15 Most Awkward Couple Photos

A picture can say 1000 words and usually, those words say things like, “Envy me for taking this great vacation,” or “My manicure is perfect #blessed,” or even “Totally not a humblebrag but here's my screenshot of my FitBit stats after my two hour workout with my personal trainer.”

Okay, maybe that's just what photos on Instagram say, but there are many beautiful, iconic photos out there that really capture a moment. Think of the photo of Princess Diana and later, Princess Kate waving from the palace balcony. Consider the soldier and the nurse immortalized forever in their V-J Times Square photo. Ponder the Elvis at 21 photo from 1956 that photographer Alfred Wertheimer accidently caught while doing a photo essay on the performer. Tear up at the beauty of From Here to Eternity as Burt Lancaster and Deborah Keer kiss with the ocean waves crashing around them. There are many photos of couples that stand the test of time.

And there is the Yoko Ono and John Lennon photo where Yoko is fully clothed on the bed and John is completely nude and it looks like he's climbing her. She's looking at the camera like even she is saying “Whaaaaat?” and he's looking at the camera with eyes that say, “Yup. This is a thing that is actually happening.”

Unfortunately, not every couple photo is so iconic or so cool, and even celebrities are not immune to taking head-scratching, totally awkward, why-would-you-do-that kinds of photos, so sit back and relax, grab that popcorn and put your feet up. You are about to embark on a journey of 15 of the most awkward couples photos on the Internet, and just what makes them so very, very disturbing.

15 This Couple Released Their Inner Puppies and Chewed on Shoes

Puppies are awesome. They are rambunctious little creatures that get into all kinds of mischief but always escape punishment with a light scolding because they are just so darn cute. Big eyes, floppy ears and a tilt of the head let them get away with piddling on the carpet and devouring mom's new Louboutins like they are tasty dog bones. The only explanation for this photo is that this couple loves, and wants to emulate, those adorable puppy traits. Look at the delight in their eyes, their poses that say they are poised to spring at any moment. They may even lick your face! The darker explanation is a long-hidden shoe fetish that has them chewing up sandals whenever they can, and this photo wasn't so much posed, but them simply getting caught in action. In any event, this photo is weird but it does evoke a certain charm. Extra points for the matching colors.

14 A Couple Comes Clean. Very Clean

As the '80s marched on, women gained more and more equal rights. They threw off their shackles of domesticity and proved themselves in the workplace. As a result, men had to do more household chores. In this awkward photo, one can only guess that this is a lesson in laundry gone very, very wrong.

“The socks at the bottom of the washer have to come out too, dear.”

“I can't reach that far!”

“It's easy, just stretch down there and grab them.”

“Oh no! I've fallen in! Save me!”

“I'm coming dear! Hang on!”

“Mom? Dad?”

“Help us son! Wait… .you're getting the camera?”

The real question on everyone's mind is, how did they both fit in there? If this isn't Photoshop or some artsy rendition of a couple photo, this is one very limber, and one very clean duo. It goes without saying, though: DON'T try this at home. Getting stuck in a washing machine can lead to severe injury, death or suffocation if the door closes and locks.

13 Opposites (Apparently) Attract

By day she's a sweet receptionist, taking calls and directing customers to where they need to go. By night, she's a mercenary, not afraid to take you down with her customized gun/knife and mad Ninja skills. It was on the job that she met him. He was a bird whisperer, talking to the kind of birds she would usually shoot during target practice. The bird sanctuary was thought to be a place where bad stuff went down. Yeah, we're talking about illegal bird poop exporting here. She was there to make things right. One look at him gently caressing a parrot and one look at her aiming her gun/knife and they knew they found true love. Now she's given up her undercover ways and he's teaching her how to say “I love you” in falconese. If anyone has a better explanation for what is going on here, please bring us all up to speed.

