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“Don’t You Know Who I Am?”: 45 Times People Embarrassed Themselves By Not Realizing Who They Were Talking To (New Pics)
Many of us spend a decent chunk of our time following our favorite actors, musicians, and other public figures on social media and in the news. However, unless you happen to live in Hollywood, you probably don’t consider that you’ll ever run into these stars in person. However, Fate is fickle and has a good sense of humor.
Bored Panda has collected some of the most intriguing internet posts about folks accidentally meeting celebrities and talking to well-known people without even realizing who they were. Scroll down for a good dose of humor, confusion, and embarrassment. Enjoy the stories, and don’t forget to upvote your fave posts!
Entertainment, pop culture, and lifestyle expert Mike Sington, from Hollywood, was kind enough to share his thoughts on what to do if you recognize a celebrity only in the middle of your conversation. He also shared a few insights with Bored Panda on what stars should keep in mind while in public.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The ‘Nerve’ On This Guy…
"If I were in a situation where I was talking to a celebrity and didn't realize who they were, I would simply continue the conversation as if they were any other person," celebrity expert Mike, Hollywood's Ultimate Insider, told Bored Panda.
"I would treat them with the same respect and courtesy that I would extend to anyone else. If I eventually found out that they were a celebrity, I would still maintain a professional and respectful demeanor," he said.
"To avoid embarrassment in such a situation, it is important to focus on the conversation and the person you are speaking with, rather than their celebrity status. It is also helpful to keep an open mind and be prepared to learn from the experience."
RELATED:
#2
Matt Leblanc (Joey From Friends) On Meeting Younger Fans
#3
Rage Against The Barista
According to Mike, celebrities should always keep in mind that they're constantly in the public eye—fans can (and do) approach them at any time.
"They should be gracious and polite when interacting with fans, even if they are not feeling their best," the expert explained the right etiquette to us.
"Celebrities should also be aware of their surroundings and take steps to ensure their safety, such as traveling with security or being mindful of their personal space. Ultimately, celebrities have a responsibility to set a positive example for their fans and the public, and they should strive to do so in all their interactions, whether in public or private."
#4
Condescending People Are The Worst
Tricia Burcell 2 years ago
Bahaha!! This is glorious! Did he ask for a napkin to wipe the egg off his face?
#5
You Don’t Know Who Will Wheaton Is, Do You?
#6
Jeff Goldblum Pretends Not To Know Who Jeff Goldblum Is
It can be absolutely mortifying to realize that you’ve been speaking to a star without even realizing it—especially if you’ve said or done something foolish. And, look, the fact of the matter is that nobody really enjoys feeling like they’ve embarrassed themselves.
All of us want to be adored and respected by our peers (even if we sometimes pretend like we’re above it), so finding ourselves in a situation where we’ve made a mistake, in public, isn’t how we imagine having a good time. Imagine if someone famous you’ve been looking up to all of your life was to think you’re a tad weird. The horror! Fortunately, it’s not the end of the world.
#7
I Thought This Was A Good One, Spotted On My Twitter
Tricia Burcell 2 years ago
Everyone knows people who like fossils NEVER get tattoos. Unspoken rule. Apparently.
#8
Actually, It's Miss Doctor
k1ddkanuck 2 years ago
Love this. As a longtime bartender and manager with a masters degree, this makes me smile. I do still wish I went for the full Phd though..
#9
Random Person Explaining An Astronaut How Space Works
If you’re ever in an awkward situation, you essentially have three options open to you. You can ignore reality and desperately pretend that nothing embarrassing happened. You can quickly mumble an excuse and physically extract yourself from the situation (possibly replaying the interaction in your head all day afterward). Or you can do the mature but uncomfortable thing: slow down, feel whatever messy feelings and chaotic thoughts are raging inside you, and embrace them.
As we’ve covered on Bored Panda before, by accepting what’s happened and showing everyone that you were slightly embarrassed by it all, you’re (somewhat ironic) improving your reputation among the people who saw you mess up. It’s counterintuitive but it works! It also improves your emotional resilience.
#10
Lady Does A Good Swim
#11
What Would A 4-Times Olympian & Triple World Champion Athlete Know About Elite Athletics
Tricia Burcell 2 years ago
Each item in the list was an embarrassment bomb, and they all exploded delightfully!
