# They've Found Her!!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950 "2002-03-12T23:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/21 "2002-03-13T13:46:52Z")
Chalk up another reader who thought-hoped-that this was about Chandra Levy. Are they ever going to find that poor woman? Aren’t we nearing the year mark in a few months? ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/22 "2002-03-13T13:49:31Z")
Oh boy, thanks for that…put me down as another who’s always wondered about her, particularly in the past 6 months. I was about 12 or 13 when that issue came out. I remember pulling our copy of National Geographic out of the mailbox and sliding it out of the paper sleeve, only to drop it in shock at these **eyes** staring back at me. Scared the bejeebers outta me, but as time went on, I thought about what must have been going through her mind at that time… ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/23 "2002-03-13T14:52:58Z")
Anybody else think the “after” photo is just a very poor photo? The lighting is very flat, almost as if it was taken using an on-camera flash of a point&shoot camera. Compare it to the lighting of the original photo. It takes more than a good model to take a good photo. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/24 "2002-03-13T15:02:14Z")
By the way, the magazine hits the stands this weekend, and there will be a special on MSNBC this Friday at 9 PM ET. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/25 "2002-03-13T21:13:28Z")
Here’s a [link](http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/mar/girl/index.html) to the NPR story. Apparently, she’s going to be doing quite well thanks to _National Geographic_. One of the things that _National Geographic_ is going to be paying for her and her family to make a trip to Mecca next year. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/26 "2002-03-13T22:03:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scr4 \* > \*\*Anybody else think the “after” photo is just a very poor photo? The lighting is very flat, almost as if it was taken using an on-camera flash of a point&shoot camera. Compare it to the lighting of the original photo. It takes more than a good model to take a good photo. \*\* I agree with this. At first, I didn’t even think the pictures looked like the same person all that much. The young girl has a _very_ distinctive face. The present day woman looks like her nose and mouth are different, not to mention the eyes. Since I doubt Afghanistan has a very developed cosmetic surgery industry, I’d chalk it up to bad/low lighting. That, and 17 years of constant warfare and oppression have no doubt taken their toll on the poor woman. ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/27 "2002-03-13T22:56:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jk1245 \* > I agree with this. At first, I didn’t even think the pictures looked like the same person all that much. The young girl has a _very_ distinctive face. The present day woman looks like her nose and mouth are different, not to mention the eyes. Really? The nose might look different, but then I was under the impression that the nose, ears grow throughout life… could be wrong. The lips look the same to me, just paler, and the same with the eyes… the look in her left eye in each picture clinched it for me. As for the rest, I agree that living in Afghanistan for so many years can take a toll on one’s youthful beauty. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/28 "2002-03-13T23:52:08Z")
you never forget eyes like that. it was interesting to hear that her brother has the same eyes. as for the difference in looks. i would think that years of not having light on your face might make things a bit paler. she has been living under a burqua for quite some time. just lifting it for this photo. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/29 "2002-03-14T19:00:14Z")
Amazing stuff! ---
**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:** [March 14, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/30 "2002-03-14T22:46:05Z")
It’s always very interesting to find out about the individuals behind strongly iconic images, isn’t it? It was a little less mysterious and involved, but I remember being fascinated, when I was younger, to read about Kim Phuc, the naked girl fleeing her napalmed village in the famous photo from the Vietnam War. She lives in Toronto, IIRC, and I believe she’s now a goodwill ambassador or something of the sort. At any rate, I’m glad to hear that some of the offshoots from the photographs will be used to benefit people in her situation. I read where Nat. Geo. said that the image on the original cover had inspired a great number of people to donate to charity. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/31 "2002-03-15T02:09:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zyada \* > \*\*Well, I think she’s beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. I’m glad she’s getting some of the money from the photo, and that some is going to help the Afghani women. > > But I really posted to say: Tuckerfan, Wow! You put what I wrote in your sig - I am so honored! \*\* Oh, **Zyada** , I’m honored by what you said (and it so perfectly describes my life that I just had to use it!). ---
**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:** [March 15, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950/32 "2002-03-15T02:14:35Z")
For those commenting on the poor quality of the ‘new’ picture, it seems that when Ms. Gula was rediscovered, she was reluctant to see any of the male photographers, so the photo was taken by a female production director (who I assume wasn’t a professional photographer). The subsequent photos, which were taken by the professional photographers, are better in quality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-found-her/97950.md?page=1)