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Well known people and the do you know who I am syndrome

(19 Posts)
Judy54 Mon 07-Dec-20 17:09:51

Some well known and lesser known celebrities who think you should know who they are. My two favourites are:

Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister visited a care home and asked an elderly Lady "Do you know who I am" She replied "No dear, best ask the nurse I am sure she will help you"

This one is my favourite: Joel Douglas lesser know Son of Kirk Douglas was performing at a comedy club and he basically bombed. He said to the audience "Do you know who I am, I am Kirk Douglas's son" One by one the men in the audience stood up and said "No, I am Kirk Douglas's son." Just as the men in the film Spartacus which his Father starred in, stood up and said "No I am Spartacus"

Have you ever encountered a well know personality who has used the do you know who I am syndrome in a pompous way?

Lisagran Mon 07-Dec-20 17:15:46

Love the Tony Blair story! grin

BBbevan Mon 07-Dec-20 17:26:04

My DH would say ‘And you are?’usually sorts uppity people out

Callistemon Mon 07-Dec-20 17:27:52

"Remind me?" Is another one

MrsThreadgoode Mon 07-Dec-20 17:30:47

Yes, a well known comedienne parked her car in my daughters parking space, so that she could go to the shops (cheeky bat) when DD arrived home she parked her car up behind the celebs car and took the children to the park. As celeb had parked in the only space belonging to DDs home, DD parked across Celebs bumper.
Celeb knocked the door when she had finished her shopping and asked me to move the car, when I said that DD had taken her car keys with her, she got very cross and asked if I knew who she was, I said No ( I vaguely recognised her) but I said that I do know whose car parking space she very rudely parked in.
Celeb sat fuming in her car until DD got home.
Unfortunately I couldn’t see DDs parking space from the house or I would have told her to go and park somewhere else.
She isn’t very funny either.

janeainsworth Mon 07-Dec-20 17:32:06

Not quite in the same category, but I remember hearing Brian Redhead interviewing Margaret Thatcher on the Today programme, probably 1987 or so.
In the heat of the moment, Brian ‘mis-spoke’ and addressed her as Margaret.
He quickly recovered and added ‘oh.... if I may call you that....’
To which Mrs T gushed in a deep, breathy tone, ‘Oh Brian...... I wish you would.......’ grin

M0nica Mon 07-Dec-20 18:34:55

Many years ago we responded to an advert for a car, we liked it and agreed to buy it and asked who the cheque should be written out to.

It had been clear from the start that the seller knew he was important and expected to be recognised so he gave us his name in an important voice but we still had no clue who he was.

A little while later, after asking around we discovered that he was one of the biggest sports commentators personalities in the country at the time. As we had absolutely no interest in watching sport and, with two small children, little time to watch television, we had never heard of him.

What is more the car he sold us was a dud, and I am pretty sure he knew it, but we desperately in need of a car as our previous one had died and gone to scrap yard heaven and DH needed a car for work and funds were low, so we took a risk. We had it for six months, during which time it cost us hundreds of pounds in repairs, and we could not afford to keep it, so we had to get a loan for another car.

I won't say who the personality was as his son followed him into tv and is well known and quite frankly his father was a cheat.

eazybee Mon 07-Dec-20 18:46:22

'Do you know who I am?'
'No. Should I?' was my mother's response to self-important local councillors when she worked in the Town Hall.

lemongrove Mon 07-Dec-20 18:47:26

Or ‘haven’t the faintest!’....said cheerfully.?

midgey Mon 07-Dec-20 19:34:48

Reminds me of the time I was chatting a mum while our children were involved in an activity. I know your face but I don’t know why......I’m your neighbour! ?

FannyCornforth Mon 07-Dec-20 19:51:25

Surely the Tony Blair 'anecdote' is an old music hall gag and as old as the hills?

biba70 Mon 07-Dec-20 19:57:10

I remember a few of those. At a party for junior Doctors, one young chap strted to speak with one of the older chaps there- who said to him 'do you have any idea who I am boy?' - to which the young doc replied 'No Sir, should I?' and the older chap said 'I am Professor xyz, Head of the Faculty and Senior abc' - to which our friend replied 'oh congratulations' turned round and walked away. We all had to go out before we all burst out in laughter'. No need to stay he didn't stay at said hospital.

