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29 Embarrassing Moments People Didn’t Realize Who They’re Talking To And Made A Fool Out Of Themselves
If you're going to criticize somebody or call someone out on something, it's probably best that you know who you’re talking to. Because as you can see from this hilariously cringeworthy list compiled by Bored Panda, all sorts of awkwardness can ensue when you don't do your research first. From a know-it-all correcting J.K. Rowling about the reason behind Severus Snape's demise, to a clueless smartass who asked the Prime Minister of Malta who his sources were when he tweeted about a potential hijack situation, the examples below serve as an important reminder that if you aren't sure who you’re talking to then maybe keep your opinions to yourself. Don't forget to vote for your favorite!
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Twitter User Tells Woman With PHD In Astrophysics That She Needs To Learn Some Science
That Is Amazing
Stupid Hipster Chick
Whaow... trying to act as an ultimate Star Wars fanboy without recognizing Natalie Portman... interesting how some people are able to destroy their credibility without any external help...
Mansplaining
This is too funny. People need to check stuff like author before trying to sound intelligent lol
Harry Potter Fan Reveals Snape's True Motivation To... JK Rowling
What's Tony Hawk Up To These Days?
What Do Women Know About Comics, Really?
Marvel Talent Scout Asks To See Aspiring Artists Work. Is Told To Go Away
Wow! Not a smart move. Anytime someone asks to see my art it's always a YES! You never know who the person asking could be and even if they're not a talent scout or such, word of mouth is better than nothing.
You'd Think The Prime Minister Would Know
Patronizing Programmer Gets Told
Programming is like religion. Everybody has their preferences. So she's not into Java, and this dude is... It's like making a priest and an imam discuss if christianity or islam is the right way to go.
Talent Scout "Discovers" Annie Lennox, Offers Her A Chance In The Industry
Footballer Jay Rodriguez's Dad Calls Out Twitter Rumours
Trashy Girl
That's actually such a huge rekt. But then again, I don't think he understands any of these jobs names.
Farmer Asked If He's Ever Worked On A Farm
Is Jersey cow giving chocolate milk reminds me of my really really stupid ex he asked me "does chocolate milk come from those genetically engineered brown cows" I couldn't believe what I was hearing
Lewis Black Looking On While Fans Pose With A Lewis Black Poster
I Wrote The Article
A Player On The Dallas Cowboys Gets Called A Bandwagon Fan
"What Do You Know About Terrorism?" He's Former Head Of Anti-Terrorist Intelligence And Special Branch In Northern Ireland
Well, at least Stevie tried... but he did end up making an 8yr old's comeback
What Did You Do?
Got Any Sources For That Horseshit?
That's really common information so why is the green guy so pissed off?
Official Lights Out Review
When People Ask World Record Holder To Take A Picture Of Them
Hah, that would be me. I have 0 interest in sports and wouldn't even know what it is she does! :')
Since not everyone is into sports and nobody in the comments has posted who she is yet: Kathleen Genevieve "Katie" Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and nine-time world champion. She is the current world-record holder in the women's 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle (long course). She also holds the fastest-ever times in the women's 500-, 1000-, and 1,650-yard freestyle events.
Thank you! It was giving me a brain itch, lol - but too stubborn to Google it.
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I mean that's cool but the moment wasn't about name dropping. She's still just a human and doesn't have to be in the picture to do a nice thing and take it for them.
Same here. I never had any f*****g clue who that was, until I looked her up on Yahoo after reading this.
What's so special about this? As if everyone in the world has to think you are SO important lol. Seriously get of your high horse. Also the people helping them on it. Every expertise has his experts/know people only people interested in that expertise knows. This says more about Mata DiRado's knowledge of people and social interactions than anything else.
I wouldn't have know who she is........Kathleen Genevieve "Katie" Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and nine-time world champion. She is the current world-record holder in the women's 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle.
Katie who? I wouldn't care is she had for world record for whatever.
