We’ve all seen the photo. The one that practically invented the concept of “mean girls.” Taken in 1957 at a party to welcome Sophia Loren to Hollywood, the photo shows Loren giving Jayne Mansfield an overt stink eye. Though no one was ever truly certain why, Loren has now openly admitted in a recent interview that her dirty look was given for just as overt of a reason as we thought: Mansfield was stealing her spotlight. Looking rather less than charmed
The party, thrown by Paramount, was intended to be in Loren’s honor, but Mansfield stole the show when she strolled in at the end of the shindig and walked right over to Loren’s table, where she knew she would be photographed, and obviously was quite copiously. Whether or not this was a desperate cry for attention on Mansfield’s part (the cut of her dress would certainly suggest so) is left to one’s discretion. Nervously fearing a nip slip, ergo even more attention given to Mansfield
Whatever Mansfield’s motives, Loren was having none of it, and made no use of her acting skills by hiding her emotions. Not only did her Italian hot-headedness make for an iconic photo, it also very clearly elucidates the entire concept of innate female rivalry based on competing for attention and affection.
