Tacky Tourist Photos

SUBMITTED BY: Dan Epstein  LOCATION: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2016) If you were alive in the 1970s, there’s no more irresistible photo-op than the statue of “Happy Days” icon Fonzie, the cooler-than-cool motorcycle mechanic who could snap his fingers and make any woman in the room fawn all over him – and fix a broken juke box [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Noelle Boc  LOCATION: Universal Studios, California (1985) It’s tough to line up your face in one of those hole-in-the-head photoboards. You have to make sure there’s not too much hair dangling through the hole, especially in cases when the color doesn’t match. You have to tilt your head at the perfect angle and [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Erik Paulsen  LOCATION: Bangor, Maine (1995) The lumberjacks of northern and central Maine claim that legendary giant Paul Bunyan was born there. The lumberjacks of Minnesota claim the Land of 10,000 Lakes as Bunyan’s birthplace. Who’s right? Who cares. The more kitschy Paul Bunyan statues in the world, the better. Bemidji, Minnesota has [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Peter and Nancy B.   LOCATION: Glen, New Hampshire (2012) “Police described the vehicle as plump and orange with no license plates…”  (Sorry, we can’t be any more clever than that. Vehicular homicide and drunk driving jokes don’t play well with our demographic).

SUBMITTED BY: Greg Constantine   LOCATION: Orlando, Florida (2012) … you won’t like them when they’re angry! (Greg Constantine is the Founding Director and CEO of Galaxy Editing).

(In honor of the Girl Scouts’ 100th anniversary and the recent delivery of three boxes of Thin Mints to Tacky Tourist Photos headquarters, we are rerunning this classic submission from yesteryear.) SUBMITTED BY: Kris Carlson  LOCATION: Savannah, Georgia (1997) When Kris Carlson and her husband-to-be Phil were looking for a romantic honeymoon destination, they skipped [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Peggy Dillon and Adrienne Lopes   LOCATION: Ellis Island, New York (2010) A brilliant exercise in historical product placement, Mattel and Ellis Island have teamed up to let you explore your ethnic heritage through cocktail dresses and itsy bitsy pairs of shoes. “Wouldn’t Barbie have had a pink boat, complete with a hair [...]

Looks like Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and Woody are trying to blend in as tacky tourists on their latest Toy Story adventure. Coming soon to your child’s playroom:  A Leaning Tower of Pisa for Barbie to hold up?

SUBMITTED BY: Eugene Mirman & Katie Westfall-Tharp LOCATION: Moab, Utah (2011) In the majestic Utah desert, not far from where James Franco grimaced for his Oscar nomination in 127 Hours, comedian Eugene Mirman opted not to pretend to saw his arm off with a pocket knife. Splattered blood is a major turn-off for his girlfriend [...]

SUBMITTED BY: David Pryke   LOCATION: Carlsbad, California (2010) We’re usually blown away by the realism captured in most official LEGO sculptures, but the essence of the Evil Empire isn’t looming over LEGOLAND. Whether they fight with light sabers or their bare hands, our bets are on the mild-mannered guy in the plaid shirt and shorts! [...]

Tweet SUBMITTED BY: Mariel Backman    LOCATION: Berlin, Germany (2011) Early on in a dating relationship, how important is honesty in your man or boy toy? (Travel buff Mariel Backman recently had fun “Crashing the Cold War” at the Berlin Wall).

Tweet SUBMITTED BY: Alexandra, Brian and Chloe Pecci   LOCATION: Salem, Massachusetts (2010) TV Land commissioned a statue of the most gorgeous witch of all time, Elizabeth Montgomery, to celebrate the pop cultural significance of the 1960s comedy “Bewitched.” The statue is controversial, even attracting the ire of vandals, because some say it is insensitive [...]

We almost fell out of our chairs when we recently saw the opening scene of “Despicable Me,” the Steve Carell animated feature about a villain with poor self-esteem. The first few minutes of the film focus on tourists taking goofy pictures of themselves in front of the pyramids and doing the “Walk Like an Egyptian” [...]