The naughty allure of celebrity mugshots

The recently taken mugshot of Donald Trump, the first in history captured of a former President of the United States, has immediately become iconic – and many media outlets are already considering it the shot of the year. It's not the first time Trump has faced legal trouble, but until now, his so-called mugshot had never been circulated – a practice that is allowed in Georgia, the state where the former US president is accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 elections. As expected, Trump swiftly utilized his mugshot as a propaganda tool: on the official website of his 2024 US presidential campaign, one can purchase – among other things – t-shirts, posters, mugs, and stickers featuring the aforementioned mugshot, adorned with the words "never give up!" The same copy was used to accompany the release of the mugshot on his Twitter profile, which had been dormant since being suspended at the start of 2021. Yet, even before this suspension, Trump had already been selling a t-shirt on his website featuring a mock mugshot of himself, bearing the words "not guilty." His mugshot has also been used to solicit donations for his campaign. Many commentators argue that Trump's mugshot could indeed strengthen his standing among his base, a significant portion of which remains convinced of his innocence despite the numerous allegations. The former Republican president will face four separate trials with a total of 91 charges.

The Most Famous Mugshots

John Lewis

Rosa Parks

Martin Luther King

Steve McQueen

Mickey Rourke

Elvis Presley

David Bowie

Jane Fonda

It's not the first time that mugshots of famous personalities have contributed to enhancing their popularity, for better or worse. Among the mugshots that have made history and bolstered the individuals in question, there's Jane Fonda's, taken with her fist raised in defiance towards law enforcement: the actress was arrested in 1970 at the age of 33 for allegedly striking a police officer who found suspicious pills on her, which later turned out to be vitamins. Another globally circulated mugshot was that of Justin Bieber in 2014: the Canadian singer was arrested in Miami Beach on charges of driving under the influence of substances, expired license, and resisting arrest. This marked one of the early cases where the rapid viral spread of content through social media combined with the impact of such images. Then, there's the elegance of David Bowie, arrested in 1976 for possession of marijuana, which rendered his mugshot iconic and contributed to defining his persona's style. There are also the famous mugshots of key figures in the civil rights movement, whose arrests symbolized the real injustices that the dissemination of their mugshots somehow amplified – such as John Lewis, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, among others. One cannot forget Elvis Presley, who had his share of encounters with the police due to his daring "pelvic" moves on stage (does the nickname "Elvis The Pelvis" ring a bell?). Kurt Cobain was arrested in May 1986 for spray-painting the phrase "Ain't no whatchamacallit" on a building in Aberdeen, adding his name to a long list of rockstars, from Jim Morrison to Sid Vicious, who have experienced the "fresh air" of a jail cell, promptly photographed by law enforcement.

Trump's Mugshot

Paris Hilton

Lindsay Lohan

Khloe Kardashian

Bill Gates

Before Trump's mugshot was released, many wondered about the expression the former US president would have on his face: while the other 18 individuals investigated alongside him maintained a relatively emotionless gaze at the camera, Trump appeared intermittently menacing. "He looks like a thug" commented John Bolton, the national security advisor in the Trump administration, who considers Trump's expression "an attempt to intimidate prosecutors and judges." In contrast, the mugshots of Bill Gates, as well as actors Mickey Rourke and Steve McQueen, all feature smiles and a somewhat amused expression (McQueen even flashes a victory sign with his fingers). This, much like Trump's somber gaze, characterizes these mugshots and ultimately makes them historical. These are, however, exceptions, as in most cases, mugshots convey a humiliating image of the arrested individuals.

Why Mugshots Are Unethical

Several legal experts consider mugshots a violation of the rights of those in custody and believe that their public dissemination should be ceased, except for security reasons. «I just want people to know that I'm not really this. I'm not some kind of criminal boss» Jeremy Meeks had said after the Stockton Police Department in California posted his mugshot on Facebook the day after his arrest – a photo that went viral mainly because Meeks (who now works as a model) was particularly attractive in the shot. On The Marshall Project, a publication focused on criminal justice issues in the United States, journalist Keri Blakinger – who herself was arrested at a young age for drug possession – wrote that discontinuing the publication of mugshots is a "collective step" aimed at avoiding "nailing" people to their crimes, identifying them solely by their past actions.