For some reason, it rubs me the wrong way when people tell me they know someone who looks "just like" me. (This has recently happened, which is why I'm on this train of thought.) I've been trying to figure out why this should bother me so much. Is it because I feel less special if there's another me out there? Is it because it makes me think I must be rather a plain Jane to have all these supposed look-alikes? Maybe there's a bit of a yes answer to both of those questions. But since I enjoy categorizing and organizing, I've divided these "doppelganger" moments into three groups for further analysis:
1. Someone tells me I look similar to someone famous.
This is usually the least annoying of the look-alike incidents (as long as it's not someone old, unattractive, or weird). Sadly, this is also the least common of the look-alike incidents. And no one ever tells me I look just like Cindy Crawford, or Anne Hathaway, or Catherine Zeta-Jones. That would be fun. It's always someone whose name is vaguely familiar but I can't quite remember what movie she was in.
2. Someone tells me I look just like someone they know or are related to.
This is more bothersome than the previous category because I don't know the person they're referring to and I'm always pretty sure they're not as interesting as I am. Afterwards, I always feel like the person who told me this will view me as quite different than I actually am because their opinion is tainted by the physical resemblance. About an hour after this happens, I usually have an unexplained urge to go get a haircut.
3. Someone tells me I look "exactly" like my mother.
Sorry, Mom. No offense intended, but this is by far the most vexing of the three categories. Why it should be is a mystery to me because it is usually coupled with a comment about how attractive my mother is or how they thought she was my sister. She does look much younger than she is, but still...don't people see how telling me I look "exactly" like someone who is 25 years older than I am could be a bit of an insult? Age aside, though, who really wants to be an exact copy of anyone else, let alone their mother? Good thing I'm not a twin.
So now you know. I am an overly sensitive egomaniac and you should probably be cautious about telling me whom I resemble. (Hmmm...is it "whom" or "who" in this case? Mom?)
Funny little side note: Right after hitting "publish" for this post, a little advertisement appeared saying, "Doppelganger week: find your celebrity look-alike. Fun and free."
ReplyDeleteWell, you're the only you I've ever seen. I cringe when people tell me I look like a certain celeb because I don't think she's attractive at all. Oh well, it's better than "You look tired."
ReplyDeleteI used to hear that I looked like Nancy Drew. And this was before there were any movies or TV shows with Nancy...except maybe that one Nancy that sometimes appeared with the Hardy Boys (Shawn Cassidy and Parker Stevenson). Anyway, I was never flattered that I supposedly looked like an illustration of a girl with a flip hair-do from the 50's. I just think that sometimes people don't think before they open their mouths. Or they think that if they think it, everyone must want to hear it. I'm guessing I'm guilty of this faux pas myself.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think you look just like that voluptuous, ageless movie star that gets all the best rolls and that men fall all over themselves to get near. What's her name again? [What about that? : )]
ReplyDeleteThat works. Same to you!
ReplyDelete