12 The Couple That Embraces Trends Together, Takes Awkward Photos Together

This. Is. Awesome. It's awesome for so many reasons, but the main one is that it presents a perfect snapshot (Ha! See what I did there?) of a bygone era. The late '80s and early '90s were a time when young people were really branching out in self-expression. The rise of the goth (that's emo to you kids nowadays) and the wanton chopping off of ladies long locks, and the long, often mullet-style hair seen on dudes were two signature looks that said, “We're here. We are fierce and we are gonna buck traditions and look strong and cool.” It would be another decade or so before that generation realized they were doing exactly what every generation did before them, but on the plus side, we get a ton of photos like this that really sum up what was going on those days. Men's shirts morphed into high collared goodness and guys had really long hair. Ladies necklines plunged and they wore really short hair. Ah, the good old days.

11 Mutual Health Goals are Important. Tanning, Not So Much

Working out with your sweetie is a sure-fire way to keep yourself motivated, and ladies, don't you just love to watch your man pound those weights? Healthy couples spend time together in the gym, on the running track, going for walks and making kale smoothies with berry protein powder. They even tan together, and therein lies the problem with this photo. A good tan is a must for bodybuilding competitions and nobody, besides the good medical professionals that don't want you to get cancer, is saying you can't bronze up a bit to show off that bod. But please, couples, know your limit and tan within it. To avoid being satirized on the Internet, toast only to a gentle brown. Tan evenly and gently. Don't be afraid to just say no to tanning. Otherwise, you wind up so orange it's as disorienting for the viewer as it is for your poor, burning epidermis.

10 Kitty Love. Kind Of.

Of all the things the Internet has done for mankind (endless flow of quality information, the transformation of the workplace, global communities, etc.) allowing people to share cat photos has got to be at the top of the list. That is why it is surprising that nobody looks happy to be in this photo. Certainly not the large dead cat draped on the wall, its time running across the grassy plains having been cut painfully short. Definitely not the live cat whose eyes are begging the photographer to make the male subject release the stranglehold on its neck and let him run free. Live kitty fears its fate since it is beneath its dead cousin. The soulless look in the couple's eyes say they are just biding their time, waiting and watching for another cat, dead or alive, to add to this photo. Waiting. Patiently. Waiting. The photo is slightly out of focus because the photographer is backing away slowly, preparing to run.

9 The Haunting

This couple will haunt you and they want you to be fully aware of that. Their love will transcend death and reach into the next world, where they will stare into your soul, silently judging. The use of the black background does more than act as the perfect backdrop to highlight the disembodied heads floating left and right. It is as though this photo is saying, "Wwe see into the blackness of your heart." There is no hint of a smile on either of their faces (or on the floating heads). There is just the cold, hard look of a couple that has resigned themselves to their careers in this life, and the next. They are good together, these two. She's beautiful and he is handsome. They will be happy together. Forever. And if you let them in when the dark night howls and the trees whisper caution, you too may find the solemn happiness they have come to enjoy. The wind whispers, love meeeeeeee…

8 Cupid's Little Helper

Boy, is that beautiful woman in for a surprise. Here she is, just trying to enjoy the day outside, completely unaware that Cupid is sneaking up on her with his high powered crossbow. She's pensive. This is the look of a woman who has seen some troubling things. She's looked for love in all the wrong places and she's been hurt. Today, that all ends. Permanently. Cupid is clearly not messing around. He's got one on the string and three more on deck to make sure the job gets done. His spectacles are shinned up and he's not going miss. Cupid is going to pierce this woman's heart and she will find love. Having nothing but the best equipment, Cupid can shoot this arrow a whopping 440 feet per second with a draw weight of just 175 pounds. Cheer up, little lady. Your days of looking for love are over in .00003 of a second. Ouch.

7 Two of a Kind

Either the photographer caught these two mid-conversation where she's talking and he's realizing the click of the camera is imminent, or she's an opera singer demonstrating her talent while he is rubbing her shoulders. This couple is clearly so perfect for each other. The proof? Exhibit A: hair. Confidence is required to pull off a bowl cut and a skinny goatee with such aplomb. They both have this confidence in spades. Exhibit B: mixed prints. Mixing and matching prints is not for the faint of heart. It is for those that want to, and will, get noticed. Both subjects in this photo were born to wear prints. Many, many prints. Exhibit C: calm, serene, happiness. This couple doesn't mind being close. And just look at those happy and content eyes! It's a weird photo, to be sure, but with such happy confidence, it is also kind of a sweet one.

