people who saw it are dedicated fans of Portman (or her co-star Lisa Kudrow or writer/director Don Roos). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/85 "2011-06-11T01:47:35Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I don’t know IRL, but in Hollywood, the extension -man seems to always be attached to a Jewish actor. (Hoffman, Altman, Bergman, Berman, Feldman, Goldman, Silverman, etc) Altman? Bergman? If you’re talking about Robert Altman, he was a Catholic. Ingrid and Ingmar Bergman were Lutherans. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/86 "2011-06-11T01:55:24Z")
I never heard of it, so I decided to check out why it made such a small amount of money. They aren’t kidding when they say limited release. According to [BoxOfficeMojo](http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=otherwoman.htm), The Other Woman opened in 2 theaters, and in it’s 4 weeks was never in more than 9 theaters. I wonder why it took 2 years to get it released; it does have some big name actors in it (Portman and Kudrow). Guess it’s just one of those movies who couldn’t find a way to be seen. Or maybe it’s just bad. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/87 "2011-06-11T04:54:53Z")
Best I can guess is that they knew they had a dog but decided to try to ride some of the Black Swan publicity. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/88 "2011-06-11T05:39:40Z")
Funny thing is that it was the publicity that almost ruined Black Swan for me. It had a low budget feel, and if I had discovered it as part of a low profile limited release, I would have been raving about it the next day. But after hearing so much about it, including Portman’s Oscar nomination, my expectations were a lot higher than than they should have been. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/89 "2011-06-11T05:45:12Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I’m drinking the Portman-ade. By which I mean I wish I was Mila Kunis in _ **that scene** _. > > She’s got a mystical it-factor IMO. She’s smart as hell, talented, and adorable. I’ve loved her ever since Leon. And the fact that she did a Lonely Island song gives her 50k cool points in my book. Seeing as you are female, I guess she now qualifies as beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/90 "2011-06-11T07:04:25Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > [Currently she’s 8 months pregnant](http://www.popsugar.com/Pregnant-Natalie-Portman-Pictures-17039072?page=0,0,14#14), and looks to me more like she would bounce if she sat down too hard. 😛 She did have to get really skinny for her role in _Black Swan_, which is where she met her babydaddy. That is not Natalie Portman. I refuse to believe it. She looks almost…normal… in that picture. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/91 "2011-06-11T20:37:28Z")
Believe it, baby. She’s preggers. And I (sob) am not responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/92 "2011-06-12T01:49:38Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Believe it, baby. She’s preggers. And I (sob) am not responsible. You bastard! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/93 "2011-06-12T03:18:09Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > You bastard! 😃 You can’t hate me any more than I hate myself for not being the guy who did it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/94 "2011-06-12T18:01:17Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Believe it, baby. She’s preggers. And I (sob) am not responsible. I was going to save this for Yule, but do you want me to send over those Portman & Knightley hookerboots now? I’ve got two I need to unload, as due to a glitch in their programming they can only have sex in threeways. > [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > You bastard! 😃 I was going to crack wise that, technically, it’s the baby who’s the bastard, but I decided that would be unevolved. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/95 "2011-06-12T18:09:33Z")
I voted ‘Hot’ As long as she has her head shaved… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/96 "2011-06-12T18:19:48Z")
Y’know, **Skald** , you’re really generous with all of those hookerbots you keep sending out. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume that you had some ulterior motive for wanting your bots to be spread far and wide across the planet, in close proximity to particular people. And as it happens, I _don’t_ in fact know better. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/97 "2011-06-12T18:22:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Y’know, **Skald** , you’re really generous with all of those hookerbots you keep sending out. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume that you had some ulterior motive for wanting your bots to be spread far and wide across the planet, in close proximity to particular people. And as it happens, I _don’t_ in fact know better. Your suspicion wounds me, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/98 "2011-06-12T20:11:37Z")
This thread reminded me I need to catch up on the Natalie Portman [webcomic](http://www.natalieportman.com/npcom.asp?page_number=176&parentId=10025). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/99 "2011-06-13T02:20:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I was going to save this for Yule, but do you want me to send over those Portman & Knightley hookerboots now? I’ve got two I need to unload, as due to a glitch in their programming they can only have sex in threeways… Get thee behind me, **Skald**. Methinks the wife might object. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896/100 "2011-06-13T04:58:18Z")
I for one welcome our new (old?) sexbot overlords. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-portman-beautiful-pretty-hot-or-not-special-superficial-poll/584896.md?page=6)