We tend to like people more if they admit to their mistakes and have a good sense of humor. Contrast that with folks who are such perfectionists that they deny they’ve made any mistake at all. Or individuals who run away at the slightest sign of social discomfort. Honesty and straightforwardness will help you make more friends than pretense.
#13
In The Future, Everyone Will Be Tony Hawk For 15 Minutes
#14
How Dare You?
#15
Creating A Package Doesn't Mean You Are Familiar With It
Tricia Burcell 2 years ago
I can’t make it make sense, but I can offer a consolation. I’m sorry!
Besides, by dealing with your embarrassment here and now, you’re stopping it from strengthening and morphing into shame now. Better a bit of social discomfort and a quick apology to your fave celeb for being a clutz/jerk/having the emotional intelligence of a rusty spoon, than spending the next few years cringing every time you think back to what happened. By being humble and communicative, we have the power to solve quite a few issues!
#17
Tony Walks Into An Elevator…
#18
Worth Reading To The End.
Odds are that if you’re polite and say ‘sorry’ for any real or perceived slight, the celeb is bound to accept your apology. The best stars are graceful and gracious—they know that not everything will go smoothly in public, but they know how to stay cool under pressure. Besides, they probably know that not everyone will recognize them.
#19
Elon Musk Doesn't Know Who Garry Kasparov Is
#21
Algorithm
Tricia Burcell 2 years ago
Maybe they figure if he liked it enough to write it, he’ll like it enough to buy it?
The average person spends most of their time worrying about how others will perceive them instead of really noticing who’s around them. Tom Brady or Joe Biden might come into your coffee shop and you might not recognize them because they’re physically in a different context than you’re used to seeing them, so you think they’re simply lookalikes.
#22
Main Character Syndrome
#23
Just Found This One In The Wild
#24
Jack Monroe Has A Tony Hawk Moment (With A Happy Ending For A Change)
Or they might be wearing clothes that you’re not seeing them in. In short, we don’t live our lives expecting to stumble across Barack Obama or Tony Hawk while we’re out shopping for groceries. But if you do spot them, be courteous, treat them like any other human being (i.e. be polite and kind), but feel free to compliment their work and/or achievements if you feel it's appropriate. Don't gush, but don't be aloof, either.
#25
Orbital Police
#26
Youtuber Told To Watch Her Own Channel
#27
Italian Researcher Getting Sent His Own Article About Grafene By Antivaxxers :)
We’d love to hear some of your own stories about meeting well-known people you didn’t even realize were (semi)famous, dear Pandas. Drop by the comments to share your experiences. And we’re curious about which of these posts you enjoyed the most. Be sure to share your opinions.
For some more stories about people who had no idea who the heck they were talking to, check out Bored Panda's earlier post right over here.
#28
Tony Can’t Catch A Break
Tricia Burcell 2 years ago
Yep, they both have wheels and are extreme sports, so it obviously counts.
#29
On A Twitter Post About A Woman Claiming To Have Seizures From The Vaccine
AnkleByter 2 years ago
Without seeing the rest of the convo, I can't judge this one. I once had a doctor tell me something wasn't a seizure because, and I quote "they don't look like that". The child in question could have died, and the doctor in question had a big ego that couldn't be tested, apparenrly. Doctors aren't gods folks, they get s**t wrong too!
Lolly Gagger 2 years ago
Absolutely agree with you. They both have reasonable creditials as far as recognising a seizure, goes. I (and RN) remember watching a new-to-babies doctor freak out and try to start all sorts of interventions claiming a baby was having a seizure while several of us nurses (who had been with the baby for ages and knew her well) were all saying repeatedly “No she’s breathing. That’s how she breathes”.
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Celesta 2 years ago
Okay, but there ARE numerous types of seizures, ranging from grand Mal (the kind you immediately think of as a seizure) to toral stillness like staring into space. Just bc she's a doctor doesn't make her right. I saw many doctors over 15 years before one figured out the reason I kept passing out was part of my brain is hanging out of my skull.
StitchIsCuteAndFluffy 2 years ago
I’m actually doing some research on seizures since I’m (attempting) to write a book, and one of the main characters has seizures. They’re not full seizures — he has atonic seizures, which means his muscles sort of go slack and can cause him to fall to the ground. Not necessarily lose consciousness. And not shaking on the ground either like more severe-type seizures.
