When I was a young teenager, I was frequently compared to Molly Ringwald. We had have some features in common, and I did wear some '80s trendy clothes at that point. Since this was the height of her popularity, it was definitely a compliment.
It got old real quick.
An old friend of mine used to look just like Jean Claude Van Damme. (From the front, not from the side, which was weird) This was also at the height of his popularity, so it was also a compliment.
He was beyond tired of hearing about it.
It’s one of those things that I just have to wonder why people bother to say it. There’s too big a risk that the person will be annoyed at the comparison or annoyed because they hear it all the time.
I voted ‘no, never’ and never have been, but the only famous people I get compared to are also white, blondish, thin, with cute faces (Daryl Hannah, Meg Ryan, Taylor Swift), cause that’s what I look like. I suppose I would be offended if someone told me I looked like Courtney Love… but I don’t.
I had a friend who was a dead ringer for Gwyneth Paltrow, but prettier IMO. It ruled her life, and she HATED it. She was never able to meet anyone without them saying, ‘do I know you? You look so familiar!’.
I have been told that I look like the following actors :
Jack Nicholson
Bob Newhart
Gary Burghoff
Kelsey Grammer
Tim Conway
And, when I was younger and had more hair, a girl in my class said that I looked like “Hermey the Misfit Elf” (who wanted to be a dentist) in “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
No, I was never the least bit offended!
I would never tell anyone they looked like someone famous unless it would be taken as a compliment. I’ve seen people who looked like various famous but dumpy/ugly/fat/unattractive people, and I’ve kept my mouth shut.
Sorry, I misread the question and voted incorrectly. The post title asks the question one way, but the poll asks it the opposite way. I voted “no, never” but meant that I would never be offended to be told I looked like someone famous.
A running joke in my life is that about once every two or three months someone will tell me “Has anyone ever told you you look a lot like Christian Bale?” Friends, friends of friends, coworkers, total strangers, etc., going back to at least American Psycho. The funniest was from a friend who had only seen him in The Machinist.
A strange woman in a shopping mall once implied I looked like Robert Urich. This was while he was still alive. I wasn’t offended despite Urich’s having 23 years on me. I was creeped out though that she didn’t just think I looked like Robert Urich, she was convinced I was Robert Urich.
The truth is I’ve never looked anything like Robert Urich. I wish to hell I did.
It all depends:
[ul]
[li]Since 10th grade I’ve been told I look like The Beav, to the extent that was my nickname for many years (though the frequency died down after I hit mid 20s). That was bad, even though I liked the show but I never saw the resemblance (though it came from many people so it must have been true); as a shy kid trying to figure out how to become a man, being told you look like a naive child didn’t help.[/li][li]A handful of people in college said I looked like either John Belushi or Bill Murray (a little confusing, because they didn’t resemble each other). That was OK because I liked both of them and I imagined myself to be funny. Plus one time it was a drunk girl at a party so it gave me an opening to hit on her (but I didn’t complete the transaction).[/li][li]A few years ago in Ireland, a woman in a pub (also drunk, but she was with her (large) Garda husband (and I was with wife-to-be)) told me I looked like Michael Flatley. Not good, I think he’s cheesy. But it generated some interesting conversation and my wife still teases me about it so it turned out OK.[/li][/ul]
I’ve been told I resemble Tom Hanks a few times (which I suppose is probably a good thing), and Weird Al once (which, coming from an eight-year-old, is probably also a good thing). I’ve never been too worried about my appearance anyway, so I don’t mind.
The other day, I did not tell the guy sharpening knives at the knife store that he looked exactly like Steve Buscemi, even though I don’t find Mr. Buscemi nearly as unattractive as most people do.
Another nth vote for generally not ok. I mean, proceed with caution. I once told a clerk he looked like an English actor/comedian, but his face fell when I thought of the name - Mr. Bean. And I don’t blame him. So I keep my mouth shut. As I posted once before, I’ve been compared to Meryl Streep (eh, ok) and Glenn Close (PLEASE GOD NO!) and Laura Dern (YES!)
Back in the 90s when Cheers was on TV I would literally get stopped on the street, in the supermarket, and in restaurants by people who thought it was their job to tell me I look just like Kirstie Alley.
I didn’t hate it or anything, but I could never figure out why they would stop a complete stranger on the street to tell her that.
The two celebrities I’m most often compared to have been Peter Ustinov (for those who know who he is) or Raymond Burr (though I’m not that fat yet). Obviously it’s usually older people who do this comparing, and they usually say it’s a combo of girth/beard/voice.
Both Ustinov and Burr were fat, and while I’m not anywhere near as fat as late-in-life Burr (at least not yet) I don’t take it as an insult. For one thing I’m fat, have a beard, and a deepish announcer type voice. Some people found them attractive, some didn’t- lots of “no fatty” folks out there after all.
OTOH if the said I looked like Jackie Gleason (who I’ve always thought was disgusting) or John Goodman (not disgusting but waaaaay too heavy) or Chris Farley (where the dissipated meets the fat thing) I’d probably be offended.
So it doesn’t have to be somebody unambiguously attractive so long as it’s not somebody unambiguously unattractive.
Technically, it shouldn’t be offensive. However, I happen to look just like a particular famous person and after hearing it over and over and over again I want to smack the hell out of the person telling me. YES - I KNOW! Believe me, she’s probably heard it. I don’t know why I grew so violent at hearing it, but when I heard it coming I’d turn and walk the other way.
That particular famous person died suddenly a couple of months ago, so I’m scott free now (hopefully).
In all honesty, why? I can see why the “oh so hotter” is inappropriate, but what’s wrong with the “slightly younger” part? Does it sound too much like part of a come on or something? The woman in question is only in her mid-30s or so, and I wouldn’t want her to think I was saying she looked like a 52-year old.
And sorry again to all about the mis-match between the thread title and the poll question: I asked in the OP if a mod could fix it; if one is reading this and still able to, that would be great.
((If you want to get a mod’s attention for this sort of thing, should you flag your own post…? - Thanks))
