# What exactly is the appeal of the skinny, skanky Olsen Twins at this point? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333 "2005-10-15T05:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/41 "2005-10-16T01:59:44Z")
> [@amaranta](#): > > I’ll settle it for you. I’ve always thought they had monkey faces, but frog lips. **Like Fronkeys. Or Mogs.** . . . Don’t make me say it. . . Fine! BAND NAME! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/42 "2005-10-16T02:31:52Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > The twins played Michelle, one child. I think there’s some sort of child labor law that says if you have a baby in a show, you can’t have the same baby playing the character all the time, which is why babies are usually played by similar-looking twins. The Olsens continued to play Michelle alternating between scenes even as they grew older, always credited “Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen” Which appears to be able to be interpreted as being either one person or two. The Olsens, now 18, have retired from show business, but watch over their empire, aptly named DualStar Entertainment, which they now head. They have signed twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse (currently starring in the Disney Channel series _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_, they also did an alternating role in _Big Daddy_) to a contract, with direct-to-video movies, clothing lines- basically everything the Olsens had, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/43 "2005-10-16T03:13:17Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > For the 10 millionth time–The Olsens are _fraternal_ (skinny, skanky) twins. Actually, [they’re triplets](http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29070). And you thought M-K and the other one were hideous. Still, I bet neither of them are the disease factory that Paris Hilton is. That girl is a walking Weapon of Mass Destruction, only she’s too zonked out to follow her orders and infect the members of world government so the Communists can take over. Such a disappointment for Castro. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/44 "2005-10-16T14:11:16Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > This is so embarassing, but they also did an episode where their Greek relatives come to visit, and one is a little girl who looked JUST LIKE MICHELLE, only with darker hair (obviously a wig). > > Oh, and identical or not (they’ve always been said to be fraternal), Mary-Kate is definitely dying her hair-it used to be the same color as Ashley’s. Also, at least once, either John Stamo or the non-funny-“comic”-who-“deflowered?”-Alanis\* had a dream in which two Baby Michelles walked in demanding to be fed & changed. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did tricks like that more than once. - I just remembered Dave Collier’s name, but the above appellation of him was too much fun to type. P.S. Not embarrassed at all to have watched “Full House” teenage DJ (Candace Cameron) was smokin’! The middle sis hasn’t grown up badly either! ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/45 "2005-10-16T18:31:00Z")
I saw a bit of a Full House rerun- I think it was the last episode- where Michelle was in a coma and her soul/spirit/whatever talked to her in a dream sequence- another example of using both Olsens. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/46 "2005-10-16T20:58:16Z")
I wonder if either of them watched _The Aristocrats_. ---
**Author:** ![Pensandfeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Pensandfeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pensandfeathers)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/47 "2005-10-17T09:02:51Z")
It takes a strong person to admit this. Full House was my favorite show when I was in 4th and 5th grade…I watched it religiously…I bet I’ve seen every episode (sans the last season). I don’t know why I liked it. I didn’t have a crush on anybody (not even Uncle Jesse), and I didn’t have an attachment to the Olsen twins or any other person on that show. I just really liked it. Hell, when I’m bored or sick or just lazy, I’ll still sit and watch the occasional episode on Nick @ Nite. As for why they’re still famous, I don’t know…I guess everyone loves a trainwreck. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/48 "2005-10-17T16:31:02Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > I think there’s some sort of child labor law that says if you have a baby in a show, you can’t have the same baby playing the character all the time, which is why babies are usually played by similar-looking twins. My understanding is that it’s about the laws regarding how long a child/baby is allowed to work, which apply to filmed media just the same as they apply to sacking groceries. If you’re only allowed to have a child work for two hours a day, you may not be able to get all of that kid’s scenes filmed in that time. So, the easiest thing to do is to have two similar-looking kids and swap them when the first kid’s time is up. Now you can devote four hours to filming instead of just two. Huzzah, the shooting schedule is saved! ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/49 "2005-10-17T17:46:33Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Fourth-hand account, so usual disclaimers apply: My brother Mark knows a woman (let’s call her Jenny) who claims that her younger sister (let’s call her Melissa) was invited to a birthday party for the Olsen twins in the early or mid-1990’s. As Jenny tells the story, the occasion was a pure photo op – for example, the guest list was calculated to include representatives of as many different races and ethnic backgrounds as was feasible. The invitees waited (increasingly impatiently) for Mary-Kate and Ashley to arrive, and were finally rewarded with a few minutes of posing for pictures taken by the “official” photographer. No outside cameras were permitted, and the “regular” guests were admonished to not speak to the stars unless addressed directly by one or both of them. Each invitee was assured that she’d be mailed a tape of the proceedings. Several years later, Melissa had still not received her promised souvenir. Yeah, well, first-hand account here, so no disclaimers are necessary: We had a Los Angeles “Dopefest” a few years ago at a Jerry’s Deli that was attached to a bowling alley (it’s since burned down) and Mary-Kate and Ashley were at the table next to us with about 8 or 10 friends. Throughout the entire evening the whole group was well-mannered and appeared to be having a genuinely great time enjoying each others’s company, laughing and having a ton of fun. No one posed for any pictures, staged or otherwise, and the girls actually spoke to all their friends – waddaya know! ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/50 "2005-10-17T17:48:41Z")
keep in mind that they arent just american famous, those girls are (or were) extremely popular world wide. I cant recall the last figure I saw but they are filthy rich and thanks to their parents being cool people they still have it all. it really doesnt surprise me that they have some issues, I think the real test is coming up, we will see how they do through their 20’s…holy crap, that sounds like I care or something. p.s. I always thought they looked like those trollie dolls, you know the ones with the bright colored Einstein style hair. thats exactly what they still remind me of. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333/51 "2005-10-17T17:49:58Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > - I just remembered Dave Collier’s name… Coulier, actually. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-appeal-of-the-skinny-skanky-olsen-twins-at-this-point/326333.md?page=2)