# Famous people or organizations you'd never heard of until they engaged in something controversial. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649 "2009-11-23T16:08:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/1 "2009-11-23T16:08:48Z")
I remember the first time my wife told me that Jon and Kate were having marital problems, I said “Who?” I was vaguely aware of their show on TLC, as my wife liked to watch it every once in a while, but I had never paid much attention to the people in it until their marriage started going down the toilet. Also, before September 2008 I had never heard of ACORN. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/2 "2009-11-23T16:32:28Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > I remember the first time my wife told me that Jon and Kate were having marital problems, I said “Who?” I was vaguely aware of their show on TLC, as my wife liked to watch it every once in a while, but I had never paid much attention to the people in it until their marriage started going down the toilet. Never heard of those two until about March of this year. I have never heard of 80% of the hosts on this year’s Saturday Night Lives. January Jones? Blake Lively? Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Ryan Reynolds? Gerard Butler? I recognize the name Taylor Swift, but that’s it. I’m anxiously awaiting the next fake celebrities lined up for hosting gigs, including Art Valdelay and I.P. Freely. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/3 "2009-11-23T17:15:51Z")
Regretfully, I had heard of John & Kate before their marriage breakdown. Mrs. Homie used to think that show was the greatest thing since sliced bread. :smack: Had never heard of ACORN until their association (however tenuous) with Obama came up. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/4 "2009-11-23T17:22:15Z")
Who is Sarah Palin? Is she a porn star (cuz I keep hearing references about MILF)? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/5 "2009-11-23T17:46:09Z")
Definitely John & Kate & ACORN. And usually, when some celebrity is arrested for drugs or domestic abuse, my reaction is “Who?” ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/6 "2009-11-23T23:10:02Z")
There’s also Paris Hilton. I had no idea who she was until the sex tape came out. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/7 "2009-11-24T03:31:03Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I have never heard of 80% of the hosts on this year’s Saturday Night Lives. January Jones? Blake Lively? Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Ryan Reynolds? Gerard Butler? I recognize the name Taylor Swift, but that’s it. I’m anxiously awaiting the next fake celebrities lined up for hosting gigs, including Art Valdelay and I.P. Freely. I think that may reflect simply the fractured media world we live in. I only knew about half of them off-hand and yet all have been in at least one successful movie. And most have starred in fairly popular multi-season TV shows. Excepting of course Taylor Swift who is a multi-platinum country singer. So I’m not sure I would call them “fake celebrities”. 🙂 That’s a problem of a world with 500+ channels, the proliferation of celebrity. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/8 "2009-11-24T03:40:08Z")
> [@Bartman](#): > > Excepting of course Taylor Swift who is a multi-platinum country singer. … who can’t sing. The wonders of [technology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Tune). ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/9 "2009-11-24T05:04:28Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > … who can’t sing. The wonders of [technology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Tune). Tell me about it. I had assumed she was associated with American Idol in some way up until the moment she sang her Monologue Song. Then I realized she wasn’t good enough to be a top finisher on American Idol. Ooh, but I thought of another one: Perez Hilton. I had assumed he was a sister of Paris Hilton because I only saw the name in the Yahoo Entertainment News sidebar, associated with saying stupid/inflammatory things. It was only when there was all that coverage of the Miss USA pageant what with all the “opposite marriage” talk that I understood he is a dude. Well, not really a dude, but has a Y chromosome, and has nothing to do with the hotel fortune. I think. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/10 "2009-11-24T12:19:03Z")
Rihanna and whoever her boyfriend/beater/publicist is. hh ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/11 "2009-11-24T13:05:09Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > There’s also Paris Hilton. I had no idea who she was until the sex tape came out. This is what I was going to say, along with Kim Kardashian, who I only know of because they make fun of her on The Soup. I use The Soup to stay in general touch with the sleazy news-makers that I detest. Am I the only one who does this? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/12 "2009-11-24T15:04:39Z")
I, uh, really like Blake Lively because she was in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies. I don’t-watch Gossip Girl when I crochet because I like her so much. Don’t tell anybody. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/13 "2009-11-24T15:16:02Z")
Chris Brown. I vaguely knew who Rihanna was, but I had no idea he even existed until it came out that he beat her up. And yes, I am kind of proud of this. ---
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/14 "2009-11-24T15:18:14Z")
I like to thiink I keep up with Spanish music and such (even the Mexican Regional stuff) but I had never heard of Selena until she was murdered. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/15 "2009-11-24T15:22:14Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I have never heard of 80% of the hosts on this year’s Saturday Night Lives. January Jones? Blake Lively? Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Ryan Reynolds? Gerard Butler? I recognize the name Taylor Swift, but that’s it. I’m anxiously awaiting the next fake celebrities lined up for hosting gigs, including Art Valdelay and I.P. Freely. How could you not know who Ryan Reynolds is? _Van Wilder? Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place? Just Friends? Waiting?_ That guy is in _everything._ > [@Livardo](#): > > I like to thiink I keep up with Spanish music and such (even the Mexican Regional stuff) but I had never heard of Selena until she was murdered. I had never heard of her until the movie came out… but I pay no attention to Spanish music at all. ETA: I had a vague memory of raising an eyebrow when I heard Adam “Pacman” Jones’ name during the NFL draft, then I totally forgot about him until he threw $80,000 around at a strip club and picked a fight with the bouncer or something. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/16 "2009-11-24T15:37:49Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Chris Brown. I vaguely knew who Rihanna was, but I had no idea he even existed until it came out that he beat her up. And yes, I am kind of proud of this. Me too. Entertainment Weekly, which I read, pushed Rhianna for awhile, so I knew that she existed. I have never heard her music, though. I had no idea who Chris Brown is, and I still don’t outside the abuse. Is he a rapper or pop star? ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/17 "2009-11-24T15:44:31Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How could you not know who Ryan Reynolds is? _Van Wilder? Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place? Just Friends? Waiting?_ That guy is in _everything._ Also, if you’ve seen a romantic comedy the past five years (my wife drags me to them all the time) there’s a good chance he was in it. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/18 "2009-11-24T15:45:40Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > I like to thiink I keep up with Spanish music and such (even the Mexican Regional stuff) but I had never heard of Selena until she was murdered. I read somewhere that Selena didn’t speak a word of Spanish until she started singing Tejano music. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/19 "2009-11-24T15:47:00Z")
Michael Vick and Plaxico Burris. But I don’t follow sports at all. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/20 "2009-11-24T15:50:42Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Me too. Entertainment Weekly, which I read, pushed Rhianna for awhile, so I knew that she existed. I have never heard her music, though. > > I had no idea who Chris Brown is, and I still don’t outside the abuse. > > Is he a rapper or pop star? He’s sort of an R&B/hip-hop crossover type. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649.md?page=2)