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GhostlySnail (she/her) 2 years ago
Yeah, 20 years isn’t good enough. You have to, like, google it or something. /s
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Sarah E Cofer 2 years ago
Doctors egos cause a lot of problems sometimes. I got a brain infection in 2007 that damaged the myelin sheat coating the nerves in my brain which primarily thus far ever since has shown via trigeminal neuralgia and occipital neuralgia on the right side of my face and head. Fast forward to 2016 and Im having a week long pain attack that my boyfriend finally forced me to go to hospital for since Id taken 70 or 80 ibuprofen in less than 24 hours and he was worried Id damage my organs. So the ER doctor leaves me crying/half screaming in pain in the empty waiting room for 8 hours. ....so long so that I took another 8 ibuprofen trying to ease the pain while waiting..... So by the time they take me back I can no longer sign in because my arm and fingers have become so weak I cant grip the pen....which rarely happens nowadays but I couldnt write at all for 3 years after my TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY because it hurt to grip a pen and my handwriting was changed forever. So the ER doctor
Sarah E Cofer 2 years ago
Proceeds to tell me that Im lying about having a trigeminal neuralgia attack because it wouldnt affect my arm or fingers and then writes me a prescription for IBUPROFEN 800. Not once did she ask about my medical history even though it says in the hospital medical info that I had a traumatic brain injury in 2007 and that I have trigeminal neuralgia. I was diagnosed by a neurologist from Cedars Sinai in Newport Beach, CA on Sunday, July 22nd, 2007 ar 7:55pm because the neurologist, Dr. Nguyen, by chance was filling in for my primary care doctor who was on vacation for the weekend.
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#30
A Pleasant Twitter Interaction
#31
Telling Middle East Politics Expert To Learn Something About The Region
#32
Telling A Comic Book Writer To Get A Real Job
#33
Yeah, Scott‘S A Well Known Microsoft Mvp With A Long History In Tech (And With Ms), But Sure He Doesn‘T Know Anything About Windows
#34
Tony Hawk Truly Is The King Of This Sub
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
I think I visit these lists just to read the Tony Hawk stories. I LOVE THEM.
#35
On A Post About How Amusement Parks Should Raise Their Wages.
#36
What Could Go Wrong Arguing With The Creator Of Deadpool?
#37
Well Someone Wasn't Paying Attention
#38
A Pretty Wholesome One
LavenderHippoInAJar 2 years ago
See, the thing about opposite day, is that it would manage everything, including itself! So opposite day would be the opposite of opposite day, which is just a normal day.
#39
British Tennis Player Gets Mistaken... For Himself
#40
An Unfortunate Mistake
#41
I Think He'd Be Pretty Disappointed If He Didn't See The Lead Singer Of The Band In There
Henrik Schmidt 2 years ago
But how would the guy know that? He clearly says "Mask & hat in place". I wouldn't be embarrassed if I didn't recognize someone when they were wearing both a hat and a mask.
#42
How Do You Know?
#43
It’s Always A Kevin
#44
‘You Know Nothing About Game Development’ To A Certified Twitter Account For An Indie Dev After He Carefully Explained Why Nfts In Games Would Be Troublesome At Best.
OmBoyGanesh 2 years ago (edited)
I’m contributing & assisting with a 5-year (Dutch) research project on gaming & neuroplasticity in people over 50. In game dev, Rami is a leader and if it it wasn’t for his unique ability to translate technical jargon into everyday language, i & many others would be clueless. In addition to creating several games, he was a recipient at Uitblinkerslunch, an ambassador to the Game Devs Choice Awards, a Forbes 30 Under 30 and has many other accolades. He’s royalty in game dev. and making a name for himself in game theory. Also, a really nice, funny & extremely intelligent person.
#45
He Tried. Bless
#46
User Tells Nfl Player To Take A Class In Economics. Well...
#47
She Could Have Clicked To Check His Bio Before Asking. Would Have Saved Her Some Time Too.
#48
On A Thread Of People Arguing That Scots Isn’t A Language. Apologies For The Scrappy Censoring.
#49
Mit Graduate Gets To Show Off His Stem Degrees
#50
Have You Seen The Wire?
