# Do you know who Freddie Mercury is/was? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718 "2012-04-23T18:08:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/101 "2012-04-24T11:14:37Z")
> [@SticksAndString](#): > > Not only do I know who Freddie Mercury is/was, but I read awhile back that they’re making a biopic with Sascha Baron Cohen as Freddie. > > I wanted to cry. I mean, c’mon..REALLY? They couldn’t find anybody better than BORAT to play Freddie Mercury? :facepalm: In fairness, now that I think of it, there **is** some physical resemblance. And I’m sure SBC can play a “straight” dramatic role. At least this way they’ll probably be _forced_ to use the original soundtrack… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/102 "2012-04-24T13:09:58Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Without Googling, asking a friend, or reading the responses in this thread. > > A couple days ago I posted this on my FB page: > > Suddenly, I started getting the most bizarre responses: > > 😕 > > Now, I only have about 30 people on my FB list – just family members, with which I use FB to keep in touch. I wouldn’t have guessed there was that much ignorance in such a small group of people, especially considering that group of people is predominately college-educated 30-somethings. > Has it really been that long? > > Do _you_ know who Freddie Mercury is/was? I do. Saw him in L.A. for the News of the World Tour. Have a copy of the Wembley Stadium concert. Wish he were still here to squash the posers who _think_ they are frontmen. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/103 "2012-04-24T14:09:10Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > In fairness, now that I think of it, there **is** some physical resemblance. > > And I’m sure SBC can play a “straight” dramatic role. At least this way they’ll probably be _forced_ to use the original soundtrack… 🙂 Yeah, I think that SBC would be a great fit, personally. Because of this thread, I was looking at pictures and concerts of Freddy Mercury yesterday, and I was just thinking that he looks a bit like SBC. I had no idea he was considered for a role in a Queen biopic. Like you, I think he’d do fine in a dramatic role. He has at least some theatre acting experience from college, and it’d be nice to see him in a different role. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/104 "2012-04-24T14:29:03Z")
Now, hell yes. At the time he died, when I was in high school, much to me present embarassment, no. My friends were in shock and mourning, and I was like, “Isn’t he just a drummer or something?” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/105 "2012-04-24T15:48:36Z")
I know the name. I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. ---
**Author:** ![crookedteeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@crookedteeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crookedteeth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/106 "2012-04-24T18:14:24Z")
I know who he is, and I was born in 88. Of course, my father raised me on a steady diet of rock music (and some rock music education). Much of the music was from the 70’s and 80’s, and I remember singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody when I was younger. I probably knew Freddie Mercury by the time I was in middle school. Of course I doubt that half of my friends would know who he is or be able to tell you anything about Queen. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/107 "2012-04-24T22:49:48Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > I do. Saw him in L.A. for the News of the World Tour. Have a copy of the Wembley Stadium concert. > > Wish he were still here to squash the posers who _think_ they are frontmen. I saw “Queen + Paul Rogers” when they came through town 2005-ish and Paul Rogers is a fine performer, but he didn’t seem to get that no one was there to see him. I like bad company and they played a few bad company songs and I enjoyed them, but whenever one of the original members was laying down an extended solo he could have NOT jumped around waving his arms doing a “look at me look at me! I’m special! Look at me!” move. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/108 "2012-04-24T23:24:21Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I know the name. I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. Oh, I think you could. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/109 "2012-04-24T23:35:53Z")
😃 This thread has inspired me to go on a Queen binge on Youtube. Gods, I love to watch that man move. 41, known who he was since I was a tot. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/110 "2012-04-24T23:50:31Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > He was in the Village People, right? And did the theme to Buck Rogers? Queen did the the theme to \* Flash Gordon\* as far as I can remember: FLASH! AH\_ AAH! ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/111 "2012-04-25T05:17:21Z")
Yes. One of the first albums I ever got when I was twelve, in 1980, was Queen’s _The Game_. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/112 "2012-04-25T05:24:06Z")
Yes, Freddie was the cornerstone of Queen and was all over MTV in 90s. How can anyone forget “I want to break free” or the LIVE AID concerts? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/113 "2012-04-25T10:45:12Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I assumed that people just knew who he was, even if they didn’t grow up the 70’s or listen to Queen. I don’t like Queen and wasn’t born until the late 70s, but I know who he is. Mostly because of how he died, though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/114 "2012-04-25T14:55:50Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I took my kids to go see Wayne’s World. At the point where the guys are singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the car; I started to sing along. My son looks over at me and says: “I thought you said you haven’t seen this movie before?” My wife is an elementary-school teacher. When the movie was popular, the kids in her class would sometimes sing the song…they were stunned when she began to sing along. They were even more stunned to learn that the song was over 15 years old (at that time). ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/115 "2012-04-26T04:46:30Z")
I’m randomly listening to Freddy Fuckin’ Mecury on youtube as I’m surfing the dope. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/116 "2012-04-26T06:04:47Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Do _you_ know who Freddie Mercury is/was? Of course I know who Freddie Mercury was. Anyone my age who doesn’t have at least one Queen record (as in, on vinyl) somewhere just ain’t normal. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/117 "2012-04-26T13:21:34Z")
Born in 54, and goddamn I know who he was. But who wants to live for ever ? When love must die ! ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/118 "2012-04-26T21:40:00Z")
Yes, of course! Graduated HS in '75. I was listening to Queen today at work, coincidentally. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/119 "2012-04-26T21:58:46Z")
Was he as gay as a daffodil? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/120 "2012-04-27T00:32:35Z")
> [@Damfino](#): > > Queen did the the theme to \* Flash Gordon\* as far as I can remember: FLASH! AH\_ AAH! That woosh you just heard wasn’t the hawkmen flying by! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718.md?page=7)