Tacky Tourist Photos

SUBMITTED BY: Jumping Norman    LOCATION: Agra, India (2012) In Ancient Times, we know which tourist would have been the Court Jester! (Jumping Norman is one of the world’s most preeminent practitioners of the joyful frozen-in-midair photo-op.  You can see all of his work on his Facebook page.)

We’ve previously showcased some great improvisational acting on the Great Wall of China, such as TTP star correspondent Brian Henderson’s “Where Can I Find a Decent Chinese Restaurant?” pose.  But YouTube dance star Nonstop really kicks things up a notch!      

SUBMITTED BY: Jumping Norman  LOCATION: Easter Island, Chile From the same kooks who probably think the 1969 NASA Moon Landing was created in a secret CIA movie studio, we’ve been accused of creating some of our more surreal Tacky Tourist Photos in Adobe Photoshop.  The “Egyptian Cheerleading Tryouts” shot in particular has a few conspiracy [...]

Sorry to go all regional on you, but if you happen to live in New England (or are vacationing there), come on out and meet the Tacky Tourist founders, curators, and administrative staff! TEWKSBURY TACKY TOURIST PHOTOS NIGHT 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7 Tewksbury Public Library 300 Chandler Street Tewksbury, MA 01876 978-640-4490 Join founding [...]

SUBMITTED BY: George Scully  LOCATION: Winchester, Virginia (2011) At Dinosaur Land, the most fearsome place in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, no one is safe. Not even pink little bunnies. (Fascinated by giant mutant insects?  Check out the Tough Guy Butterfly).

SUBMITTED BY: Mark Arsenault and Jennifer Levitz  LOCATION: Mount Vernon, Virginia (2011) Barack Obama won’t come greet you when you tour the White House.  Speaker of the House John Boehner won’t give you the time of day when you visit the Capitol. But George Washington cares about his fans. The Father of Our Country’s PR [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Tacky Tourist Photos   LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada (2011) If a guy posed with the new Fergie wax museum statue like this, he might be chastised as sophomoric, crass, or perhaps even a little bit sexist. But when you are touching your fake self, it is amazing what you can get away with!

SUBMITTED BY: Leigh Hanlon   LOCATION: Chicago, Illinois (2011) Will the keywords “Marilyn Monroe” and “topless” send Tacky Tourist Photos’ web traffic through the stratosphere? Maybe if this were still the year 1962. (Photographer Leigh Hanlon, aka “The Chicago Cowboy,” blogs at ChicagoScope.com. Curious about this half-finished statue? Check out our Cheeky Controversy post about [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Gerry Cronin   LOCATION: Canobie Lake Park, Salem, NH (2011) Sonny & Cher, icons of cheesy 1970s entertainment, would be horrified by how they are being immortalized in a New Hampshire amusement park. The late Congressman Bono looks like one of those overstuffed pantyhose puppets. And Cher’s hair looks like vinyl siding. No amount [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Dana Prey   LOCATION: Cairo, Egypt (2009) Wanna recreate the sensation of getting sensual with the Sphinx?  Go kiss a bucket of sand! (Dana Prey is a bacon-loving Southern belle living in New England, who documents her competitive cycling addiction on her “Wall of Pain.”) CURATOR’S PICK — Do you LOVE photographing ancient [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Raymond Hoffer    LOCATION: Paris, France (1972) Backpacking through France after his freshman year of college, Raymond hopped from youth hostel to youth hostel in his disco duds and his copy of “Europe on $5 a Day.” “As for my clothes, these were standard issue among college students at the time,” says Raymond. [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Tamar M.  LOCATION: Yellowstone National Park, Montana (2009) If Yellowstone Park were South Park, here’s what the tourism poster model would look like. More proof that deep within each and every one of us is the spirit of an 11-year-old boy! (You can recreate this pose in the privacy of your own home [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Eartha Kitsch   LOCATION: Rock City / Chattanooga, Tennessee (2007) Mr. and Mrs. Kitsch didn’t exchange matrimonial vows as their Oktoberfest alter-egos, but this fabulous photo-op was the centerpiece at their Lover’s Leap reception on Lookout Mountain. As you adjust to your new body image, you can actually see seven different states from the [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Ari Garnick   LOCATION: Salem, NH (2011) Imagine what this box would cost at the movies, where we just shelled out $7 for a large (free refills didn’t ease the pain)! Does Canobie Lake Park boast the World’s Largest Box of Popcorn? We filed an official inquiry with the Popcorn Board, the industry trade [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Carol Jones   LOCATION: Baraboo, Wisconsin (2009) There used to be a mystique surrounding a woman daring enough to flirt with a python. But today, snake ladies are quite commonplace at birthday parties, weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. Interested in the feminist trailblazers who forged the serpentine path for Britney Spears?  Check out the [...]