Katie Ledecky is an incredible distance swimmer with an unreal capacity for work. She frequently beats her competition by tens of seconds. When filmed, it's frequently difficult to get everyone in the same frame because she's so far ahead. She smashes her own world records on a regular basis and is just a few seconds away from breaking the 8:00 barrier in the 800 free. She's the only female olympian to sweep a gold in the 800, 400, and 200 free in decades.
I just knew she was a swimmer! Just look at those back muscles!
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This strikes me as more of a "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" moment from somebody I certainly haven't ever heard of. In fact, I had to wiki her, and while I fully acknowledge that she's talented and a hard worker, and fully deserving of praise...does that necessarily translate to an expectation of universal acclaim? Are these two somehow lesser human beings for not recognizing greatness? Maybe they don't follow swimming; I don't follow football/soccer, so I couldn't tell you anything about it, other than that I've heard Manchester United is supposed to be pretty good. So...what's the point?
meh sports are dumb. most people aren't gonna recognize most olympians.
I have no idea who this lady is and even if I did I'd still ask her help to take a photo of us on vacation.
Well I have never heard about this woman in my life so I'd probably do the same thing lol
I once asked (unknowingly) a popular music journalist in our country to smuggle out tickets to Lenny Kravitz concert for me and my friend. He did it. (I was 18)
Ηaha, this reminds me of the Ed Sheeran scene in "Bridget Jones's Baby"!
OMG!!!!!!!!!! How dare they???? Maybe they just needed A PERSON to take their f*****g picture.
It reminds me of 'Bridget Jone's baby ' the guy from Starbucks can really sing
Of what? Squashing marshmallows into a handbag? Not all world records have gravitas.
I Was There
People On Twitter Don't Realise They Are Arguing What Caused The Fall Of Rome With The Professor Of Classics At Cambridge
The Drummer Of The Smiths Is Told A Fact
I Am The Reference — Co-Author Of Zlib Gets Asked For Wikipedia References
Person Tells Editor Of National Review Online That He Needs To Try Reading Conservative News Sources
Deputy Managing Editor Replies
When You Assume
Much embarassing stuff here, but also much strange stuff. People asking for sources are just right. If you make claims, state the sources, as easy as it is...also big names make mistakes. In science, you can have a track record to the Mars, if the next article your write lacks essential references, it will be rejected, at least if submitted to serious outlets.
Agreed. There’s as much arrogance on the one side as there’s ignorance on the other. You’d think the scholars at least would understand the fallacy of argument from authority. But I guess that only applies to other people.
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don't see what's embarassing about 21. if you're not interested in sport, why would you recognise the person. they wanted a picture of the two of them, and asked a passer by. nothing wrong or embarassing about that. in the unlikely event I recognised a sports person, I'd have no reason to want a picture with them, but I might want a picture of me and a friend having a nice day out.
Yeah I didn't understand that one at all. Maybe she felt unrecognized, but I have no idea who she is. I've no interest in sports. Should I want her to get my autograph if she's never seen what I'm famous for? Oh wait, I'm not famous. Ha ha
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keep checking. Betting in a week there'll be 15-20+ pages
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I have a PhD in environmental science. I constantly get mansplained (yes, it's always guys) that I don't understand the science and that I don't understand that I've been hoodwinked about climate change. When I ask them to produce their sources they never can, but any legitimate scientific paper I refer them to is "fake".....
I don't see an option to add an image, but here's mine :-) sylvia-hop...79b382.jpg 
I'm not entirely sure why we're supposed to know or look up every person we come across online, or we're idiots? I admit, I'm not big on arguing about things I know nothing about with complete strangers, but there are plenty who do.. The person who just expects you to know they're an expert in whatever the topic is, is just as big an a*****e as the guy who thinks he's an expert and isn't. What happened to expecting sources, credentials, and proof? Or at least verifying your own damn credentials! I don't have the time or the inclination to look up every rando who comments on an article or tweet. Everyone needs to get over themselves, being "internet famous" on various sites, or in another obscure form, doesn't automatically make you well known.
