I can let my hair down and just be somebody else for a while.
It also depends on the individual. Lionel Messi is one of the world’s most photograohed men, but I remember when I saw him back in 2009, he looked like a 10th grader.
Even now, he could probably simply walk down a street and not be recognized, he tends to dress conservatively and looks like a geography teacher.
I realize I’m ancient, but I like the boring look of the guy on the left a lot better than those others who can’t seem to make up their mind between zoot-suit jackets, painted-on pants, droopy-ass pants, '80s cover-your-face-glasses and mushroom 'dos. Are they trying to pull together the worst fads of the last 40 years?
Some people are perfectly happy to either not be recognized or simply being recognized as “not at work”, others have been known to pull the “don’t you know who I am?” card to results which tend not to be satisfactory (Vicky-Becky got banned from several high level stores during her time in Madrid, Oprah has had at least two bad episodes in European locations).
Thing about Messi is that he has that everyman look about him. You could place him on a high street from California to Calcutta and all the places in between and he would blend in. Unlike Dani Alves or Neymar above who have a “look at me” sign hanging from their chest.
Sportsmen and women have it easier, when they are out and about out of kit in civvies,they might not get noticed. Show biz people still would and they are usually very attractive anyway, and attractive people always get looks.
I saw Matt Damon telling a funny story about not being recognised:
He and his family were in London filming, staying in a hotel in the centre. One wet Sunday morning they took their kids out to St James Park to run them around. Not many people were about so it was some nice family time away from celebrityland.
Anyhow, one other couple are strolling through the park, and as they approach they look at Matt Damon and whisper to each other. Then the guy asks if they might have a photograph. As it’s quiet Damon doesn’t mind so he takes the guy’s phone, puts his arm round the woman, pulls a movie star grin and takes a quick selfie. Looks up to see the guy glaring at him in the way you would if someone who looks like Matt Damon just took a liberty with your partner. She is none too happy either. The penny drops pretty quickly - the couple had **not **recognised him, and wanted this unremarkable to stranger to take a photo of the two of them on their romantic stroll through London. Mrs Damon is creasing up and the kids get a very good lesson in the value of humility.
I simply abhor anonymity and avoid it like the plague. Whenever I bump into a group of unknown persons (i.e. losers), I have my introductory patter ready to announce:
*Attention please, ladies and gentlemen! There may be some among you who are not familiar with me or my impressive list of lifetime achievements, so let me introduce myself. I’m Tibby! I’ve played lead in a number of K - 12 school stage productions and received glowing accolades from students, teachers and janitors alike. I came in first place in my cub scout pack’s Pinewood Derby in 1965. I played lead tuba in high school band. I got an A+ on a middle school science project entitled, “The Fascinating Sex Lives of Earthworms.” I have autographed head-shots available for $5—five for $20. *
I was out dancing one night and had several dances with Julia Stiles. I thought she was Reese Witherspoon but didn’t let on that I knew she was a movie star. She seemed fine with not being recognized. I was informed by someone else who she actually was.
I’m don’t usually talk to my seatmates on airplanes, but I wound up sitting next to Fred Couples years ago. I recognized him instantly, but didn’t say anything about it. We wound up discussing a book he was reading, as I had read something by the same author a few months before. We wound up talking most of the flight, about a few different topics, but nothing about golf.
The flight was from Tampa to Atlanta, a little over an hour. I knew there was a PGA event in the Atlanta area that week, so right before we got off the plane, I wished him good luck in the tournament. He had a weird look on his face for a second as he realized I had known who he was the entire time. But then he smiled, and seemed genuinely touched that I had just treated him as a genuinely decent normal guy, which he seemed to be.
And Lady Gaga. I’ve seen a lot of her videos, but whenever I see a shot of her “in the wild,” I find her completely ordinary and never would have guessed it was her.
If you saw this lady walk out of a grocery store, would you give her a second look?
that is CHER!
One of our local celebrities is Warren Buffet. It is nit uncommon at all to see him eating in a restaurant (he likes Mom and Pop joints and greasy spoon diners) or in a shopping mall. Everyone seems to leave him alone.
I can testify from personal experience that Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chili” Davis, of the band TLC, were perfectly ordinary-looking women. The only thing about either of their appearances that stood out was their heights - both were rather petite.
Not being facetious, here, but…who’s Lionel Messi? A soccer player?
I’m sure it happens all the time. I’m pretty face blind and I have enough trouble recognizing real acquaintances, much less people I’ve only seen in magazines. I can’t think of any celebrity I’d recognize if I were sitting next to them on a plane.
It’s probably a relief. Fame is fun when you are on stage, but a pain in the butt when you are just trying to live life.
Widely believed to be the best in the world, yes.
:dubious:
Guy on the extreme left of the picture.
Me too. I chatted with Ken Foree (the cop from Dawn of the Dead) for a bit in a hotel once while my husband was freaking out on the other side of the restaurant.
The thing is, I should have totally recognized him as we were at the hotel for a horror movie convention at which I knew he was a guest. Still didn’t recognize him. Seemed like a nice guy.
This is somewhat related story of me being respectful to a celebrity out in public. 
I was at lunch in Alpharetta, GA. I had just finished dining, and was exiting the restaurant. In the corner I recognized someone I knew, but couldn’t remember from where. I gave him the “silent hello” where you nod your head up as a sign of recognition, and move on about your business.
Only after I was in my car did I realize it was Jeff Foxworthy. I like to think that he was happy that a fan recognized him, but didn’t interrupt his lunch.
Sports isn’t big on the Dope and soccer isn’t big in the U.S. It is possible that a significant percentage of Dopers think the World Cup is a golf or hockey tournament.
(I’m kidding on the last…I think).
I don’t follow most American sports. I know who Tom Brady is. And Peter(?) Manning?
Messi is not just a soccer player; he is also the face of some very well known brands; like Gillette, Pepsi, Adidas. Its quite surprising that a person has no idea at all who he is.
Exactly. My question was serious - I thought I’d heard the guy’s name mentioned in the context of soccer, but I’m not a fan, and wouldn’t know him if he walked up and bit me on the ass.
Though AK84 is right; he does look like he could walk down a street in any Western town and not attract a stray glance.