I loved the spoof video about a flight cancellation with EasyJet, and a long queue to re-schedule. This older 'celebrity', mutton dressed as ..., walked up the queue and insisted onb being delat with immediately. The assistant told her to return to the end of the queue and the woman burst out 'do you know who I am!!!'- so the assistant picked up her mike and told on tannoy 'could you send emergency medical assistance, we have an old woman here who has forgotten who she is'...

And the other in a Care Home, and Prince Charles is visiting and chat to one of the residents. After a few sentences he asks her 'do you know who I am' and she looks at him and smiles 'no, but don't worry- just ask the lady with the uniform over there, she will find out for you'.

PamelaJ1 Mon 07-Dec-20 19:58:42

I’m not sure if this counts because my story features a wealthy woman with a very large house in my area.
She was a client and not one that was much liked. Suffice to say that she had a huge sense of entitlement.
We had a British Legion club with a car park opposite us.
She parked there, came in and I warned her that she shouldn’t park there. She didn’t move it. It was market day and the club gets very busy. She got blocked in.
Instead of going in and grovelling she demanded that someone should move their car immediately. Like MrsThreadgoode’s’ naughty parker she was there for ages.
We all took exquisite delight in peeping out to see if she was still there.
It’s not only celebs that seem to think they are special. Is it learned behaviour or is it in the genes?

mumski Mon 07-Dec-20 21:15:54

MrsThreadgoode

Yes, a well known comedienne parked her car in my daughters parking space, so that she could go to the shops (cheeky bat) when DD arrived home she parked her car up behind the celebs car and took the children to the park. As celeb had parked in the only space belonging to DDs home, DD parked across Celebs bumper.
Celeb knocked the door when she had finished her shopping and asked me to move the car, when I said that DD had taken her car keys with her, she got very cross and asked if I knew who she was, I said No ( I vaguely recognised her) but I said that I do know whose car parking space she very rudely parked in.
Celeb sat fuming in her car until DD got home.
Unfortunately I couldn’t see DDs parking space from the house or I would have told her to go and park somewhere else.
She isn’t very funny either.

MrsThreadgoode Come on we need to know who she is!!!

Deedaa Mon 07-Dec-20 21:53:09

Not a celebrity but one of my oldest friends died last year and three of us all went to her funeral. She had been a keen golfer and the great and the good from her golf club were all there. A posh middle aged lady came over to us (we were looking scruffy rather than posh) and said "Oh good morning. I've known her for a long time, ever since she joined the golf club" we all smiled sweetly and told her we'd all been friends since we were at school together. She didn't speak to us again.

geekesse Mon 07-Dec-20 21:55:33

I had to cover a lesson with the Head’s 11 year old son in the class. He was being loud and disruptive, so I warned him that if he misbehaved again, I would send him out of the class. He asked ‘Do you know who I am?’. I told him that yes, I’d been warned that he was the most troublesome member of the first form, sent him out, and recorded classroom misbehaviour on his record. His father was delighted. Apparently the boy had been using that line to get out of trouble for weeks, and I was the first teacher to call his bluff.

Lucca Mon 07-Dec-20 22:28:57

Biba and Judy.....note the same story!

LadyBella Mon 07-Dec-20 22:34:35

Did anyone watch a programme years ago where David Beckham visited a remote part of Brazil. I remember him saying in amazement that the people didn't know who he was!

merlotgran Mon 07-Dec-20 22:56:04

DDiL used to be a senior flight attendant for BA. When Lionel Blair was on board he was charming and appreciative.

She told me she was disappointed that he wasn't rude, asking, 'Do you know who I am?' because it denied her the chance to reply, 'No! Give us a clue!' grin