Okay, what’s the deal with celebrity mug shots? It seems as though it’s become some sort of right of passage for today’s Hollywood celebs to display at one time or another an incredible lack of sound judgment, and manage to have their weakest hour documented for the ages in some horrific mug shot.
Back in the day, any self-respecting celebrity still looked the part, brushes with the law or not. Witness none other than Frank Sinatra, who’s dapper appearance is proudly on display in this 1938 photo taken in Bergen County, New Jersey.
In defense of the modern-day celebrity, however, and to offer an exception to the rule, I present Mel Gibson, shown here in July, 2006 following his infamous slur-spewing DUI arrest. Gibson, who’s probably never looked bad a day in his life, offers proof positive that not even an inebriation-filled all-nighter can chip away at his movie-star looks.
But, it’s a different story altogether these days more often than not. Who can forget Mickey Rourke’s dramatic fall from grace in November, 2007? Rourke was arrested in Miami, Florida for DUI following alleged shenanigans on his Vespa scooter. Those are some hard miles on display, right there.
Without question, however, the all-time gold standard in celebrity mug shots belongs to Nick Nolte, captured in spectacular fashion in this 2002 photo by the California Highway Patrol following a DUI arrest.
Which brings us to a mug shot much closer to home: that of our dog, Lizzie. Granted, Lizzie’s mug shot was not taken after a long night of binge drinking, nor is it the product of any other sort of criminal mischief. Rather, it’s the mug shot taken by her veterinarian, as those of that profession are apt to do these days to supplement the files of their patients. And each time we check Lizzie out after an office visit, we’re presented with her “report card,” which includes this snippet emblazoned across the top:
Lizzie falls short of Nick Nolte's spectacular effort by the slimmest of margins.
Perhaps only Chris and I as Lizzie’s “management” can truly appreciate this photo, but, rest assured, it cracks each of us up every time we see it. It reveals so much about her: note the slightly suspicious and paranoid gaze, the disheveled beard, the blurry muzzle. Blurry because she can barely sit still for a nano-second as it is, and the poor thing associates any sort of flashing light with lightning, of which she possesses a deathly fear. Shove a camera in her face and fire the flash, and well, the results speak for themselves. The Nolte-esque tousled locks atop her head seal the deal. Nice touch, Lizzie, if I do say so myself.
Lizzie in happier times.
~kp~
September 3, 2008 at 10:41 am
These two posts featuring Lizzie are hilarious. Why didn’t Ian take care of Lizzie while you were gone? Would Elle eat her?
September 3, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Apparently your dad decided to go out of town at the last minute, so Ian had to take care of Elle and your dad’s dogs instead. Elle doesn’t get along with ANY dogs, to put it mildly. He was able to pick Lizzie up Sunday evening, but he forgot his key to our place, so he had to drive back to Plano and then come back to drop her off.