In the wake of Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico, Stephen Colbert and Nick Kroll launched the #PuberMe Twitter campaign, encouraging celebrities to share pictures from their awkward childhoods as a way to raise money for disaster relief. With this campaign, each celebrity photo could result in a $1000 donation. Some truly excellent tweets came their way, proving that even professionally beautiful people had rough patches.
Hey @nickkroll and @StephenAtHome, this photo was taken the day I replaced
David Letterman. #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief pic.twitter.com/J1013j4rbr— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) September 29, 2017
Hey @nickkroll-this is a prop from Difficult People, where Fred Armisen plays my brother, but the pics are real! #PuberMe #puertoricorelief pic.twitter.com/C0lDu3DZgB
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) September 28, 2017
I'll show you my awkward self for #PuertoRicoRelief @nickkroll @StephenAtHome #PuberMe #GottaKickItUp #17 pic.twitter.com/XX4HJz8jIA
— America Ferrera (@AmericaFerrera) September 28, 2017
Hey @nickkroll @stephenathome – wanna fight?? #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief #1983 pic.twitter.com/3jAknUYp0I
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) September 29, 2017
Does awkward teenage bubble hair count? #PuertoRicoRelief @nickkroll @StephenAtHome #PuberMe pic.twitter.com/4hhaoRqa57
— Debbie Harry/BLONDIE (@BlondieOfficial) September 29, 2017
@StephenAtHome @nickkroll This photo brought to you by Sun-In ™ and my grandma’s Liz Claiborne separates. #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief pic.twitter.com/x2m2sAs4zE
— Samantha Bee (@iamsambee) September 29, 2017
Hey @nickkroll and @StephenAtHome here’s my #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief photo. #SquadGoals pic.twitter.com/32h3crfTLK
— Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) September 29, 2017
Hey, @StephenAtHome, for your #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief effort, I give you…the nuclear option… pic.twitter.com/0QhZYD4REU
— John Oliver (@iamjohnoliver) September 29, 2017
Found this in the Connie Seacrest archives under “awkward phase” #puberme #puertoricorelief pic.twitter.com/29xGMMygpz
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) September 29, 2017
This is what we’re looking for @nickkroll & @StephenAtHome ?
Aged 12…in an uplifting H.M.S Pinafore#PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief pic.twitter.com/WJpbOiIUX1— Will Arnett™ (@arnettwill) September 29, 2017
On top of the hilarity that comes with bad haircuts and even worst acne, #PuberMe was actually extremely successful. Colbert announced on The Late Show that between Colbert’s Americone Dream Fund, the team behind Netflix’s Big Mouth (Kroll’s latest project), and CBS, they managed to raise $999,000 for One American Appeal.
TONIGHT: Every good finale has a surprise celebrity guest, and every good #PuertoRicoRelief challenge has a @Lin_Manuel. So… pic.twitter.com/DxIeGo2Ufq
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) October 6, 2017
After the number was announced, Colbert explained that they were so close to reaching $1 million. “We made it so close, but what can we do? If only we had one more awkward celebrity puberty photo… but we just don’t.” Cue Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda emerging from backstage to provide a puberty photo of his own. Miranda, who has family in Puerto Rico, has been very active in his criticism of the Trump administration’s mishandling of the aid effort while also working to raise funds for Puerto Rico on his own.
Was the whole thing a little staged? Sure, but it was enthusiasm for a good cause.
.@nickkroll & @StephenAtHome are raising money for #PuertoRicoRelief with #PuberMe. Does this do anything for you? pic.twitter.com/OMpoyhLQXb
— Andy Daly (@TVsAndyDaly) September 28, 2017
If it’ll help #PuertoRicoRelief I’ll happily #PuberMe, but all my adolescent pics are 100% awesome: pic.twitter.com/VngrzRrlzu
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 29, 2017
Bridget Everett proves you don't need the "correct" number of teeth to have a winning smile. https://t.co/I5tBrSHrPF #PuberMe pic.twitter.com/fazJXjFMX4
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) September 30, 2017
Hello @nickkroll and @StephenAtHome, I'm Kendrick Jeong from Greensboro, NC. #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief pic.twitter.com/eyqxqWE8C0
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) September 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/vanderjames/status/913490548115124225
.@nickkroll Hope pimple in the middle of my forehead doesn't distract too much from my (actual) hairless kitten #PuberMe #puertoricorelief pic.twitter.com/vLAPltuIlJ
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 29, 2017
(Via The Late Show)