The Ugly Club

[Thom Little]

The ugly are seeking refuge from a hostile world in a German club specially founded to cater for their needs and allay their anxieties.

Hamburg's Ugly Club requires of its members only that they identify the one thing about themselves that they are most unhappy about. Stomachs are at the top of the list, followed by noses and hips. Harald Gasper, a creative director in an advertising agency with a jowly face and a big nose, established the club with his wife Regina, a tall journalist with big feet.

"We're tired of the idea that you have to be beautiful to get on in life, that beauty equals social power, and beautiful people earn more and get promoted quicker," Mr Gasper, 41, said. "We're not saying that ugly people are the best. But by coming together we hope to show that we too have something to offer and that the world doesn't just belong to beautiful people."

"Ugly People of the World Unite", is the unofficial motto of the club, which has 270 members. Among the club's role models are Angela Merkel, the new German chancellor, whose own lack of regard for her looks has attracted much criticism, the Duchess of Cornwall and the singer, Janis Joplin.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/16/wugly16.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/12/16/ixworld.html

[ET Awful]

1. Janis Joplin? She could look very un-ugly when she wanted to

She looked pretty rough while performing and in the later years, but I've seen many pictures where she looked freakin' awesome :P

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. Ain't no way this is ugly

[hfojvt]

3. maybe when they said "ugly" they were talking about

her "singing" voice :hide:

[redqueen]

5. Why you little!

:spank:

[hfojvt]

6. oh no!!

"Baby, down on me, oh, down on me, all right,
It looks like everybody I said in this whole round world, aaah!
Down on me.
Oh yeah yeah! ...
All right, all right,
Believe in your brother, faith in man,
Help each other, honey, if you can
Because it looks like everybody in this whole round world,
Everywhere I go! Is down on me, oh yeah.

Down on me, hey, down on me, all right,
It looks like everybody in this whole round world
Down on me, yeah hey!"

[redqueen]

11. God how I love watching her live performances.

:bounce:

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Janis' voice had more soul, more guts, more passion

than the voices of a million mere mortals. I'll take that over some squeaky-clean Karen Carpenter stuff any day.

HELL, yeah!

:hippie:

[hfojvt]

9. well that's a dirty old shame

"Like sailin' on a sailin' ship to nowhere
Love took over my heart like an ocean breeze
As seagulls fly I knew that I was losin'
Love was washed away with the driftin' tide
Oh it's a dirty old shame
When all you get from love is a love song
That's got you layin' up nights
Just waitin' for the music to start
It's such a dirty old shame
When you got to take the blame for a love song
Because the best love songs are written
With a broken heart"

[ET Awful]

16. Sittin' down by my window, lookin' out at the rain.

Just sittin' down by my window, lookin' out at the rain.
Somethin' came along, grabbed ahold of me
And it felt like a ball and chain
You know how it is when it's way too heavy and you just can't hold it. . .


I believe it was Dave Crosby who said "To have heard Janis sing Ball and Chain live one time was to have been laid lovingly and well." :9

[redqueen]

4. But didn't *she* think she was ugly?

I really identified with her growing up...

[ForrestGump]

8. "I would never join a club that would have me as a member"

- Groucho Marx

[livetohike]

10. Janis laughing

I loved Janis. She had more passion in her voice than any living female vocalist today. She wasn't just singing words, she was living them.

[ET Awful]

17. Indeed, and she had one of the most infections laughs I've ever heard

Yup, it WAS kind of a cackle, but it was definitely infectious :)

[Dangerously Amused]

12. Present, sir.

:hi:


Huh? Oh... I thought you were taking roll call.

Never mind.


:yoiks:

[ForrestGump]

13. Hey! None of the Beautiful People allowed here!

:P

[Dangerously Amused]

14. Getcher darn tootin' doggone handsome self out, then.

Hypocrite!

[ForrestGump]

15. Oh. Good point.

Let's go off and be beautiful together. :D


How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful
People

[Dangerously Amused]

18. Oh, do let's!

:7


Walk this way...

[ForrestGump]

19. Soitenly...let me

loosen my pants first. :o

[Dangerously Amused]

21. Please, allow me.

:evilgrin:

[ForrestGump]

22. Soitenly.

:P

Now...my turn.





(cue saxophone music)

PUSH IN to reveal fireplace with roaring fire...

FADE.

[Dangerously Amused]

23. Sssssmooookin'!

=whew= Is it getting hot in here?!

[ForrestGump]

24. Yes. I think it is.

:o


Perhaps we should deploy the firehose...

[Dangerously Amused]

25. Capitol idea!

I'll hold it, you pump.


:7

[ForrestGump]

26. :o

:rofl:

All right...but be very, very careful...you don't want this to go off in your...


Hey. What are you people looking at?

[MrScorpio]

20. I wonder if they'll help me get a better job

Sure, I'll sign up!