Gap Toothed Women 1987

What do Lauren Hutton, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and Chaucer's Wife of Bath have in common? They all have a space between their two front teeth.

[sound of someone biting and chewing an apple]

When I was little I had three younger brothers
that I would babysit a lot

and when my parents were away
if we'd sneak back in the cupboard

and take a bite out of a candy bar
or any other forbidden cookies, or cakes,

or whatever, my parents always knew
when I had done it.

And I had thought they were so magic
and all-knowing until I caught on

that they were recognizing my signature
which was my teeth marks on the food, you know.

[laughs]

[harp music]

Your mom was saying
you're the third generation with a gap.

I guess so.
I think her mother had it.

And she had it and she had braces
when she was younger.

My father has a gap
about as wide as mine is.

My mom has a gap–
it's a littler smaller.

Everybody in my family has it–
the women in my family.

People think somehow that there's a mystique
about Asian women, Hawaiian women,

Korean women, Japanese women,
and I'm just wondering

if people don't think there's some mystique
about gap-teeth women.

I read somewhere in a folklore book
and I really reel stupid saying this

that gap-teeth women
are supposed to be sexier.

It's like this mound of Venus stuff.

If you have a big, thick mound of Venus
you're supposed to be real hot stuff

or something and I guess
it's the same thing with gap teeth.

[singing]

How do you feel about
your daughter having a gap?

MOM:
I think it's great.

I didn't used to think it was great
when I was a child

because I was always compared to monkeys,
howdy-doody and everything like that.

But after Lauren Hutton,
she's just been a big inspiration

just for her gaps in her teeth.

To me she's changed my way of thinking
in the way I feel about myself.

I feel a lot better.

My girlfriend one day came up
and she goes look at this in Vogue magazine.

Here's Lauren Hutton.

She's got this big gap in her teeth.

You don't have to get yours fixed anymore.

LAUREN HUTTON:
Hi, we're looking for gaps.

Anybody have one?

No, see, everybody is straight here.

No gaps.

It is, it's a sex picture.

MALE:
Take care.

LAUREN:
Bye.

Yes, thank you, I'm smitten.
Good, boy, you watch.

Thanks.

Watch it. Thanks.

MALE:
We wouldn't run you over.

LAUREN:
You guys got gap teeth? Anybody? No? Gaps?

MALE:
I do.

LAUREN:
Hey, a gap toothed. Show 'em.

MALE:
Not a gap, a cap.
I had to have them fixed.

LAUREN: [laughs]
A cap, not a gap.