Nicole Richie

While in the studio recording Good Charlotte’s upcoming album, Bio Cardiology, Joel Madden uses Twitter as an outlet, often leaving messages for his pregnant girlfriend Nicole Richie.

Thursday night, Madden posted a link to his TwitPic account that said, “This is why I love her folks.”

So, what could it be? Her charitable spirit? The homemade baby food she makes for their 1-year-old daughter Harlow? Her fashionable tendencies?

Well, sort of! Unearthing a photo of Richie as a young girl, Madden quips of her long curly hair and shaggy bangs, “Is it not Ron Perlman circa Beauty and the Beast??” Madden momentarily followed up with photographic evidence of the resemblance.

So, was Richie mad that Madden heckled her in front of his 40,000 Twitter followers? Not at all. Richie responded on Twitter Thursday, “Everyone has an awkward phase. Let me have something! Can you believe my mom let me have curly bangs?”

Friday morning they were still happily in love, Madden confirmed when he tweeted, “So Last night I ended up playing poker till 3 a.m. Thank God for my awesome girlfriend who let me sleep in today.”