I somewhat agree but not all of these examples are a case of obscurity and arrogance. They're more often cases of amusing irony. This article unnecessarily frames the whole set as "people making a fool of themselves".
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#12 isn't embarrassing. Trusting coaches, players, family, and friends for information about things like injuries it ridiculous. They have no incentive to tell the truth, and can only benefit from keeping bad news from leaking. The rest are pretty funny.
The irony is your comment is that it's a fantastic example of passive aggressiveness.
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#19 deserves no feature. Not here, anyway. She was doing the very same thing to someone else. Disqualified.
I noticed that the majority selected are of men doing something stupid. Noted the total (and deliberate) lack of balance. Stops it from being funny.
Yep, feminists are often guilty of selection bias.
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Richard Lindzen is a crackpot whos opinions are shared by nobody in the climate science community, and a physics degree is perfectly suitable for a valid opinion on the matter (protip: Earth is a planet). AAAAAnd for the punchline: Source: I've worked in the field writing software for atmospheric physics
Load More Replies... Much embarassing stuff here, but also much strange stuff. People asking for sources are just right. If you make claims, state the sources, as easy as it is...also big names make mistakes. In science, you can have a track record to the Mars, if the next article your write lacks essential references, it will be rejected, at least if submitted to serious outlets.
Agreed. There’s as much arrogance on the one side as there’s ignorance on the other. You’d think the scholars at least would understand the fallacy of argument from authority. But I guess that only applies to other people.
Load More Replies... don't see what's embarassing about 21. if you're not interested in sport, why would you recognise the person. they wanted a picture of the two of them, and asked a passer by. nothing wrong or embarassing about that. in the unlikely event I recognised a sports person, I'd have no reason to want a picture with them, but I might want a picture of me and a friend having a nice day out.
Yeah I didn't understand that one at all. Maybe she felt unrecognized, but I have no idea who she is. I've no interest in sports. Should I want her to get my autograph if she's never seen what I'm famous for? Oh wait, I'm not famous. Ha ha
Load More Replies... keep checking. Betting in a week there'll be 15-20+ pages
Load More Replies... I have a PhD in environmental science. I constantly get mansplained (yes, it's always guys) that I don't understand the science and that I don't understand that I've been hoodwinked about climate change. When I ask them to produce their sources they never can, but any legitimate scientific paper I refer them to is "fake".....
I don't see an option to add an image, but here's mine :-) sylvia-hop...79b382.jpg
I'm not entirely sure why we're supposed to know or look up every person we come across online, or we're idiots? I admit, I'm not big on arguing about things I know nothing about with complete strangers, but there are plenty who do.. The person who just expects you to know they're an expert in whatever the topic is, is just as big an a*****e as the guy who thinks he's an expert and isn't. What happened to expecting sources, credentials, and proof? Or at least verifying your own damn credentials! I don't have the time or the inclination to look up every rando who comments on an article or tweet. Everyone needs to get over themselves, being "internet famous" on various sites, or in another obscure form, doesn't automatically make you well known.
I somewhat agree but not all of these examples are a case of obscurity and arrogance. They're more often cases of amusing irony. This article unnecessarily frames the whole set as "people making a fool of themselves".
Load More Replies... #12 isn't embarrassing. Trusting coaches, players, family, and friends for information about things like injuries it ridiculous. They have no incentive to tell the truth, and can only benefit from keeping bad news from leaking. The rest are pretty funny.
The irony is your comment is that it's a fantastic example of passive aggressiveness.
Load More Replies... #19 deserves no feature. Not here, anyway. She was doing the very same thing to someone else. Disqualified.
I noticed that the majority selected are of men doing something stupid. Noted the total (and deliberate) lack of balance. Stops it from being funny.
Yep, feminists are often guilty of selection bias.
Load More Replies... Richard Lindzen is a crackpot whos opinions are shared by nobody in the climate science community, and a physics degree is perfectly suitable for a valid opinion on the matter (protip: Earth is a planet). AAAAAnd for the punchline: Source: I've worked in the field writing software for atmospheric physics
Load More Replies...