# Terrible photographs of otherwise handsome/photogenic "celebrities"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 5, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967 "2009-09-05T17:25:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/1 "2009-09-05T17:25:17Z")
With “celebrities” thus, so it can denote an actor, a politician, anyone well known to the public.
I was thinking the other day of the practice very prevalent in political commercials wherein one party will use the worst photograph imaginable of the opponent in their ads. Both parties do it; it is not something one only associates with conservatives or liberals, or any ideology.
But to expand it, let’s find the worst photographs of anyone in the public eye who is normally hailed as handsome or beautiful. Surely there’s a picture out there of Leonardo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet (just to name two examples off the top of my head) in which both were caught with an expression that was not becoming.
Lets see 'em.
Sir Rhosis
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/2 "2009-09-06T02:16:30Z")
Oh man I wish I could find this picture - my dentist has it in his office. It’s a before and after picture of George Clooney with and without his teeth capped from some dental trade magazine. The before picture he looks like a perfectly normal and respectable person and I swear to God the after picture makes him look like a horse. THAT is supposed to sell me caps?!?! It’s hideous!
I really hope there is a dentist on the board who has access to this photo who can scan it and provide a link.
ETA: found a gossip rag link: [http://www.starmagazine.com/george\_clooney\_teeth/news/14227](http://www.starmagazine.com/george_clooney_teeth/news/14227)
Talk about “long in the tooth!”
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/3 "2009-09-06T20:03:08Z")
Keira Knightly is insanely hot in movies, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a flattering still picture of her. I don’t have any specific examples in mind, though.
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/4 "2009-09-07T07:05:00Z")
That picture does not look bad to me. Your incisors are supposed to be longer than your molars. In the before pic, his teeth are worn down. The after fixed that. His teeth don’t look too long to me. The gumline raising, however, might be true, and that also contributes to tooth length appearance.
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### Author:  [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/5 "2009-09-07T10:04:23Z")
The “Marilyn Monroe” pictures of Lindsey Lohan. Both are beautiful women, but not interchangeable; the angles that flattered Marilyn beyond belief did Lindsey no favors. She was much better served by her first **Rolling Stone** and **GQ** spreads.
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/6 "2009-09-07T17:33:18Z")
> [@Irishman](#):
>
> In the before pic, his teeth are worn down.
I don’t dispute that, I just think the correction was WAY overexcessive. It probably looks fine alone but when you put the pictures side by side it looks so dorky.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/7 "2009-09-07T17:40:36Z")
Fergie from Black Eye Peas isn’t the most beautiful woman in entertainment but she is no where near as butt-ugly is she is in the magazine cover.
[http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go\_fug\_yourself/2005/07/fug-the-cover-uk-icosmopolit.html](http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2005/07/fug-the-cover-uk-icosmopolit.html)
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/8 "2009-09-07T18:12:42Z")
EWWWW! What did they do to her?!
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### Author:  [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/9 "2009-09-07T19:08:48Z")
The typical example I always give of this unfortunate phenomenon is Melanie Griffith.
She’s not BAD looking onscreen with the proper makeup, but nearly every still photo I’ve seen… yeesh.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/10 "2009-09-07T20:38:24Z")
Remember the mug shots of Mel Gibson and Mick Nolte? Worlds apart from what they look like on screen.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/11 "2009-09-08T00:50:30Z")
[Linda Hamilton](http://www.janetcharltonshollywood.com/linda-hamilton-has-a-cult-following/)
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/12 "2009-09-08T01:03:19Z")
OK, Linda Hamilton looks terrible there.
And it’s kind of the opposite of the OP, but do you remember Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who gained fame on Britain’s Got Talent? She was photographed for Harper’s Bazaar magazine and it’s amazing what a difference a good makeup job, hairdo, and good clothes make. The photos are [here](http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/susan-boyle-makeover-0909).
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/13 "2009-09-08T03:19:31Z")
OK, so what’s with the phone numbers instead of prices there? Are you supposed to call up all of those folks in New York to be told live that you can’t afford what she’s wearing, instead of just coming to that conclusion yourself without wasting some receptionist’s time?
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### Author:  [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/14 "2009-09-08T03:26:41Z")
Ok, granted she looks scary nowadays, but a few years ago when “the Madge formerly known as Madonna” was still kind of hot, [Out](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EHZsoUS6SIA/R9nvq0kXPeI/AAAAAAAAAE0/A81omOwjTPE/s1600-h/madge.jpg) magazine made her look like some kind of llama-woman escapee from the Island of Dr. Moreau.
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### Author:  [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/15 "2009-09-08T04:17:19Z")
> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> Fergie from Black Eye Peas isn’t the most beautiful woman in entertainment but she is no where near as butt-ugly is she is in the magazine cover.
>
> [http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go\_fug\_yourself/2005/07/fug-the-cover-uk-icosmopolit.html](http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2005/07/fug-the-cover-uk-icosmopolit.html)
Aaaaaaah! Kill it with fire!
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### Author:  [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/16 "2009-09-08T06:48:42Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#):
>
> Ok, granted she looks scary nowadays, but a few years ago when “the Madge formerly known as Madonna” was still kind of hot, [Out](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EHZsoUS6SIA/R9nvq0kXPeI/AAAAAAAAAE0/A81omOwjTPE/s1600-h/madge.jpg) magazine made her look like some kind of llama-woman escapee from the Island of Dr. Moreau.
What. In the HELL. Is THAT?!?!?!
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/17 "2009-09-08T07:08:45Z")
I actually like that Madge pic. It looks manip’d somehow, but it’s a pretty sort of deformed.
And the Fergie pic is OK, if a bit awkward from a photo editing standpoint. **She** doesn’t look so bad.
Linda Hamilton looks all right for her age.
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### Author:  [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/18 "2009-09-08T11:24:30Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#):
>
> Ok, granted she looks scary nowadays, but a few years ago when “the Madge formerly known as Madonna” was still kind of hot, [Out](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EHZsoUS6SIA/R9nvq0kXPeI/AAAAAAAAAE0/A81omOwjTPE/s1600-h/madge.jpg) magazine made her look like some kind of llama-woman escapee from the Island of Dr. Moreau.
Nuke it from orbit.
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### Author:  [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/19 "2009-09-08T13:49:33Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#):
>
> Ok, granted she looks scary nowadays, but a few years ago when “the Madge formerly known as Madonna” was still kind of hot, [Out](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EHZsoUS6SIA/R9nvq0kXPeI/AAAAAAAAAE0/A81omOwjTPE/s1600-h/madge.jpg) magazine made her look like some kind of llama-woman escapee from the Island of Dr. Moreau.
As if the picture wasn’t enough by itself (somebody turned Photoshop to 11, didn’t they?), your comment made me laugh like an idiot, which I really needed this morning.
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-photographs-of-otherwise-handsome-photogenic-celebrities/508967/20 "2009-09-08T14:58:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> OK, so what’s with the phone numbers instead of prices there? Are you supposed to call up all of those folks in New York to be told live that you can’t afford what she’s wearing, instead of just coming to that conclusion yourself without wasting some receptionist’s time?
That’s “price available upon request”, as in “if you have to ask…”
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