6 Nothing in Common but Love

We don't know anything about this couple, or even if they are in love - but one thing is certain. These are two people from very, very different walks of life. He's a ripped cowboy whose distracting abs only manage to enhance his long flowing locks. He thinks shirts are for wimps, and it's obviously a cold day because his lady friend is all bundled up. She's a goth with curvy legs and an attitude to rock whatever she wants to wear, whenever she wants to wear it, and that includes white face powder. They stroll a broken and beaten path of individualism, not caring how the world perceives them. They may not have a shirt or bronzer, but they have each other. Or perhaps this could be a shot from an outdoor runway at fashion week where the theme is cover up/expose yourself all while exploring themes of existentialism.

5 Love Cats, Love Spandex, Love Each Other

The best thing about this photo is the look on the (live) cat's face. Just look at that expression! Even it can't figure out what exactly is going on here. Not to be outdone, the lion on her shirt appears to be rolling its eyes. There may be a very simple explanation. These two are performers that were recently cast in the musical Cats, and this photo is their Christmas card hint to their relatives. That has to be it. Why else would there be so much spandex and so many cats in this photo? What other reason for that steely gaze from him and that wistful look from her? Why does their spandex match? Why does spandex come with cat motifs? Why does this photo exist? We may never know. The secret will go to the grave with that very concerned kitty. Kudos for being so fit, though. That spandex really shows off their hard work.

4 Passionate About Parking

In 2003, an independent Canadian film called The Delicate Art of Parking was released. Two high-profile awards and a ripped-off reality show later, people realized that parking was a thing that needed to be honored and cherished until death (or tow truck) do us part. This couple clearly got the memo. Look at the dreamy look on their faces as they caress those parking meters, and just in case you missed how much they love parking, there's a close up to really drive the point home. This is not the couple to cross by dashing into a building for a few moments without feeding the meter. No, if you are hanging out with this crew, not only do you insert those quarters, you also feed the meters up and down the street. Love means many different things to people and to these two, it means the fun and excitement of parking a car on a steamy side street and gently slipping coins into slots.

3 Posing for Love

This is just… well… is baffling too strong of a word? Let's start with the obvious. That hair. It's a helicopter. When is the last time you thought you would see “helicopter and hair” in the same sentence with helicopter" being the adjective and hair being the noun? Moving down a bit, we come to the double sunglasses. This cannot be explained. Then we come to the dress with one bra strap showing. Where on earth is the other strap? Is it somehow tucked into the sheer lace dress with cutouts with fingerless gloves? Dude here in this photo is holding an award and yes, he deserves it. That is clearly the award for either helping to create the most upwardly mobile hairstyle in a family photo, or the award for finally confusing us to the point of no return. Congratulations. You've succeeded. If this photo is the result of a hairdressing competition, it's should be for first place.

2 Here Comes Double Trouble

When twins date twins, it's the perfect setup for a whacky sitcom. When twins date twins in the '80s, it's an Internet meme waiting to happen. There is so much to love about these two couples that perfectly embody every single thing that made the decade of Madonna's rise and crimped hair so fantastic. The neon tracksuits! The feathered hair! The colorful shirts tucked into chap-inspired jeans! These two power couples clearly ruled the college campus. Let's all hope they got married, live side by side in a duplex and continue to dress alike while confounding their neighbors with delightful hijinks. This is the perfect setup for a reality show. Can't you just see it on now on TLC? Here Comes Double Trouble! The show where we follow two twin couples from the '80s that live, work and play together all the while always showcasing the latest fashion trends. I'd watch!

1 Gun Toting Couple is Everything That is Wrong in a Single Photograph

Never in the history of awkward couple photos has there been so many things wrong in a single photograph. Gun violence is no laughing matter so if this is a joke, it falls completely flat. Is this a dad's message to the guy that knocked up his kid? He certainly seems a bit older than this young lass. Is she smiling because she so obviously flaunted the household rules and got herself in the family way? If this is her husband or boyfriend, the possessive stance and the threatening motion with a gun all scream that he's very controlling (and violent). No. Just no. Don't pose with guns unless you are hunters proud of your latest humane and permitted freezer-filling kill. Don't pose with a gun where there is an imminent baby present. Don't point guns at people. This isn't a loving couple's photo as much as it is a cry for help.