Folks Who Had No Clue Who They Were Talking To
We all like to believe that we’re pretty knowledgeable on a few topics. But how often have you found yourself in a position where you’re majorly underqualified compared to the person you’re talking to? Awkward, isn’t it? There’s just no telling what kind of folks you’ll end up bumping into…or embarrassing yourself in front of! Some folks end up running into celebrities, experts, and Olympians without even realizing who they are! As you can imagine, the events that follow are pretty hilarious for everyone involved. While these occasions are rare, we’ve taken the liberty of compiling the funniest and most shocking among them.
These people had no idea who they were talking to!
That’s Also An Accomplishment!
It can be weird to think about, but sometimes major athletes train in public. While most Olympians probably have access to private facilities, who’s to say they don’t enjoy chilling and doing their sport amongst the public? Lizzie Simmonds, the legendary swimmer, was minding her own business and swimming laps. Out of nowhere, a lady couldn’t help but gush over her swimming prowess!
She even thought that Lizzie could compete at the country club’s level! Then, just to make things better, Simmonds tried to explain that she did go all the way to the Olympics! This blew the other swimmer out of the water. How did she manage to get tickets to the Olympics? That’s almost as amazing as competing in them!
Time To Go Into A Rage
How many individual members of your favorite bands can you name? Some mega-celebrities have the advantage of being part of a unit, making it easier to go out when they’re alone. While it’s not always foolproof, it can be an easy strategy. That won’t stop some fans from getting close to the truth. Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello was just trying to get a cup of coffee.
The barista, clearly someone with good taste, could have sworn Morello looked like someone, he just couldn’t be sure! Tom ran with the joke and remained as pleasant as possible. Just to give the barista the best day ever, he even admitted to having the same name as the guy’s favorite musician!
He Should’ve Taken The Stairs
When your face has been plastered across skateboards and televisions for decades, you get used to being recognized. Tony Hawk, one of the greatest skateboarders ever, was at the peak of his fame in the late 80s and early 90s. Since then, his face is only vaguely familiar to anyone who isn’t a skateboarding aficionado. Occasionally he stumbles into situations like these after getting into an elevator.
This particular box full of people couldn’t decide if Hawk was or was not the guy he looked like! After he confirmed his identity, there was one person who still wasn’t sure. We wonder if that man ever figured out that he actually met the real Tony Hawk and not a doppelgänger!
You’ll Sometimes Miss Your Idols
There’s a difference between doing and planning. How many of us plan to exercise and how many of us actually do? Nobody raise your hand, it’s okay. One of the best things to exercise is your mind, so watching your favorite athlete and analyzing everything they do is kind of like exercise, right?
What would you do if your favorite athlete ended up sharing an airplane armrest with you? You probably shouldn’t do what this fan did and accidentally show them a critique of their own running. Not only did he not recognize his idol, but he had some strong opinions on how Molly could improve her style for the benefit of this complete stranger!
He Just Doesn’t Have One Of Those Faces
Stand-up comedy can be an incredible outlet for some people to really let loose. It’s also a really marketable art form thanks to social media. Back in the day, if you wanted to see your favorite comic, you either had to wait for them to get on TV or buy a ticket to their show. Now, some of the biggest names are also sharing their performances online, possibly just to have something to do.
While that’s all fine and good, this also means some people may find it easier to rip off a comic’s work. Thankfully, some fans out there are vigilant and have no problem calling out BS and stolen material. It’s a shame this one just so happened to call out the original performer of the joke they thought was stolen.
Wonder Woman Is For Everyone!
What did you just say, ma’am? What did you just say about Wonder Woman to the OG Wonder Woman? First off, don’t you ever yell at Lynda Carter. Second, get your facts straight, because Wonder Woman, in fact, is not. Superheroes stand for everything that’s good and just in the world, and Wonder Woman is no different. She has been an icon for all different people and communities for decades.
She’s a queer icon and a source of pride for everyone! How dumb do you have to be to not only not know this, but to say something to an actual Wonder Woman? You can’t be that angry about something, or someone, you don’t even recognize!
People Just Make Up Stuff For Content
Legally Blonde is a campy masterpiece for many reasons. None of them are because it was originally supposed to be a love story between Elle and Vivian. These two polar opposites would never have hooked up, even in an alternate universe. A few entertainment writers don’t care about pesky things like facts. Instead, if it gets clicks, likes, and retweets, then it’s considered “news”.
Though sometimes the planets align and they get what’s coming to them. In the case of Legally Blonde vs Truth, the Decider lost. The writer of the movie, Karen McCullah, not only responded to the fake article, but she set the record straight! The “reporter” tried to come out on top, but all that happened was that McCullah got to further embarrass them!
