# Which celebrity/public figure do you most implicitly trust? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177 "2014-07-27T17:57:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/1 "2014-07-27T17:57:33Z")
I tried to go swimming this evening. When I found that there was nobody else there, I decided against it rather than spending an hour watched by 2 lifeguards, on my own. I was then thnking about the fact that despite the fact I’m unlikely to steal anything, and am a perfectly fine swimmer, they would need to have 2 lifeguards there anyway, even for just me. Leaving aside the capabilty of swiming that led in to my mind, “even if I was\_\_\_\_ they would still need a guard”. I couldn’t think of anybody so universally trusted that I could fit their name in the quote. Who would you include in that phrase, (either or both of someone **you** trust implicitly, (nobody you know personally), or someone who could be consideresd ubiquitously trustworthy to the public at large? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/2 "2014-07-27T18:22:17Z")
I’m confused. 1) I I would love to swim when no one else was there, 2) steal what from whom?, 3) most places have one lifeguard. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/3 "2014-07-27T18:29:59Z")
James Garner. Carrol Burnett. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/4 "2014-07-27T18:33:35Z")
George Takei. I figure two life guards\* would still be necessary if he were swimming alone because even George could run into trouble in the water and we would not want to lose him. \*I’m assuming there are two in case one needs a food or bathroom break/lifeguard #1 also needs to be rescued. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/5 "2014-07-27T18:37:28Z")
So a celebrity that’s probably not going to steal the water? Laird Hamilton. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/6 "2014-07-27T18:45:05Z")
Thinking of it in terms of, suppose somebody left out an unopened bag of jelly beans, or a rock band tour t-shirt, or a pull buoy (hey, it’s a swimming pool), who would I trust not to swipe anything? Bill Gates, because really… what’s he going to steal? He could buy the place, raze it, and put up a skyscraper. President (any). They travel with multiple oversight, so I guess that doesn’t really count. Keanu Reeves. In spite of having kind of a bad rep for making some remarkably bad movies, he is acquiring a counter-rep for being a pretty phenomenal person. Similarly, Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie. Looking at it as, who is least likely to need a lifeguard, aside from the insurance company? Diana Nyad. If she can swim from Cuba to Florida, she can do a few laps without supervision. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/7 "2014-07-27T19:06:56Z")
OK ignore the situation that led to my question if it confuses you. (I figure there’s some reason why they need to have staff there watching you even if you’re a perfectly fine swimmer.) Instead think of the Pulp Fiction briefcase. You don’t know what’s in it, but it’s something that people really really want. Who would you say “I wouldn’t even leave\_\_\_\_\_ alone with that briefcase”, where \_\_\_\_ is the most implicitly trustabale, (either to you personally, or to the public at large) person you can think of? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/8 "2014-07-27T21:25:23Z")
Celebrities are marketed images/figures, not role models. Most will tell you the same. I honestly can’t think of one who thinks that they are _such_ a role model for humanity that they should be re-classified as “_homo-perfectus_”. It is my humble opinion that your premise is flawed (and that you need to start looking for a new sentence). ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/9 "2014-07-27T21:28:29Z")
The Pope. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/10 "2014-07-27T22:01:28Z")
do dead people count? because if so, Walter Cronkite. if not…let me think. and I don’t get the bit about life guards. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/11 "2014-07-27T22:19:03Z")
Stephen Colbert. Really, no kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/12 "2014-07-27T22:25:55Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > The Pope. Which pope. This current one seems to be a crafted image, the last one covered for pedophiles. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/13 "2014-07-27T22:47:01Z")
My brother ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/14 "2014-07-27T23:44:24Z")
Cleavon? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/15 "2014-07-28T00:37:20Z")
Morgan Freeman. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/16 "2014-07-28T01:05:23Z")
Michael Phelps? If you mean safe in swimming. Mr Rogers if you mean overall trustworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/17 "2014-07-28T01:26:05Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Which pope. This current one seems to be a crafted image, the last one covered for pedophiles. This one. Even if he were a crafted image, I would trust him. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/18 "2014-07-28T01:30:28Z")
Public personae, alive today, who projects the most trustworthy image, IMO? Jimmy Carter Queen Elizabeth II Anderson Cooper Pope Francis James Earl Jones\* Jodie Foster And I agree, **zoid** - Stephen Colbert strikes me as a really stand-up\*\* sort of guy. No longer living? Mr. Rogers. The king of all trustworthy celebrities. \*Hey, two James Earls on the trustworthy list. \*\* Pun only sort of intended. Mostly. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/19 "2014-07-28T01:34:35Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Stephen Colbert. > Really, no kidding. that’s true, when I hear interviews with him I think he seems like a great guy, totally would trust him ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177/20 "2014-07-28T02:18:23Z")
Neil deGrasse Tyson [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-celebrity-public-figure-do-you-most-implicitly-trust/694177.md?page=2)