#51
Advice On Getting Somewhere “Substantial” For The Person Who Wrote The Book On Rust Programming
#55
On An Article About Nuclear Submarines
#57
Apparently Pro Rugby Player Ian Madigan Is Not Qualified To Comment On A Match He Played In
#58
One Of The Early Developers Of The Go Programming Language Is Being Told By A Recruiter They Can Teach Him Go If He Doesn‘T Know It Yet
#60
Someone's Quick To Call People Racist
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
Yeeah SE Asian cuisine... I, unfortunately suck at it. Dang Rice... I'm horrid - ALL manual dexterity leaves me. I cave to the pressure and ask for the chopsticks.
#61
Been A Wild Couple Weeks On The Internet. Vax Experts To Geopolitical Experts To Nuclear Experts All In 2 Weeks.
#63
Musk Fan Trying To Shut Down Famous Computer Scientist
Tucker Cahooter 2 years ago
Nice understatement. I only have a cursory knowledge of UML but even I recognised Grady Booch
#65
Mark Is An Openly Gay Media Analyst And Writer
#66
Yes, Mister Edward. Do You Think You Have What It Takes To Be Hated?
OmBoyGanesh 2 years ago
My 8yo knows who Snowden is and what transpired. I mean, he watched Citizen Four of his own volition, but still. . .not knowing anything about Snowden seems beyond clueless.
#68
Yer A Wizard Harry (Rip Mr. Coltrane)
Tree sticker 2 years ago
He still kinda sucked tho... Like so mad at a CHILD about his dad 'stealing' his mom?
#70
Re: Alec Baldwin
#72
Mike Offers An Engineering Role To Microsoft Azure Cto
#79
Ethan Hein, Who Has A Doctorate In Music Education, Was Recommended His Own Blog In Response To His Post In R/Musictheory
#80
Gravely Ill Son Of A Leader Of The Human Genome Project Is Advised To “Run A Genetic Test”
#81
This Community Doesn’t Allow Crossposts. You Can Skim/Skip Most Of The Original Post, The Gold Is In The Comments
#82
Guy Thinks Ops Art Looks Similar To A Popular Artist. Op Is The Artist
#83
One Of These People Definitely Don’t Do Their Research
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
Whoo hoo!!!! PABLO SCHREIIBEEER!!!! BC Boy represent! :D (my gawd... I wonder if Wikipedia is lying about where he was born... tried looking up the... er... hamlet? - it's... rather uninhabited looking...)
#84
Arrogantly Told The Author To Read Some Nietzsche, Not Knowing The Author Wrote A Whole Book About Nietzsche
#85
What Qualifies This Astrophysicist To Be A Spokesperson About A Moon Landing???
#88
Congressman Complained That Aoc Won… To Aoc
Ken Beattie 2 years ago
Well, they're entitled to their opinions, but the fact that he didn't even realise who he was talking with pretty much reinforces the idea that they need age limits on politicians.
#93
“You Know Nothing About Crypto.” I Created Crypto
Just another idiot 2 years ago
I'm not even going to pretend to understand Blockchain or crypto. Which is why I would never comment on it. I missed the bus on it entirely. LOL
#96
Do You Understand E Of Economy?
#97
Poor Joel
never-wake-up (fae/faer) 2 years ago
I just have to defend Bo there because Art is Dead is a beautiful song lol. As i hear it, it’s a song about being a full-time artist and the guilt that comes with it, and about his struggles with mental health about which he is quite open about. It’s different from his other works because it is not a comedy song and it is much more serious, that doesn’t mean it’s pedantic
#99
Telling The Director Of Shazam What Is In His Own Movie
Ken Beattie 2 years ago (edited)
Man, now I want to know what the scene actually was. edit: https://www.gamesradar.com/shazam-mandela-effect-has-everyone-wondering-about-the-movies-post-credits-scene/ Something about the kids taking seats in thrones and an empty one leading to speculation about Black Adam.
#101
I Wonder If Dan Is Into Rivals?
OmBoyGanesh 2 years ago
Yes, Dan Fornace is the game designer of RoA. Before that he worked for Microsoft Studios designing games.
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Old Roadie 2 years ago (edited)
Dad was at a gig, and on break he sat next to an older man on park bench. 'Hi there, I'm ***** , what do you do for a living?' Old man smiled and said... 'Oh, I'm a salesman.' I watched from a distance as they had a friendly animated conversation before Dad went back to the stage. After the gig, I mentioned the guy on the bench and Dad said 'Oh, the salesman? Great guy.' It was Sam Walton, founder of WalMart. Yeah... he was a salesman alright.