Was It A Holiday Special?
TV shows affect the zeitgeist in different ways. One fandom’s favorite show will be another’s instant turn-off. What unites everyone is their appreciation for some quality programming. Behind a major show, there are a whole lot of people doing their best to bring a vision to life. The writer’s job is to build entire universes and make them plausible places for fictional characters to live their lives.
Scriptwriters are extremely talented people. They can write for multiple genres and act as chameleons in their abilities to produce great scenes. So camouflaged, some folks don’t even realize they may be talking to the writer of both their favorite holiday special and their least favorite show.
You Better Know Your District!
Being a politician can be hard. You need to campaign, travel your area, meet your constituents, blah, blah, blah. Then, you have to figure out everyone’s issues, vow to fix them, and convince people you have. After all that, you may still not have the job. The ones that do get elected should probably remain on their toes.
You need to keep up appearances at all times and maintain a professional demeanor, even in the face of sheer ignorance. What would you do if someone asked you where you’re from and then try to quiz you on who holds your position? After being told the truth, the embarrassed “oh” says a whole lot about their political intelligence.
Faked Out By Another Celebrity?
Despite every star in the sky, and on Earth, being a unique entity, there’s sometimes a bit of overlap. Since there are only so many names to go around, a few famous people may share first or even last names with each other! Marilyn Monroe is one of those forever icons whose name changed entertainment for the better. Yet, she’s not the only Monroe to do great and important things!
Jack Monroe, activist, journalist, and food aficionado has helped bring to light the dangers of the hunger crisis affecting millions around the world. Monroe also spreads the power and joy that cooking and food can bring. While they’ve definitely been spotted by fans before, sometimes, Moroe can’t help but allude to the shared name with another legend, even if it’s at their own expense.
He Looks Like That Guy From That Place
Don’t you hate it when you see someone you think is famous but can’t be sure? They’re right on the cusp of either being asked for a selfie or completely ignored in a sea of other random faces. It sounds like a blessing in disguise if you’re a world-famous athlete. Try being one of the top ten tennis pros in the world!
Cameron Norrie can’t really go many places without being recognized. On an off night though, some bartenders may have a bit too much and get a bit confused. One was bold enough to try and compare Norrie with himself! This guy was convinced the two could be twins!
You Can’t Have Both, Doctor!
If you want a Ph.D. you have to work super hard and study even harder. Then, when you can’t do it anymore, do it again for years on end until all you do is live, eat, and breathe your field of study. Your life is now endless publications, learning, and the occasional hit Instagram account.
Despite people getting more relaxed in the workplace with tattoos, piercings and alternative hair colors, some fields still freak out over them. The not-so-up-to-date fossil fans and academics may not understand the younger generations showing up to work with their ink on display. Some patrons may not get it either. In case anyone was wondering, yes, doctors can also have tattoos!
Artists Are Allowed To Have Opinions
For every great comic, there’s a great-ish community of fans, artists, and others that orbit around the humor. Some fans, like Wilbur Soot, can make their careers take off thanks to their love and talent brought on by another artist! Soot, a well-known streamer and musician, is no stranger to a Bo Burnham show.
He’s a fan but also has some creative thoughts on a few of Burnham’s performances. That’s perfectly a-okay. People are allowed to make observations. This Joel person clearly has no idea who he’s putting in his place. That little emoji at the end is one of the most sarcastic things we’ve seen in a while.
Now, Apologize One More Time
Having class, suave moves, and a great pickup link can be a surefire way to find a date at the end of a night. If you’re looking for something or someone in particular, say a chess fan, you may need to adjust your strategy a bit. The only person who wouldn’t is Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen isn’t any run-of-the-mill competitive chess player.
He’s been ranked the number-one player in the entire world for over a decade! Ten years as the face of the chess world. If you appreciated a chess pickup line but didn’t know who Carlsen was, are you even really a chess fan (or a fan of chess players)?
Angelia, You’re Not Dreaming This
Have we seen The Wire? No, have YOU seen The Wire? That’s the question we want answered. It’s obvious Angelia hasn’t. If she had and actually paid attention to the credits, then she knows she’s up against someone who doesn’t need their Wire trivia tested. He practically wrote the book on it, literally. David Simon is a great screenwriter.
He’s done a lot for the entertainment industry! However, he’s undoubtedly known first and foremost for his excellent writing of The Wire. So Angelia, before you get into another fight with someone online, we’ve got a tip for you. Always be sure to Google people before responding.
