# Never Been Kissed. Yeah, right. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297 "2003-11-26T01:47:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/21 "2003-11-26T15:38:09Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Justin\_Bailey_ > But to try to pass Rachael Leigh Cook off as anything but a goddess is insulting to viewers. It’s not like she was a newcomer either. She did that anti-drug commercial where she was wearing that pasted on white t-shirt and smashed up a kitchen with a frying pan. Every guy I know could instantly recognize her after that regardless of what she was wearing. You don’t need to tell me how hot Rechel Leigh Cook is. I know, she’s beautiful. That’s why, when we see her all geeked up, we can say to the guy, “you’re missing something here,” and when he finally does see her charms, we can say “told you so, you lucky bastard.” If the character was played by someone we felt indifferent about, or, worse, that we found completely unattractive, we wouldn’t be able to relate. For instance, this was a (small) problem I found in the BBC adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_. Jane is meant to be a stunning beauty, but I thought the actress that played Jane was very unattractive. It slightly diminished the drama for me, because I couldn’t relate to the other characters, who found Jane very attractive. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/22 "2003-11-26T15:44:07Z")
See, this is why I prefer [Shallow Hal](http://home.netcom.com/~rogermw/ShallowHal.html). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/23 "2003-11-26T16:25:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Justin\_Bailey \* > \*\*But to try to pass Rachael Leigh Cook off as anything but a goddess is insulting to viewers. It’s not like she was a newcomer either. She did that anti-drug commercial where she was wearing that pasted on white t-shirt and smashed up a kitchen with a frying pan. Every guy I know could instantly recognize her after that regardless of what she was wearing. \*\* That was Rachel Leigh Cooke? I had no idea. I remember thinking the girl in that commercial was smokin’, but I had no idea who it was. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/24 "2003-11-26T16:34:12Z")
In the George-Bailey-never-was-born alternate version of reality, babealicious Donna Reed is a homely spinster librarian. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/25 "2003-11-26T19:03:01Z")
In my opinion, one actress who really pulls off the ugly-hot chick well is [Julia Stiles](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0005466/). But she really sells the tomboy attitude approach where there is a lot of sarcasm and scornful looks flying around. See _Ten Things I Hate About You_ as a reference. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/26 "2003-11-26T19:08:50Z")
I can’t believe that no-one has mentioned _The Truth About Cats and Dogs_ yet. Janeane Garafolo is Hollywood’s idea of homely? :rolleyes: I mean Uma Thurman is good-looking enough, but her character’s personality in that movie is enough to make J.G. look fantastic by comparison (and I think she’s pretty good-looking to begin with). ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/27 "2003-11-26T19:35:12Z")
I didn’t get kissed until I was 19, and that was due to dumb luck and Christian Bros. brandy. The next time I kissed someone after that was when I was 21, and I’m not that bad looking guy, I was just very insecure. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/28 "2003-11-26T21:53:51Z")
**gex gex** - I believe I read something about the adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_ which mentioned that the person they used to play Jane would’ve been considered extremely attractive during that time period. Styles change. If you consider the period portraits to see the ideal beauty, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Besides, as far as Jane was concerned, a large part of her attractiveness was also her sweet, biddable temperment, much desired in a wife. She was neither sharp, as Miss Elizabeth Bennett was; nor flighty, as Misses Lydia and Kitty were; and she wasn’t the plain, prudish bookworm that Miss Mary Bennett was. She was, for that time, the ideal woman. StG ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/29 "2003-11-27T01:03:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AwSnappity \* > \*\*I know a fair amount of people who have made it past their teenage years and haven’t been kissed yet. It’s not totally improbable. > > \*\* _raises hand_ I don’t know if it has to do with my looks (I hope I’m not ugly, but I don’t know if I could judge that-I think I’m okay). I do know it has a LOT to do with the fact that in real life, I’m incredibly shy, especially around the opposite sex. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/30 "2003-11-27T04:40:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MisterThyristor \* > \*\*I can’t believe that no-one has mentioned _The Truth About Cats and Dogs_ yet. Janeane Garafolo is Hollywood’s idea of homely? :rolleyes: I mean Uma Thurman is good-looking enough, but her character’s personality in that movie is enough to make J.G. look fantastic by comparison (and I think she’s pretty good-looking to begin with). \*\* I was gonna say that. I remember going to see the movie when it came out and thinking that Janeane Garafolo was immensely more attractive in that movie than Uma Thurman. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/31 "2003-11-27T04:54:56Z")
The most unbelievable thing to me in _Never Been Kissed_ was that the most junior copy editor on the newspaper has her very own executive assistant. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/32 "2003-11-27T16:38:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > \*\*I didn’t get kissed until I was 19, and that was due to dumb luck and Christian Bros. brandy. The next time I kissed someone after that was when I was 21, and I’m not that bad looking guy, I was just very insecure. \*\* Yeah, but that doesn’t count, 'cause you’re a guy. People only care if a **gal** doesn’t get kissed as a teen-ager. You see, women who are romantically unsuccessful are a great weepy tragedy worthy of national attention, but men who are romantically unsuccessful are just comic sidekicks to be laughed at and scorned. Not that I’m bitter. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/33 "2003-11-27T18:21:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*Like Drew Barrymore made it into her twenties without ever being kissed. It reminded me of Emma Watson in Harry Potter or Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets. Watson is not goofy looking and Helen couldn’t be frumpy if she tried. \*\* Not getting kissed probably has more to do with personality than with looks. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297/34 "2003-11-30T15:26:06Z")
Or how about Jami Gertz (as Gilda Radner) fretting about her unattractiveness? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-been-kissed-yeah-right/215297.md?page=1)