He hasn’t seen you in 25 years! If he’s famous he probably gets approached ALL THE TIME. I also think he didn’t recognize you. Being famous probably isn’t any fun when it comes down to it. Imagine being approached and gawked at everywhere you go.
I agree with the others…It’s been 25 years and the meeting was out of context…Who knows, maybe he’s suddenly realizing he recognizes you but still can’t place you.
The only thing I would have an issue with is just how rude he was about it. Generally, I would say he should have simply smiled and said hello. But considering he’s famous and it probably does get old, I’d cut him some slack (as long as he didn’t literally tell you to go to hades–there is no excuse for that).
I can’t even recognize myself in pictures from 25 years ago much less anybody I knew back then. I doubt even my college roommates would recognize me if they were standing next to me in line at the grocery store.
It’s funny, in college I was a TA for a few sections of 25 kids. I knew all their names, faces, and even emails by heart (more than one of them expressed surprise when I greeted them by name). Now I can’t even remember the name of somebody I met 10 minutes ago. True story. In meetings with clients I write down the names of everybody in the order they’re sitting at the table and constantly go back to it during the meeting.
Anyway since I’m so keenly aware of my own failings I’ll frequently introduce myself with context as, “Hi, I’m Anomander we met at a few weeks ago at that meeting where I wrote down your name but you didn’t write mine down.” Ok just kidding on that last part.
That’s funny, anomander. I found a group picture on FB, from a long trip I took years ago, with a friend’s family. I was thinking how A really aged to looked like her mother, how B must be a son, whatever. Then came to a young woman I needed a minute to recognize. Me. This was online, not going through my own photos, so out of context and unexpected.
(I literally thought, wow, this gal must be another daughter…funny how she looks like…oh wait, is IS me.)
I have an extremely difficult time recognizing people. I’m extremely nearsighted. When I was in high school, I never wore my glasses because of vanity (and didn’t have contacts), so I never recognize anyone from that era.
Back to the subject of famous people, I once spent 8 hours prepping a very famous actor for a deposition (along with another lawyer). A few hours later on the same day, I was at an art museum exhibition opening and ran into that same actor. I said “Oh hi!” and it was clear he had no idea who I was. So I went into my default, “I’m Mary Jones; I’m one of the lawyers who prepped you for your deposition today.” I have to admit that one kind of surprised me.
I agree that the famous guy probably didn’t recognize the OP, and just brushed him off–as he would random “fans” who might try to get too personal. Maybe he ignored OP out of habit. Fame is a burden, imo. Total strangers know a lot about you–that would creep me out.
My sister is a physician. I was with her once in the grocery store when a patient came up and greeted her like her best friend. Sis didn’t recognize her, and the woman quickly gave her name, sis asked her how she was doing, how her kids were, etc. As soon as the patient walked away, sis said to me, “Well, that was embarassing. . .I just delivered her baby a couple weeks ago. I didn’t recognize her with her clothes on!”
I’ve had a somewhat opposite experience several times. After I’d just moved, I met (on different occasions)
several local celebrities who seemed to assume that I knew them/would be pleased to meet them. (They were all very nice, btw). I was clueless–“So your’e JOE JONES? Well, I’M Sue Smith!” (These were local TV news people/retired pro athlete). I was confused about whether I’d met them before since they seemed to think that I already knew their names. Then H explained to me later who they were. (I’d actually wondered to myself why this one guy was SO into football. . .lol) We’re all just people.
It can get funny at times. I didn’t recognize one of my old college boyfriends at our reunion. He was pretty insulted. He said something like “I can’t believe jonri just ignored me!” I whirled around. I didn’t recognize his face, but his VOICE was instantly recognizable.
Have you ever had the experience where someone is convinced you are someone they know, but you aren’t? Or that you are someone famous…and you’re not? (S)he demands your autograph and gets angry when you won’t sign the name of someone you aren’t?
I guess that’s more of a hazard living in NYC. People, especially tourists, are looking out for famous people. A surprising # of them get it wrong and confront people like me who aren’t the least bit famous.
My husband has been teaching for about 20 years in the same city we live in. Every year he has 150-200 or so students–that’s a lot of students over the years. I can’t tell you how many times people come up to him expecting that he remembers them. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. It’s much more helpful when they say “I’m John Smith I was in your (fill in the blank) class 5 years ago”.
I’ve always said I must have a “generic” face. I’m always getting “You look like my roommate’s cousin” or “My best friend’s sister looks just like you” or…something along those lines. So of course I get a lot of “Where do I know you?” or “Hi!” (said in the most friendly, we must know each other way) Compound that with my inability to remember people and I’m never quite sure if they are mistaking me for someone else, or I really don’t remember. It’s terrible.
Consistent with my inability to recognize faces, I often approach people I don’t know thinking they are someone else. I once walked up to a man and said, “Uncle Tom!” He said, “I’m not your uncle, lady.”
It’s very strange because I have an almost photographic memory for other kinds of detail, but I have difficulty with faces.
My daughter looks very much like someone famous and people often ask her for her autograph when she is in certain places.
