Hey! You look just like....
This curious phenomenon has followed me all of my life, but I feel that lately it has become more pronounced, maybe even out of control. The phenomenon to which I refer is "Chronic Look-Alike Syndrome." Ever since I was in middle school, almost every new person I meet will inevitably say either a) Ohmygosh! You look exactly like my mom's hairdresser/my third grade teacher/my aunt's best friend!" or b) "Haven't I met you before?' I've heard it said that everyone has a twin out there somewhere, but honestly, I must have 6,000.
I can recall one instance of "Haven't I met you before?" that lead to a conversation that lasted approximately the duration of my two weeks at French camp. Our conversations usually went about like this. "Did you used to go to kindergarten at Creekside?" "No." "Did you ever used to hang out at Riverview Park?" "No." "Where does your Dad work?" "Ford Credit." "Oh my gosh, I think we bought a car there once!! Did you like, hang around with your Dad at the car dealership sometimes?" "No, my dad works in Finance. In an office building. He has nothing at all to do with the cars." "Oh." "Well, were you ever in juvenile detention?" "No!!!! I never even got my name on the blackboard!!!" (Actually, I did get kicked out of three preschools and a Montessori School, but really, who's keeping track?) Even after all this questioning, I was unable to make the kid accept that we didn't know each other. Honestly.
I wouldn't say that this bothers me exactly, but I am a little unnerved by the fact that these comparisons are rarely flattering. Sure, I've gotten the occasional Drew Barrymore (especially after the first Scream movie came out), and at least two separate Jodi Fosters, but usually I when I meet or see pictures of the people I look exactly like, it doesn't make me feel terribly attractive.
Does this happen to anyone else? Does everybody get told they look like lots of other people, or is it just me who looks exactly like most of the other unremarkable-looking women in America? Theoretically, if I look like this many people, they should all look like each other too, right? I'm not sure where I'm going with this, I guess I'm just curious if anyone else experiences the same "look-alike Syndrome." If you do, let me know...maybe we can be each other's stunt doubles?
I can recall one instance of "Haven't I met you before?" that lead to a conversation that lasted approximately the duration of my two weeks at French camp. Our conversations usually went about like this. "Did you used to go to kindergarten at Creekside?" "No." "Did you ever used to hang out at Riverview Park?" "No." "Where does your Dad work?" "Ford Credit." "Oh my gosh, I think we bought a car there once!! Did you like, hang around with your Dad at the car dealership sometimes?" "No, my dad works in Finance. In an office building. He has nothing at all to do with the cars." "Oh." "Well, were you ever in juvenile detention?" "No!!!! I never even got my name on the blackboard!!!" (Actually, I did get kicked out of three preschools and a Montessori School, but really, who's keeping track?) Even after all this questioning, I was unable to make the kid accept that we didn't know each other. Honestly.
I wouldn't say that this bothers me exactly, but I am a little unnerved by the fact that these comparisons are rarely flattering. Sure, I've gotten the occasional Drew Barrymore (especially after the first Scream movie came out), and at least two separate Jodi Fosters, but usually I when I meet or see pictures of the people I look exactly like, it doesn't make me feel terribly attractive.
Does this happen to anyone else? Does everybody get told they look like lots of other people, or is it just me who looks exactly like most of the other unremarkable-looking women in America? Theoretically, if I look like this many people, they should all look like each other too, right? I'm not sure where I'm going with this, I guess I'm just curious if anyone else experiences the same "look-alike Syndrome." If you do, let me know...maybe we can be each other's stunt doubles?
posted by Erinn @ 8:36 PM
2 Comments:
At 11:09 PM,
Anonymous said…
Erinn,
I have the exact same problem. Evidently I look exactly like someone's sister, another person's niece, and someone who works at the Renassaince (sp?) Festival (I have been asked if I work there many times), just to name a few. I too do not feel that when I actually meet these people or see pictures of them I look like them and often times I hope I don't. The two that I wish I did look like are Julia Stiles and Mandy Moore which two people said I looked like but as much as I wish that I did look like them, I would have to disagree with those as well.
At 10:41 PM,
Bekah's Cloth Bums said…
I commented on this in my blog! And yes, it happens to me all the time too! It's crazy. My mom hears it all the time too....and in college she met her twin who really DID look just like her! Creepy, eh??
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