# Three Men and a baby
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [April 14, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043 "2004-04-14T21:49:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bintang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bintang)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/1 "2004-04-14T21:49:16Z")
I have heard from many people the argument that the “child” in the background is actually a cardboard cut out of Ted Danson in the movie _Three Men and a Baby_ (URL: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mthreemen.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mthreemen.html)). One thing, however, doesn’t seem to make sense. The face and head in the background does not look like Ted Danson’s cutout. If you go the the website that suposedly debunks the myth it is clear that the cutout is waering a rather large top hat (incease the brightness of the picture to get a good look at it). Also, the cutout is to exact proportions of Danson, yet the figure in the window is much, much shorter. This might be that the “cutout” is at an angle but, to me, it doesn’t seem to be the case (at least not to make the image seem that much shorter). I’m not saying that it’s a ghost, but to me, it doesn’t look like the cutout.
On a side note, the “In the butt” line from _The Dating Game_ is true.
[http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/newlywed.htm](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/newlywed.htm)
Thanks,
Will Moog
Escondido, Ca
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/2 "2004-04-16T01:34:10Z")
When I first looked at the pictures, I didn’t think they looked the same, either. But after much effort to rotate the cutout and re-scale, they matched exactly. I’ll have to see if I still have the images lying around on my computer.
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### Author:  [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/3 "2004-04-17T05:32:11Z")
> [@bintang](#):
>
> One thing, however, doesn’t seem to make sense. The face and head in the background does not look like Ted Danson’s cutout. If you go the the website that suposedly debunks the myth it is clear that the cutout is waering a rather large top hat (incease the brightness of the picture to get a good look at it).
I don’t have a cite, but I remember reading that someone had just put a real hat on the cutout. (Something that I’ve seen many people do with cutouts or mannequins, etc.)
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### Author:  [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/4 "2004-04-17T05:48:17Z")
Its folded in half
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### Author:  [@bintang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bintang)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/5 "2004-04-19T22:44:14Z")
> [@rolandgunslinger](#):
>
> Its folded in half
I could believe the idea that the hat was a real hat put on the cutout. I doubt they folded it unless they meant to put it in the background to add some controversy, which makes no sense.
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### Author:  [@Cheesewhizrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesewhizrox)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/6 "2004-06-03T22:52:45Z")
Okay the cut- out of ted is completely different. I do not think the boy is a ghost, but it not the cut- out I saw on the link you gave me. The “boy” in the window has his right arm down while the cut- out clearly shows the right arm up and the cut-out is taller. Also the newly-wed rumor is true, they showed the footage on Vh1.
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### Author:  [@janniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janniel)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043/7 "2004-06-04T06:38:28Z")
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> [@bintang](#):
>
> I have heard from many people the argument that the “child” in the background is actually a cardboard cut out of Ted Danson in the movie _Three Men and a Baby_ (URL: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mthreemen.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mthreemen.html)). One thing, however, doesn’t seem to make sense. The face and head in the background does not look like Ted Danson’s cutout. If you go the the website that suposedly debunks the myth it is clear that the cutout is waering a rather large top hat (incease the brightness of the picture to get a good look at it). Also, the cutout is to exact proportions of Danson, yet the figure in the window is much, much shorter. This might be that the “cutout” is at an angle but, to me, it doesn’t seem to be the case (at least not to make the image seem that much shorter). I’m not saying that it’s a ghost, but to me, it doesn’t look like the cutout.
> On a side note, the “In the butt” line from _The Dating Game_ is true.
> [http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/newlywed.htm](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/newlywed.htm)
> Thanks,
> Will Moog
> Escondido, Ca
Absolutely! I saw it just the other night on “The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments”!