I get that sometimes, and was wondering, is there a “right” way to answer that? I tend to just stand there and put on my “Boy, I’m talking to an idiot” grin.
“That’s funny, you don’t LOOK like an idiot, either”
just a suggestion.
That’s because I have my pants on.
Funny, this doesn’t look like IMHO.
Once I wore my Ren-fest horns to school and I got a lot of people asking me if I was Jewish. They’re just morons though.
** Captain Amazing, ** while I’m generally opposed to being rude just because someone says something thoughtless, which is what this is, you might want to just try turning their question back on them, ‘No? What should I look like?’, or even ‘What do you think YOU should look like?’
All said with a smile. Hopefully, that will embarrass them just enough, that you won’t get the comment from THAt person, and no one else will either. 
Come on folks. Do we hafta turn every innocent/ignornant comment into some personal PC crusade?
Just wish him a “Happy ChakaKhan” and move on.
I think that, delivered with a polite and pleasant smile, should be sufficent.
Funny…she doesn’t LOOK Druish… 
You’re a Rabbi, right?
It’s hard to be polite to stupidity. My best friend was at work, about to go into a meeting when one of his co-workers said “Hi Tony. Hmmm…Toe-Knee. Tony! Do you know any other names made of two body parts?” Tony smiled and said “Dick-Head?”
I know it doesn’t help, but I love that story.
They may just mean you don’t sound like you’re from NY.
It’s taking leaps like that that makes stereotyping so hard to fight.
JamesCarroll writes:
> Come on folks. Do we hafta turn every innocent/ignornant
> comment into some personal PC crusade?
I don’t think this has anything to do with being PC. I agree with JamesCarroll though that it’s best not to assume that the person is being stupid or belligerent. Don’t answer someone’s question with more hostility than necessary.
Someone who says, “You know, you don’t look Jewish,” isn’t being belligerent, and they may not be stupid either. If they wanted to be mean they could say something considerably stronger. Assume that they really don’t understand how they insulting they sound, and answer their question with a joke or an explanation. Afterwards, you could politely remark that it’s not in general a good idea to say this because it’s often taken as an insult.
Wow. Nobody’s every called me that before. Thanks!
Well, I have kinky hair, bulging eyes, an enormous hooked nose, a florid complexion, and I usually wear a skullcap, and I’m an Episcopelian.
Every Sunday morning as I shake the priest’s hand after services he says, “Funny…you look Jewish.”