Rose the Cook 2 years ago
You aren't the only one who has never heard of a lot of them.
Load More Replies...
Der Kommissar 2 years ago (edited)
Andy Kaufman used to be a busboy once a week at Jerry's Famous Deli in Studio City, CA. He said he worked there to keep him grounded. As he was on Taxi, he was recognized constantly. When people would tell him he looked like Andy Kaufman, he would tell them that " yeah, I get that all the time "
Janelle Collard 2 years ago
There was a story about the late Queen Elizabeth II when she was out walking + a lady said, "You look awfully like the Queen." And the Queen said, "How very reassuring."
Cat Chat 2 years ago
My surname is different so know way these people would know: Was on a field trip once and my teacher was going on about "one of the best Senators our state has ever had. Senator was my great-uncle. Years later, the doctor I worked with was telling me this patient I just brought back (the first time he had come in since I started working there) and how he had a tough time as commonly being referred to "the brother of Senator (name)" instead of his own name. I was like "yep, I know. They're both my great-uncles".
Dee Osbourne 2 years ago
I think Tony Hawk got away with a few of these, then every rando that thought they were famous just made up stories in the same style
Consequential_mishaps 2 years ago
Can somebody please recognise this tony hawk guy just once so he can stop making up these stories about how no one recognises him and give us peace.
Katie Lutesinger 2 years ago
I was in Melbourne for a Supanova pop culture convention, and on the morning of the first day I went to the hotel where the other guests were staying (I had taken a room at the youth hostel nearby because the hotel was too expensive for me), so I could catch the shuttle bus with them. In the lobby I looked around for any fellow guests and overheard a guy speaking in an American accent who seemed a likely candidate. I went over to him and said "oh hey, are you here for the convention?" He said yes he was. Then I suddenly realised who I was talking to. It was Ron Glass.
Old Roadie 2 years ago (edited)
Dad was at a gig, and on break he sat next to an older man on park bench. 'Hi there, I'm ***** , what do you do for a living?' Old man smiled and said... 'Oh, I'm a salesman.' I watched from a distance as they had a friendly animated conversation before Dad went back to the stage. After the gig, I mentioned the guy on the bench and Dad said 'Oh, the salesman? Great guy.' It was Sam Walton, founder of WalMart. Yeah... he was a salesman alright.
Rose the Cook 2 years ago
You aren't the only one who has never heard of a lot of them.
Load More Replies... Der Kommissar 2 years ago (edited)
Andy Kaufman used to be a busboy once a week at Jerry's Famous Deli in Studio City, CA. He said he worked there to keep him grounded. As he was on Taxi, he was recognized constantly. When people would tell him he looked like Andy Kaufman, he would tell them that " yeah, I get that all the time "
Janelle Collard 2 years ago
There was a story about the late Queen Elizabeth II when she was out walking + a lady said, "You look awfully like the Queen." And the Queen said, "How very reassuring."
Cat Chat 2 years ago
My surname is different so know way these people would know: Was on a field trip once and my teacher was going on about "one of the best Senators our state has ever had. Senator was my great-uncle. Years later, the doctor I worked with was telling me this patient I just brought back (the first time he had come in since I started working there) and how he had a tough time as commonly being referred to "the brother of Senator (name)" instead of his own name. I was like "yep, I know. They're both my great-uncles".
Dee Osbourne 2 years ago
I think Tony Hawk got away with a few of these, then every rando that thought they were famous just made up stories in the same style
Consequential_mishaps 2 years ago
Can somebody please recognise this tony hawk guy just once so he can stop making up these stories about how no one recognises him and give us peace.
Katie Lutesinger 2 years ago
I was in Melbourne for a Supanova pop culture convention, and on the morning of the first day I went to the hotel where the other guests were staying (I had taken a room at the youth hostel nearby because the hotel was too expensive for me), so I could catch the shuttle bus with them. In the lobby I looked around for any fellow guests and overheard a guy speaking in an American accent who seemed a likely candidate. I went over to him and said "oh hey, are you here for the convention?" He said yes he was. Then I suddenly realised who I was talking to. It was Ron Glass.
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