It's a NEW Day!!

March 25, 2003 11:49 PM

You know, I loved Tracy's story a while back about how someone told her she looked just like Britney Spears. She immediately felt flattered, but when she told friends about it, they were a little less positive. The question arose: Is being compared to Britney Spears good, bad, or a little of both?

It's been a while since anyone has compared me to a celebrity. But for a period of time in the early nineties, it happened a lot. And it didn't usually feel flattering.

I used to be skinnier. My complexion was a little paler, my hair darker. My cheeks would bulge out a certain way when I smiled. And sometimes I would let my hair get pretty long. (Not, like, down to my shoulders . . . but sometimes down to my collar.)

Shopping in used record stores, the clerks would say I looked like
Beck. At first I thought, Cool! I mean these people liked Beck's music, so it was a nice comparison, right?

But then I wondered . . . is Beck really that good looking? Or is he more like one of those famous people who's known for NOT being good looking? I guess it depends upon which picture you look at and your personal taste. But I started to get paranoid. Were they making fun of me by calling me "Beck"? Were they saying I looked awkward and maladjusted? That I was a Loser, Baby?

Then came a longer phase where people said I looked like Mike Myers. And then when Austin Powers came out, I was actually offered paying gigs to impersonate Austin Powers for corporate functions and stuff. (I didn't take any of them, but they were offered.)

Again, I initially felt flattered. Because, you know, Mike Myers is famous. And Austin Powers was a cultural phenomenon. But then, again came the paranoia. Mike Myers is famous because he's a freak. And are people really laughing WITH Austin Powers, or AT him? Are my teeth that bad?

Ultimately, I guess I'm glad to just look like myself. It doesn't pay to measure yourself against anyone else. Because if you look hard enough, you'll always find something wrong.

TRACKBACK (45)


	March 25, 2003 11:49 PM You know, I loved Tracy's story a while back about how someone told her she looked just like Britney Spears. She immediately felt flattered, but when she told friends about it, they were a little less positive. The question arose: Is being compared to Britney Spears good, bad, or a little of both? It's been a while since anyone has compared me to a celebrity. But for a period of time in the early nineties, it happened a lot. And it didn't usually feel flattering. I used to be skinnier. My complexion was a little paler, my hair darker. My cheeks would bulge out a certain way when I smiled. And sometimes I would let my hair get pretty long. (Not, like, down to my shoulders . . . but sometimes down to my collar.) Shopping in used record stores, the clerks would say I looked like Beck. At first I thought, Cool! I mean these people liked Beck's music, so it was a nice comparison, right? But then I wondered . . . is Beck really that good looking? Or is he more like one of those famous people who's known for NOT being good looking? I guess it depends upon which picture you look at and your personal taste. But I started to get paranoid. Were they making fun of me by calling me "Beck"? Were they saying I looked awkward and maladjusted? That I was a Loser, Baby? Then came a longer phase where people said I looked like Mike Myers. And then when Austin Powers came out, I was actually offered paying gigs to impersonate Austin Powers for corporate functions and stuff. (I didn't take any of them, but they were offered.) Again, I initially felt flattered. Because, you know, Mike Myers is famous. And Austin Powers was a cultural phenomenon. But then, again came the paranoia. Mike Myers is famous because he's a freak. And are people really laughing WITH Austin Powers, or AT him? Are my teeth that bad? Ultimately, I guess I'm glad to just look like myself. It doesn't pay to measure yourself against anyone else. Because if you look hard enough, you'll always find something wrong. TRACKBACK (45)		Your Words bran March 26, 2003 08:45 PM for a period of time, i was told by a variety of people that i looked like that chick from the Cranberries. Dolores? v. odd. what was even stranger was that as my hair changed, hers changed similarly, and i could never escape the curse of Dolores O'Riordan. i never quite knew how to take it, either. i mean, she's not exactly ugly, but she's a little bit of a freak (in my mind), and her screeching voice makes me want to eat nails for breakfast and do horrible things to myself. so i guess i feel your pain?