Not The Right Person To Say That To
With so many different YouTubers, Twitchers, and other platform-based streamers trying to establish themselves, it can be easy to lose a few in the mix. There are just so many different people to keep track of! We understand not knowing all of them. However, not knowing Hank Green?
The guy is a YouTube legend, he has operated a variety of channels and has done so much philanthropy and writing. He had to form an umbrella organization just to keep the different projects managed. This creator does a lot and is everywhere. Instead of dismissing his tweet without a thought, try looking him up and then re-reading what you were about to send as a response.
You’re Also Wearing Giant Novelty Glasses
This one is kind of rude. If you’re an internationally-renowned musician, you must get mobbed by fans all the time. It’s tiring, annoying, etc. We get it. Sometimes you may just want to be left alone. That’s great and completely understandable. Kind of snubbing someone and then trash-talking about it on Twitter? Nah, that doesn’t seem like the mature thing to do.
Even though some people are world famous, we all have to remember that they’re people too. This also means that just like ordinary people, celebs can kind of be jerks. You can’t stick it all on him though. More people should be able to appreciate a band for all of its members and not just the name.
Comic Fans Are Positively Ruthless
Don’t you hate it when someone craps all over your hobby or career? Even if it’s niche or caters to only a specific audience, it’s still worthwhile work. Take comic fans, for example, some of them can be the most toxic people. They’ll even try to insult members, or leaders, of their own community! When an artist gives their impression on the actions or narrative of a work they helped create, it can be a valuable moment for fans to get some insights.
Then there’s this idiot. In just four words they revealed how ignorant, uninformed, and misguided they are. All of that, while sticking their foot in their mouth for not realizing who they were insulting. Luckily they were TOLD by the author and put back in their place.
Did You Call Them Out
Mansplaining is stupid. Talking down to people and trying to make them feel dumb, regardless of who’s doing it, is also stupid. Not only did this person get berated by someone else, but they were then shown the “correct” way to do something. How? Well, the person on the other end of the conference call started reading from some familiar published documents.
Those documents just so happened to be written by the person they were correcting. What kind of weird infinity loop of embarrassment are they stuck in? We really hope Charlie pointed out how dumb the situation was and ended that call immediately.
They’d Like Your Second Opinion
Hearing professional advice or the truth can sometimes hurt. While not all news or insights will be to your liking, understanding what’s right and wrong can be helpful, especially where the law is concerned. What do you do if you disagree with a lawyer? You just go out and ask around until you find one that says what you want of course! Oh, that’s not how things work?
Okay, never mind, don’t do that. You should also probably not embarrass yourself like our friend David did. The best part is, he didn’t even delete the tweet! The shame is probably still up there to this day for the world to gawk at.
Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism
In case you think you misread that title, here it is again: Vaccines do not cause autism. This wildly debunked and dangerous myth has been infecting people for decades. Even physicians, trained professionals, can’t discourage people from withholding life-saving medical care to their children. We live in a backward world.
When this doc took to Tik Tok to try and educate people, she was just met with rolled eyes and this idiot commenter. Come on armchair physician, she showed you her training and credentials, now show everyone yours. Do you think you’re smarter than this highly qualified and experienced doctor? No? Okay, that’s what we thought.
That’s Mr. Old Space Garbage
Hey, even if someone calls themselves trash, you better respect them. You could be hearing a famous rock star venting about people not knowing who they’re chatting with! It’s not the biggest news in the world, but occurrences like this are always funny.
It’s wild to see some mega-famous people easily blend into a crowd and be able to talk to fans like this. The funniest part is always how clueless they are about the person they’re talking to! Imagine what the fans would have said, or how they would have reacted if Mark revealed who he was to them.
Star Supporting Yourself Better…Or Something!
Frontline and critical workers such as nurses and first responders rarely get the flowers and appreciation that they deserve. Just like America’s underpaid teachers, nurses are unsung heroes that deserve standing ovations, proper respect, and massive raises across the board. These medical warriors are in the trenches with some terrible patients and stressful shifts.
When they’re off-duty, they probably don’t even wear scrubs. This can tick people off for some reason. Just because someone isn’t in their work uniform, or jumping around exclaiming how great their job is, doesn’t mean they don’t care. Now we wonder what the reaction was.
Someone Got Chewed Out At The Restaurant
When the world was shutting down and trying to avoid millions dying from a deadly pandemic, some businesses had to change things up. Instead of seating people inside in close quarters, if a restaurant didn’t have delivery or outdoor dining options, they had to shut things down. That’s just the way the world worked for a while. Not every business decided to listen to the ordinances.
