# Do You Know Anyone Famous? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530 "2002-09-15T08:27:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/1 "2002-09-15T08:27:46Z")
I know some hungry hamsters. Is that good enough? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/2 "2002-09-15T09:37:42Z")
How famous? \<-----------------this famous-----------------\> ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/3 "2002-09-15T10:27:29Z")
Ok, a little more serious. I think the most you’ll get here are low rung celebrities. If anybody knew anyone famous currently I doubt they’d talk about it. I do happen to know one low rung celebrity, my uncle Helios Creed, his stage name. You can find him on Amazon. He was much more famous in the mid to early 80s then he is now. Although he still makes music. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/4 "2002-09-15T11:11:11Z")
I can claim two science fiction writers as friends, William Tenn, and William H. Keith, Jr. That’s about it, I’m afraid. CJ ---
**Author:** ![vertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ec8ea/32.png) [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/5 "2002-09-15T11:54:48Z")
I’m famous. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/6 "2002-09-15T14:54:28Z")
I know a lot of famous people cuz my gf is a producer. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/7 "2002-09-15T17:23:59Z")
I NEVER thought I would post this on this or any other message board. My former stepfather (my mother’s second ex-husband) is very famous indeed. It is the Big Secret of my life. 99% of people who have learned who he is then react differently to me. Very differently. It becomes the single most interesting fact about me, considering I am not very interesting otherwise. I hate this, hate it, hate it, hate it. People become just awful, pressing me for information, asking about the divorce (which was very public, and horrible), asking about my current relationship with him, asking if I can introduce them, help them get into “the business”, etc. (Believe me, if I knew how to get into the business, I’d be in it myself.) One lady, a stranger, found out not too long ago. She wanted to touch me, kept rubbing my arm to “make it rub off on her.” What “it” was, I didn’t know, although I’ve since decided “it” is just the aura of celebrity. Can I go puke now? Once I was at a party and the host found out “who I was” - who my stepfather was - and announced it to everybody. I was then mobbed, not because of who I am, but because of who I know. I locked myself in the bathroom for hours. :eek: Perhaps other people would deal with this situation far better than I have over the years. It disgusts me how people change when they learn this little footnote of my personal history. They become greedy, leering, weird. The only people who know are very close friends who are either in the same boat, more or less, or who are immune to the charms of mere fame. I recently realized how strong my friendship is with a certain girl who brought it up (in an appropriate context) after having known for so long I completely forget she ever knew. When I realized she had not made a big deal - or even a peep - about it for 15 years or so, it made me love her so much. She just didn’t care, except inasfar as how the relationship affects me personally. This is how friends should act. Presumably some people would enjoy the position I’m in, and I’m sure many would handle it far better. I’m not good at this sort of thing. My mother and I always did dodge the cameras. (Until she was smeared all over the tabloid press during the divorce. She found out which of her neighbors were her friends during that period, let me tell you.) Anyway, being quite close to fame pretty much sucks, if you’re not into fame. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/8 "2002-09-15T17:45:49Z")
I don’t know anyone famous, but two of the girls from _Neighbours_ (a crappy Australian soap) go to my former high school. So did the girl who played the main character in _Ocean Girl_. Wooh. Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/9 "2002-09-15T18:26:31Z")
Last october i met Ralph Nader. He is famous; though i don’t exactly _know_ him. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/10 "2002-09-15T18:41:45Z")
My ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend is an Academy Award winning actress. I used to hear a lot about her before I found out who she was. It was kind of weird when I’d see one of her movies rerun on TV. I just found out that a friend is a friend of Chelsea Clinton’s. I know a guy in No Doubt. That’s the best I can come up with. ---
**Author:** ![neisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4bbf92/32.png) [@neisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neisha)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/11 "2002-09-15T19:56:22Z")
Masonite, I give up. Who is your 2nd stepfather, or whatever. I can’t imagine anyone willing to touch your arm just because of him, unless he was Jesus and I know it’s not. So, please tell… ---
**Author:** ![agentfroot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@agentfroot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agentfroot)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/12 "2002-09-15T21:45:10Z")
I’m with CJ, and I know several other authors - Tamora Pierce, Lawrence Connelly, Wen Spencer, Paul Pence, Mary Soon Lee, and a whole bunch of others (I met them at a writing workshop and SF convention this summer). I also met John Stamos when I was 11 (woohoo!). ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/13 "2002-09-15T21:52:41Z")
I’ll mention…I have a cousin who has a reasonably prominent part on a popular soap opera. I’ve been so paranoid that she’ll only think I’m interested in her life because she’s (somewhat) famous that I have avoided her altogether and now I am utterly out of touch with her. A couple of my other cousins who are closer in age to her AND live in the same city as her (she’s about 10 years younger than I) have had to change their AIM information/screen names because her fans would get in touch with them (same last name; the only reason mine’s different is I’m married) and then **revile** them for not giving these total strangers her phone number/email addy/what have you. Personally, I 100% support **Masonite** ’s decision to keep that private. Being vague about a famous relative (or ex-relative) isn’t being coy; it’s preservation of sanity. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/14 "2002-09-15T23:43:24Z")
Just so’s you know, this OP has been asked here before, with interesting results. Try the search option! Not chastising you, just mentioning it. I think it’s a fun topic, for some reason, and I suppose resurrecting it every few months nabs a few more new people. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/15 "2002-09-16T00:23:29Z")
Yeah. I thought the same thing as **The Bad Astronomer**. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll do so again. One of the members of the Canadian Olympic basketball team used to go to my junior high school. He and I were friends for a few years until we went to different high schools. I actually met his sister-in-law (who also used to go to the junior high) waitressing in a local restaurant a couple of years ago. That was certainly interesting. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/16 "2002-09-16T00:44:22Z")
Hmm…I knew Shari Lewis when she was still alive. Of course, I was about eight the last time I saw her… ---
**Author:** ![flabbygirlyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@flabbygirlyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flabbygirlyman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/17 "2002-09-16T00:49:35Z")
I used to live in the Henry Hudson Hotel in Manhattan. Every day in the elevator , I would run into Nipsey Russell, who also lived there. Also,actor Ben Gazzara used to use the health club in the basement . ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/18 "2002-09-16T00:57:50Z")
I always click on these links with such high expectiations. I really ought to learn. While I can totally accept masonites reasoning, I have to ask what the point in posting this was. > [@](#): > > My ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend is an Academy Award winning actress… I mean, 99% of people reading this don’t know who you are, and I am guessing any of them who both know who you are and know you well enough to know who the ex-boyf is, already _know_ who the celeb is… Iteki - feeling done out on salacious celeb gossip ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/19 "2002-09-16T00:59:29Z")
Oh crap, did that ever sound snippy?! Not meant so, meant more sort of sighing… No harm intended. ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530/20 "2002-09-16T01:06:11Z")
My kid goes to kindergarten with the kid of the drummer from Dream Theater! Also, I used to know a guy who used to bang Beverlie D’Angelo! Also, I had a friend who used to do some sort of pesticite spraying and he shows up at some apartment complex in Park Ridge, NJ to do a job and John Travolta opens the door. Apparently it was Travolta’s aunt’s apartment and he was helping out. Go figure. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-famous/128530.md?page=2)