# Scariest-looking public figures **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026 "2010-06-30T03:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/1 "2010-06-30T03:11:45Z")
It used to be Michael “I Feel Pretty” Jackson, hands down. But now he’s dead. Still, there are plenty of well-known people out their who, through no fault of their own, have a face that only a mother could not suspect of sacrificing puppies to Satan. Not that I normally know the faces of famous people. I can recognize the president, but that’s about the extent of my celebrity awareness. However, the guy I’m thinking of is well-known enough that even I know who he is. And in light of his job description, it really is ironic that he looks like he eats small children at midnight. [Behold the visage of terror](http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Technology/images-2/pope-benedict.jpg). Tell me he doesn’t look like he’s just been given thirty-to-life. Who’s your pick? [I do not normally talk about celebrities or make fun of people’s appearances. It’s just that this has been going through my mind lately and I need to share to make it go away. Don’t ask.] ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/2 "2010-06-30T03:16:52Z")
[This guy.](http://formaementis.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/stephen_harper_official_photo.jpg) Yes, okay, he’s my political arch-hate-object. I hate a lot of people’s politics, but I at least think they look like _human beings._ This, may I point out, is an _official portrait_. He himself actually _okayed_ a photograph that makes him looks like he lives entirely on the souls of unbaptized babies. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/3 "2010-06-30T03:40:43Z")
This really isn’t meant politically, I’m talking just pure appearances here. I gotta go with [Evil Cheney](http://shenews.projo.com/09/bush-cheney377.jpg) at the inauguration. The long white haired cat has temporarily jumped off his lap, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/4 "2010-06-30T03:42:24Z")
Gah! Matt, you really shouldn’t do that without spoilers. If anyone needs me I will be quivering in a corner, hiding and and shaking and saying “Help me Tommy Douglas, you’re my only hope.” Maybe I can smuggle a copy of the Canada Health Act out in these droids. ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/5 "2010-06-30T03:48:45Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > [This guy.](http://formaementis.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/stephen_harper_official_photo.jpg) Yes, okay, he’s my political arch-hate-object. I hate a lot of people’s politics, but I at least think they look like _human beings._ > > This, may I point out, is an _official portrait_. He himself actually _okayed_ a photograph that makes him looks like he lives entirely on the souls of unbaptized babies. Yeah, his official portraits really say “Warning - I’m going to be a smarmy asshole”. It’s bad when you make Jean Cretien look endearingly charming in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/6 "2010-06-30T03:57:17Z")
[James Carville](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/James_Carville_2.jpg) could easily pass for [Gollum.](http://www.strangepolitics.com/images/content/7700.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/7 "2010-06-30T04:10:19Z")
And then there is [Maria Shriver](http://web.acsalaska.net/~fmurtley/mariacruella.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/8 "2010-06-30T05:17:31Z")
Although I love his evil, perverted little heart, Gene Simmons scares me just a little bit. Dude, please keep the makeup on, just for me? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/9 "2010-06-30T05:28:27Z")
Another vote for the Pope here. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/10 "2010-06-30T05:30:46Z")
[This guy](http://www.utnieuws.utwente.nl/new/fotodb/1995/50/normaal_leeuw.gif) is a Government CEO and top-lawyer in the Netherlands. Also author of an collection of erotic short stories. Here’s [an Google image search](http://www.google.nl/images?q=doctors+van+leeuwen&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=XdUqTL61GeWjOOHd1bID&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDUQsAQwAw). So you see, he really is that ugly. And he apparently never even _tried_ to look less ugly. Perhaps he thought is was his trade mark look. It certainly made him stand out. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/11 "2010-06-30T05:56:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And then there is [Maria Shriver](http://web.acsalaska.net/~fmurtley/mariacruella.jpg). It is REALLY sad to see how thin she’s gotten. I don’t think she looks that bad in [these](http://gothamist.com/images/2003_10_mariaandarnold.jpg) pictures, but she’s really started to look haggard to me lately. Not that, of course, my opinion matters. And you knew I had to pick [this person](http://pinstripebindi.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/michele-bachmann-cuhrazy.jpg), right? The definition of scary-looking. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/12 "2010-06-30T06:48:00Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > [This guy](http://www.utnieuws.utwente.nl/new/fotodb/1995/50/normaal_leeuw.gif) is a Government CEO and top-lawyer in the Netherlands. Also author of an collection of erotic short stories. And ex-head of the AIVD (the Dutch “Secret Service”). ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/13 "2010-06-30T07:06:53Z")
Long live Pope Palpatine! Perhaps not the scariest-looking, but easily the most identifiable to an evil character. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/14 "2010-06-30T14:08:06Z")
These are scary, but I’ve gotta go with [Phil Spector](http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/spector-mug-shot.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/15 "2010-06-30T14:17:57Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Long live Pope Palpatine! Perhaps not the scariest-looking, but easily the most identifiable to an evil character. Funny, that’s what started my train of thought in the first place. My brother wanted to know why people on his message board were comparing the Pope to Palpatine, and so I had to show him the (ahem) palpable resemblance. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/16 "2010-06-30T14:32:59Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > [This guy](http://www.utnieuws.utwente.nl/new/fotodb/1995/50/normaal_leeuw.gif) is a Government CEO and top-lawyer in the Netherlands. Also author of an collection of erotic short stories. Very short stories, I’m guessing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/17 "2010-06-30T14:35:06Z")
I came in to say James Carville. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/18 "2010-06-30T14:44:41Z")
I actually went for a more glamorous shot of [Garrison Keillor](http://flcenterlitarts.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/garrison-keillor1jpg-567922b029de006f1.jpg) than I could have posted. Dude does not photograph well. Definitely a face for radio. (Shame his voice isn’t one for radio.) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/19 "2010-06-30T14:54:26Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Long live Pope Palpatine! Perhaps not the scariest-looking, but easily the most identifiable to an evil character. Senator Joe Lieberman [totally looks like Senator Palpatine](http://totallylookslike.com/2008/07/19/joe-lieberman/). Can I add ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich’s hair? Dude even had a brush codenamed “the football” that went with him at all times, and I’m frightened to think about how much he must have spent on hair products. That mop looked like he could have a small animal (or a wiretap) hidden in it without anyone knowing. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026/20 "2010-06-30T14:56:35Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > These are scary, but I’ve gotta go with [Phil Spector](http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/spector-mug-shot.jpg). Yikes! That is one scary looking chick. But has everyone forgotten [this](http://www.twolia.com/blogs/zoboxrox/files/2008/11/katherine_harris.jpg)? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scariest-looking-public-figures/545026.md?page=2)