A few got away with it, but this one most definitely did not. Could you imagine the embarrassment of lying to the mayor about the mayor, when the mayor didn’t tell the lie you think is true? Did everyone at that place get fired? We would have loved to be front row to watch that scene go down.
She’ll Keep Dreaming In His Arms
Some sports fans are weirdly protective of their faves. From memorizing their playstyle and equipment number to attacking others online that get random trivia wrong, a few sports nuts out there can ruin things for everyone. While racing doesn’t seem to have a lot of drama, it most certainly exists online.
The thirst for some of racing’s hottest stars is real and out in the open. Quite a few people have been caught drooling over some of these millionaires. While a few probably like it, at least one is happily taken. That doesn’t mean every fan is going to recognize his girlfriend. That’s just a job she has to take on herself.
This One’s Actually Really Nice
As social media gets further and further ingrained into our lives, it can be hard to figure out what’s real and what isn’t in the news world. Tons of false articles and websites exist for the sole purpose of spreading disinformation. To try and combat this, a few social platforms installed a feature that reminds people to read whatever article they’re about to push onto their social networks.
As annoying as that sounds, it’s a great plan. At least start warning people to use their eyes before spreading lies. Of course, to be effective, you have to make sure even the authors of the articles have read their work before sharing it.
Who Filed The Initial Response?
Takedown notices and removed tracks are just some of the ways artists can protect their label or art from getting used or profited on by others. It can suck, but you gotta be safe on the Internet, you know? Some artists don’t even let their management worry about these things. They’ll send the cease and desist themselves! They’ll even do it to themselves if they need to! Wait, what?
How can someone take down a song they wrote without remembering it? Did Person do that? Either they don’t remember, or maybe it wasn’t them! How in the world does this fiasco end? Someone check why 5SOS can’t post their music online if they own it, please! It’s killing us!
Not Everything Is About You Aside From This
With the sheer number of videos on any given subject being posted online, people have an unlimited supply of things to watch, study, and critique. There are even videos about videos that people watch! It’s a never-ending “turtles all the way down” kind of situation. Even if all that sounds fancy and complex, the same high school mentality exists online that did back in our locker room days.
If someone didn’t like us back then, we’d be in a fight or get bullied. If someone doesn’t like you on the Internet, they’ll just make a lengthy online manifesto about how they can’t stand you, tag you, add your picture then hit upload. It’s a bit more complex than bullying, but the concept is the same.
Did You Get The Job?
Programming, code, and other technical things are head-scratchers for people not in the know. Some coding work can be almost as personal and precious as someone’s thesis. It can be a unique take to be told you don’t understand the intricacies of something so delicate.
Don’t let your ego get bent out of shape if this happens. The only time you should even bring up the fact your interviewer is wrong is in this particular instance here. The look on their face must have been priceless! We would even switch to iPhone just for a copy of that recording.
Maybe There’s More Than One
Defending an academic paper or article can be a tricky thing. You have to convince people you’ve never met before that you know what you’re talking about. Most of the time, that’s just with some reliable and expertly-cited sources. Other times it’s an oral argument. If you don’t get it right at first, you may be given a few other papers to look at for help in your defense.
Well, even when that’s the norm, what do you do when you’re told to be more like yourself? Not only has this guy written academic articles before, but he’s gotten published! After being told to write more like himself, Gareth here had no clue what to do, and neither would we!
Maybe The Last Positive Conversation Involving Will Smith
If you’re a big fan of a series, you probably know all the movie adaptations. But, you should probably also know who wrote those stories, and here we see a situation where the people clearly didn’t. Ed Solomon, the writer of Men in Black, tweeted this a while ago about an interaction he had in a coffee shop. Apparently, the people having a disagreement about his work didn’t want clarification after all.
What makes this even funnier is the not-so-thinly veiled connotations attached to what these people said to the writer. It’s alright if you want to continue your conversation, but would it hurt that bad to listen to someone else’s outside opinion? You never know who might be offering it.
Tony Hawk Is Just Doing Side Quests At This Point
Tony Hawk is one of the greatest skateboarders of all time, full-stop. So many people know him for his hugely popular video game series, but back in the day, Tony pushed the boundaries for skateboarding and helped the sport grow into the global phenomenon that it is today. Still, after all that, the guy is like Rodney Dangerfield sometimes: he can’t get no respect!
There are loads of stories online about Tony getting called out in public for looking exactly like himself, or sounding exactly like himself, or skateboarding exactly like himself… you get the picture. People just can’t seem to believe that a celebrity as big as he is could be so normal.
