# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/21 "2009-11-24T15:55:59Z")
That drugged out girl whose name I am blanking on right now. Amy Winehouse? I still don’t know what she does. Just that she is so far on drugs I feel sorry for her and that her dad is maybe frustrated about her, or maybe has given up. ---
**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, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/22 "2009-11-24T15:58:00Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I read somewhere that Selena didn’t speak a word of Spanish until she started singing Tejano music. That’s what the movie said. I saw interviews in Spanish as well and she clearly struggled with the language. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/23 "2009-11-24T15:58:10Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I read somewhere that Selena didn’t speak a word of Spanish until she started singing Tejano music. According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selena), she started singing at age six. I’d bet she spoke Spanish as long as she could speak English… ETA : Well, who knows? Maybe not. Joe ---
**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, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/24 "2009-11-24T16:13:26Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selena), she started singing at age six. I’d bet she spoke Spanish as long as she could speak English… > > ETA : Well, who knows? Maybe not. > > Joe There are a lot of Hispanics who can understand Spanish just fine, having heard relatives converse in it, but just can’t speak it very well themselves because outside the home (and often even within the home, depending on how assimilated their parents are) they don’t have any reason to use it. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/25 "2009-11-24T16:28:17Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > 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. Same here. Didn’t quite know who he was (although I clued in that he’s a “blogger” and that can make someone famous nowadays depending on how popular your blog is) and figured he had to do with Paris as well. It was just recenlty I was reading Perez’ Wikipedia entry and found out that “Perez Hilton” is actually his nom de net, his real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. (changed to Perez Hilton because of his apparent admiration for Paris Hilton) ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/26 "2009-11-24T16:56:12Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > 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? I am right there with you. I love The Soup because it distills out the stuff worth mocking and it keeps me relatively up to date around the watercooler. ---
**Author:** ![PhilFoglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@PhilFoglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilFoglio)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/27 "2013-06-27T21:42:09Z")
I never heard of Zebra Humor until the Something Awful article: > **[Zebra Humor (Thanks, A. Tyrannosaurus!)](https://www.somethingawful.com/awful-links/zebra-humor/)** > > What's black and white and red all over? Zebra Humor! Now I can’t live without zebra jokes! I might steal some for my mc gig. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/28 "2013-06-28T00:08:03Z")
Paula Deen. I honestly had never heard of her until a few days ago. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/29 "2013-06-28T00:35:29Z")
Andrew Lincoln. Apparently he’s a supporter of Shelter, the British charity for the homeless. He’s also on some TV show I’ve never seen. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/30 "2013-06-28T00:37:39Z")
… charities for the homeless are controversial? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/31 "2013-06-28T00:45:18Z")
I imagine there are plenty of people who don’t follow football and had never heard of Aaron Hernandez before this week. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/32 "2013-06-28T00:46:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > … charities for the homeless are controversial? It’s not the charity, it’s the way he supports them. Apparently, his “stomp on a kitten to end homelessness” drive was not well received. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/33 "2013-06-28T01:10:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > … charities for the homeless are controversial? > [@Miller](#): > > It’s not the charity, it’s the way he supports them. Apparently, his “stomp on a kitten to end homelessness” drive was not well received. I was making a subtle zombie joke. A poor one, it seems ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/34 "2013-06-28T04:37:21Z")
Since nobody’s mentioned organizations, I’m going with RS Components. This huge company with operations in many countries and I only heard of them last year. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/35 "2013-06-28T07:23:26Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Since nobody’s mentioned organizations, I’m going with RS Components. This huge company with operations in many countries and I only heard of them last year. Doh, Tapatalk only displayed until “… you’d never heard of”. Nothing controversial here. Ok I’d never heard of Carnival Cruises before. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/36 "2013-06-28T15:52:30Z")
They MAY have been very well known among Southern evangelical Christians, but I’d never heard of Jim or Tammy Bakker before the Jessica Hahn scandal broke. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/37 "2013-06-28T16:33:19Z")
Who is the Barack Obama, and this IRS company he was accused of leading or something like that I just heard on the news. I managed to be less informed on both a organization and a person do I win this series of interconnected tubes? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/38 "2013-06-30T05:40:33Z")
Joe Paterno and the Penn State football team. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/39 "2013-06-30T06:04:20Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > They MAY have been very well known among Southern evangelical Christians, but I’d never heard of Jim or Tammy Bakker before the Jessica Hahn scandal broke. I’d forgotten about this one. I went to an evangelical Christian school, and the day the scandal broke, the principal gathered us all into the chapel for a discussion about it and to offer faith counseling. I had no idea who they were, though many of my classmates were upset. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649/40 "2013-06-30T06:33:38Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Joe Paterno and the Penn State football team. Being FROM Central PA, I have to admit that I can’t quite wrap my head around never having heard of Joe Paterno or Penn State. It’s like the water we fish swim in around there (grew up in Altoona, about 90 miles south of State College). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-or-organizations-youd-never-heard-of-until-they-engaged-in-something-controversial/518649.md?page=3)