It’s been 87 years, yet fans and critics still debate the validity of Superman relying on a pair of box-frame glasses and a slight variation in hairstyle stylization for his go-to disguise. However, I am here to say that we have real-world evidence proving that we would have absolutely been fooled by Clark’s civilian disguise.

Thanks to actress Zooey Deschanel, we now have a real-life case study for just how valid Superman’s civilian disguise is. For those who don’t know who Zooey is, she was the lead actress in the sitcom New Girl as Jessica Day, a role defined by the character’s quirky personality and signature bangs and box-frame glasses.

For those who know her, it’s nearly impossible not to recognize her. At least that’s what we all thought until Deschanel attended a red carpet event without her character’s signature bangs or glasses, which made her nearly unrecognizable.

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Fans were blown away that a simple hairstyle tweak and lack of glasses could make the actress look like an entirely different person, and fans were quick to draw a comparison to Superman, who similarly relies on a pair of glasses and a different stylization of his hair as the main elements of his carefully crafted civilian disguise.

Seeing just how effective a pair of glasses and hairstyle change was in altering Deschanel’s appearance forced even the harshest critics of Clark’s go-to disguise to admit that it is entirely plausible that people wouldn’t recognize Clark Kent as Superman. Hence, the side-by-side pic of Deschanel proves Clark’s chosen disguise isn’t silly but actually genius.

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Another point in Clark’s favor is that, relatively speaking, an investigative journalist from the Daily Planet would have far less exposure than an actress walking the red carpet. Hence, that makes Superman’s civilian disguise even more effective, as he would face much less scrutiny than Deschanel, who many still didn’t recognize despite being Hollywood famous.

It’s also important to remember that the “Clark Kent” disguise typically goes beyond just the glasses and hairstyle, as Clark usually exhibits two entirely different demeanors, with one being a soft-spoken, bumbling Daily Planet reporter and the other being a confident yet kind superhero.

These demeanor changes include shifts in the way he talks, stands, the fit of his clothes, and more. It is the cumulative result of all these small changes that further hide Clark in plain sight and make the glasses disguise so brilliant. So, after seeing Deschanel’s side-by-side photo, do you think Superman’s “silly” disguise would fool you?