Gotcha Journalism At Its Finest
The term “gotcha journalism” means when reporters try to jump out at politicians or public figures and frame questions in ways so that there’s nothing those people can do but offer up a damaging sound bite. This time, however, this failed gotcha journalist had his attempt thrown right back in his face by a politician with every right to be proud of his voting record.
When tweeting about a separate issue entirely, Schatz was forced to defend his position on Medicare– a position he’d been pretty clear about considering it was his bill in the first place! So a tip for any aspiring journalists out there, look up who it is you’re talking to before you start asking any questions.
Who Needs a Keynote Speaker Anyway?
When Malorie Blackman, a famous British author, found herself running late to a conference she was supposed to speak at, she didn’t think it would be such a big deal. As the keynote speaker, she figured there’d be some type of accommodation laid out, or at least an attempt on the part of the venue to ensure she arrived safely. However, what actually happened was very, very different.
Thankfully, she got in and gave her speech at the end. But, there was probably a long, not-so-friendly meeting at the end of the day between the event organizers and staff about who should and shouldn’t be allowed in without a ticket. You live and you learn! Just make sure to learn who you’re talking to.
Hilarious Exchange Between a Book Reviewer and Author
In the publishing world, you’ve got authors, and you’ve got book reviewers. There are also publishers, copy editors, and a lot of other people at work behind the scenes, but for right now we’re only worried about authors and book reviewers. People in either of these professions spend almost every waking minute seeped in the written word, it’d be nice for them to take a break every now and again, no?
Nguyen and Ng are obviously chuckling with her about how ridiculous those people they’d spoken to were. Why stick your nose in someone else’s business if you don’t know what’s going on with them? We’re pretty sure that both of these people are spending plenty of time reading books.
We Never Expect Our Favorite Characters To Age
Celebrity worship culture is pretty strange, but at the same time, there’s a reason we love to look up to the stars. They’re with us for our entire lives in a lot of cases, and as we grow up and our tastes change we get to see the same actors and actresses growing up and performing in other projects. But, if you’re not careful who you’re talking to, a well-meaning compliment about a celebrity could turn into an insult pretty quick.
We think Jenna still looks great, and we’re ready for an Office reunion anyway. Besides, is anyone really interested in an update on young Pam from the day after the show ended? Give us the extended story! We want to see grown-up Cece!
Maybe Don’t Bash The Writer About Their Own Show?
Avatar: The Last Airbender was a groundbreaking show for more reasons than one. Its animation style was a bridge for many young children who later got into more adult manga and anime shows. Its political undertones were also powerful commentary that we can still use to interpret the events of today. The writer themselves expressed this recently, but some Facebook users didn’t seem to agree.
How self-entitled do you have to be to tell someone to figure out their own work? And by the way, by telling people to just enjoy the show this person is stopping people from further enjoying the show. We should all be allowed to extrapolate our own opinions and take on the things we love, no matter how unpopular!
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
As content creators, it’s important that we credit people when referencing their work. But, at the same time, we usually look out for ourselves, so we don’t really understand people who go around the internet trying to snoop out content thieves and report them. This Twitter user doesn’t get it either, and they also don’t understand what the person DMing them wants them to do.
Other than posting the videos on his channel with his logo and username, how is this guy supposed to credit himself? By adding a watermark? It seems like some people, like the person messaging this video maker, just have way too much time on their hands.
Subreddit Struggle Ends Quickly and Quietly
Reddit is an awesome social media site. You can customize your feed to only contain the content you want to see, and can even contribute to communities you enjoy by becoming a moderator. Granted, in smaller communities and really niche areas, there might only be one moderator to a sub, but that’s not usually an issue. Unless of course, you try to pick a fight with that one mod.
Now, we have no idea what the actual post in question is here, so we can’t ascertain whether the mod or the reporter was in the right, but does it really matter? If anyone is letting drama on an Internet forum dominate that much of their attention span, they should probably go get some fresh air.
Rainn Wilson Rains On Kid’s Parade
Almost all of us have seen the Office all the way through at least once, and most of us have watched the whole series a few more times than that. But, does that make us the biggest Office fans? It’s a hard title to hold, especially with a massive cult classic like the Office. That’s why when this kid saw Rainn Wilson and claimed to be the biggest Office fan, he had a litmus test ready for him.
That’s a lesson for anyone out there who wants to meet one of their favorite celebrities. If you only know the name of your favorite character from your favorite film or TV show, they’re probably not going to like it very much. May we suggest Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB? Those should help.