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soul_candy · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:17 am Post subject: That sexy, crooked smile

Some of you may find this irrelevant, but it answers something I've been wondering about for a while, so stick with me. The appeal I see in Milo Ventimiglia's smile is that it's a little crooked. I think that without it he'd just end up being kind of pretty, but that quirk adds a bit of mischief to my eye.

I currently process health insurance claims for a living, and, while it's not the field I'm going into, I find learning about medical conditions to be very interesting and occasionally useful. When I run across a claim with a diagnosis that I'm unfamiliar with, I look it up online if I can spare the time. Today I ran across this:

Bell's palsy is a condition in which the main facial nerve malfunctions-- is generally paralyzed-- on one side of the face. It affects 1 in 65 people during their lifetime, and usually, but not always, recesses without treatment. The resulting facial appearance is called the "Bell's smile" (which I apparently find to be quite hot devil

). Milo was listed by wikipedia as a well-known person with Bell's palsy, along with Roger Ebert, John Travolta, Congressman Steve King, Sylvester Stallone, Senator John McCain, Canadian PM Jean Chretien, Ralpah Nader and Roseanne.

I feel like a piece of a puzzle just fell into place, and thought some of you might be interested.

slippy · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:31 pm Post subject:

I've seen this discussed all over the place. Milo has never had Bell's Palsy. He was born with some dead nerve endings, apparently, in his lower lip.

This condition is permanent and not related to Bell's Palsy in any way.

BHustonM · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:44 pm Post subject:

I concur with Slippy. Also I had heard that Sylvester Stallone (third bullet down) got his signature smile and voice because of forceps used at birth... you know the salad tong looking things that they used to help deliver babies.

Jormengrund · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:14 pm Post subject:

So what you're saying about Sly is that he looks and sounds the way he does because he got squished while coming out?

Geez.. that means that the older he gets, the worse it's going to sound!

soul_candy · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:18 pm Post subject:

Damn, I apologize. I googled this site for related content; I honestly don't look at other sites very much unless it's been linked here. And I thought I was bringing something new to the board...

Uh, that's very... unfortunate... about the forceps. I've always thought those things were just wrong.

BHustonM · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject:

Jormengrund · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject:

Or maybe it's the unannounced tremors, siezures and undetected strokes he's been suffering over the years from massive steroid abuse.

Who knows?

The forceps story certainly is better from the publicist angle to explain his quirks..

Payquage · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:58 am Post subject:

slippy · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 2:59 pm Post subject:

Lol, no need for apologies, soul candy - at least we only have ONE thread on the subject here! Last time I looked, there were half a dozen at NBC and two or three at 9th Wonders.

I'd be lost without Google Reader to help me keep track of the feeds from all the hundreds of non-heroes and dozens of heroes sites I regularly steal info from!

Forceps: Yah, at the first sign of any difficulty in childbirth these days, it's straight to the hack'n'slash table for British surgeons.....or butchers, as I like to call 'em!

Payquage · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:43 pm Post subject:

I think most doctors in the U.S. will try some other intervention before C-section, unless there's something which obviously requires surgery (I think placenta previa would qualify).

slippy · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject:

Ah, how our mighty NHS has fallen from grace...Free MRSA for all, and a complimentary C-Section for Mums-to-be.
I think we can draw this topic to a close now, n'est pas?

Checklist: Question: Present. Answer: Present. Yup, in my first official act as moderator (junior grade), I hereby declare this topic "Locked".

May she rest softly in the touch of His Noodly Appendage. Ramen.