I agree, that likely the famous person didn’t recognize the OP. I can understand feeling like the person blew you off because they were famous and you are not, but likely he didn’t recognize you. At the very least, I would have said hi to the dad, even if son was a delta bravo, no reason to shun him or other family members even if the S was not a nice person. Me, if it was someone I knew and they were famous, I likely would have said “Hey , remember me, its We grew up together, good to see you man”, on hearing that if he blew you off without even looking at you to see if he remembered you, then you know he was (some body part not said in polite company). I have run into people like that who became sort of famous, who I once knew, and at the very least they tried to place my face, before blowing me off.
It probably gets really old and annoying when you can’t go anywhere without being gawked at, pointed at, asked for autographs,called out by name by complete strangers, etc. People will say unbelievably galling things to celebrities.
D1 was at a football game one night when she saw a familiar face sitting a couple of rows ahead of her in the stands. He and his brothers are famous actors. He had gone to that high school and was watching the game with his mother and another mom from D1’s school. A boy from his alma mater approached him and said, “Hey, I read that your brother tried to off himself!” I mean, really, it’s no wonder that celebrities begin to insulate themselves and sometimes push back from some of this nonsense. Not that the OP did any of that, but I totally get how the celeb might just grunt a response without looking at the person (assuming that he would even recognize him to begin with) if this is a common and tiresome occurrence.
I was just at an event and I sat at a table for a second and when I turned around I saw a famous person I didn’t expect to see, let alone be at my table. In my typical dorky fashion I blurt out his first name and tell him I didn’t expect to see him there…lol. He wasn’t amused.
I’d never want to be famous, I can’t imagine being recognized everywhere and expected to be friendly and happy at all times.
I would never be able to do it. I really admire the celebrities who remain gracious when stranger after stranger approach them.
I once stood next to Ted Danson at the baggage claim at 2 a.m. after the world’s worst cross-country flight (massively delayed). Everyone on the flight was massively cranky. But when person after person came up to Danson to request a photo, to tell him how much they liked his work, etc., Danson acted like each fan was the first person to ever tell him that. “How nice of you to say!” “Sure, I’d love to have a photo taken!” “I really appreciate your saying hello!” over and over again, all said in the most upbeat cheerful voice. I really couldn’t believe it. What a class act.
come on earl, don’t leave us hanging like that – who was it?
My brother is ‘famous’ in his local community. He has 800 kids per year in his youth sports program and everyone thinks they are his most important ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad.’ Honestly he does remember most of his families, but he doesn’t recognize every one and can’t possibly remember all their names. If I go to a sporting event with him, he is stopped a thousand times just getting around the arena or stadium with people wanting to great him or, worse, wanting to know what team their child has been assigned to or who the coach will be. Coaches stop him to talk, referees stop to talk (or complain) about a game. I usually just go on to our seats because while it is not fun to be a famous person, it’s really not fun to be with a famous person and just trying to get a seat. In a restaurant, usually 5 or more people will stop by the table to say hello.
What is rather amusing is seeing people who are more ‘famous’ than my brother to the rest of the world acting like all the other moms and dads and trying to get a minute or two with my brother. Athletes, news anchors, city officials who everyone else recognizes, have kids who are in the league and they really are just like everyone else and want to know if their kids are improving, if their 5 year olds can get into the Mighty Mite program (it fills up very fast), if there is going to be a game tomorrow if it rains.
In my younger days, people have mistaken me for one of those well known Asian anchors. Most of those people were non-Asians, so I just rolled my eyes - “Us Asians just all look alike.” One night I got into a cab with a Chinese driver. He asked me if I was this anchor. I told him no. He asked me if I would give him an autograph, but I kept on trying to tell him that I wasn’t her. Then I heard him say it in Chinese, “Who is she trying to fool? Just because she is famous doesn’t make her better than us.” I thought to myself that I would have been better off if I just pretended I was her and just signed the autograph. It probably would have made his day.
I’m another reintroducing myself to others all the time, just as a matter of common courtesy. As we age, and good friends are losing eyesight, this becomes more and more important. It’s really easier for folks to tell me, “of course I know who you are, alh” than the alternative.
We spend time in a small town, home to an arts community of sorts. There are plenty of (relatively minor) celebrities walking the streets. The local bartender thinks I’m someone I’m not. He thinks I’m just another celebrity trying to be incognito, especially since when he called me by her name on my first visit, I said I was afraid I didn’t know this individual. After looking her up, I can sort of see the resemblance. But I’m not her. However, he remains convinced. If she ever shows up at his bar, he’s bringing her my martini.
I have an old friend who is a well known author in certain circles. He has keynoted conferences in my present town, miles from the state where we knew each other when his ex and my ex were close friends in grad school. First time I went up to talk to him he was defensive, “I don’t remember people well.” I also thought he was a bit of a snot. Second time, I introduced myself and mentioned our ex’s and we had a nice conversation about my former state and where he currently lives.
@EarlVanDorn Can you clarify if the person actually cursed at you or just snubbed you?