“God help you if you are an ugly girl, ‘course too pretty is also your doom, ’cause everyone harbors a secret hatred for the prettiest girl in the room.” ~Ani Difranco
I have extremely poor face recognition skills with people I don’t know well. This includes people on the big screen. I didn’t always know this about myself, and I once made a bet for $100 while watching Chasing Amy that the actress was Renee Zellweger:
I know now that it was Joey Lauren Adams:
Here’s another. I’ve been talking about wanting to see Lars and the Real Girl since I saw the trailer. Then last week I watched a documentary on men who own real dolls and that further stoked my interest. (The documentary is called Guys and Dolls. I highly recommend it.)
I was especially excited about Lars and the Real Girl since David Arquette is in it, and I like him. So, I’ve been talking about this for awhile and eventually was told it’s not David Arquette. I argued…but didn’t make any bets. Turns out it’s Ryan Gosling:
I guess he doesn’t look so much like David Arquette:
So, I’m starting to realize it’s my brain that’s the problem.
Here’s another. Ray Stevenson (Titus Pullo from Rome):
He looks a bit like Henry Rollins:
No? Ok, well, I’m pretty sure Helen Hunt, LeeLee Sobieski, and Blake Lively look alike. If I had to cast a family, I’d pick these women. And I’d throw Chloe Sevigny in for good measure.
Helen Hunt, b. 1963
LeeLee Sobieski, b. 1981
Blake Lively, b. 1987
Chloe Sevigny, b. 1974
Yes. They totally look alike. Don’t they?
Possibly related posts: (not automatically generated)
Sissy said,
October 30, 2007 at 8:30 am
Blake looks like….um….can’t think of her name. She’s someone’s daughter…..so close…..Damn. Can’t think of her name. Kurt Douglas’ step daughter. Shoot. What. Is. Her. Name.
Oprah Boy said,
October 30, 2007 at 8:32 am
People with this problem can drive me crazy.
Oprah Boy said,
October 30, 2007 at 8:41 am
That Ray Stevenson guy doesn’t look anything like Rollins.
Leelee is somewhat Hunt-ish, but those others shouldn’t be there.
Jenn said,
October 30, 2007 at 9:17 am
LeeLee is a dead ringer for Hunt. The first time I saw her in a movie, I swore it was Helen Hunt, but that it couldn’t actually be Helen Hunt because she looked just a little too young.
Jim said,
October 30, 2007 at 9:37 am
Wow… That’s just sad. You’re like, kind of retarded in a way, aren’t you?
Honestly, I wish I were retarded.
messiestobjects said,
October 30, 2007 at 9:44 am
Chloe looks like LeeLee a bit. When I first saw Eyes Wide Shut I thought that was Chloe.
Oprah Boy said,
October 30, 2007 at 9:48 am
Michael and Jenn = blind and/or crazy.
Jenn said,
October 30, 2007 at 9:53 am
Blake Lively reminds me of Hilary Duff, but I think she could also pass for the daughter of Edie Falco.
messiestobjects said,
October 30, 2007 at 10:03 am
…Um, hey pot, who areyou calling crazy?
Oprah Boy said,
October 30, 2007 at 10:25 am
That’s comedy, not reality. It’s called acting. I’m playing a character that really wants to chat. In my defense, I was probably really high. AND it was 20 years ago.I’m much more normal now.
lyd said,
October 30, 2007 at 11:06 am
I think it’s more chin confusion than celeb confusion — check out how similar each pair’s chins are (esp. LeeLee and Helen)…
julieluongo said,
October 30, 2007 at 11:35 am
Chin bind! That makes me feel better.
I watched a lecture by a guy who was talking about people who couldn’t recognize their own mother and it made me feel better about my dysfunction. I suspect I have a bit of synestheia too. It’s probably related to the visual recognition problem. Who knows.
Jim, I think you could cultivate little brain problem of your own. Develop alcoholism or some other addiction – if you’re lucky it’ll cause brain damage or maybe bring out a neurosis. Good luck!
Jim said,
October 30, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Naw. I want full-on mental retardation.
I don’t want to know stuff anymore. Stop the knowledge…
We need some sort of, Knowledge Anonymous.
julieluongo said,
October 30, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Try watching NASCAR followed by I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. That should work.
Jim said,
October 30, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Why, because I’ll bash my forehead in with a hammer afterwards?
I’m really looking for some sort of gene therapy induced Downs Syndrome.
I can really envision it becoming a fad among the filthy rich.
“I don’t need smarts, I need an enlarged tongue by which I can taste a symphony of flavor from a simple dish of french fries and ketchup”
Wouldn’t it be great if everything on TV was entertaining and that everything was CHIPS.
julieluongo said,
October 30, 2007 at 1:11 pm
You’re a pioneer, Jim.
Sissy said,
October 30, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Kate Hudson.
Sissy said,
October 30, 2007 at 3:15 pm
“I’m much more normal now.”
Yup.
Oprah Boy said,
October 30, 2007 at 4:45 pm
That girl doesn’t look anything like Kate Hudson! And she’s not Kirk Douglas’s step daughter she’s Kurt Russell’s! Oh my god lord jesus!
lyd said,
October 30, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Hhhmmm, visual recognition problem. Maybe not synesthis, but prosopagnosia… (does this sound like Lucy in Peanuts, listing off Charlie Brown’s disorders?)
Can’t remember a face, eh? face blindness?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/health/psychology/18face.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia
Forget about the celebrities, let’s delve into psyches…
Sissy said,
October 30, 2007 at 10:24 pm
“That girl doesn’t look anything like Kate Hudson! And she’s not Kirk Douglas’s step daughter she’s Kurt Russell’s! Oh my god lord jesus!”
I love you, too, Gary.
MamaPeg is Watching You said,
October 31, 2007 at 8:25 am
I can ALWAYS recognize a refrigerator.
Sissy said,
October 31, 2007 at 9:13 am
Really? I’d say you’re good, then. I’m constantly looking for the keypad on my fridge when I want to warm up my cup of coffee. It gets me every time. Doh!
julieluongo said,
October 31, 2007 at 11:45 am
Whoa, Lyd…nice article. How about this quote:
Dr. Sellers, a professor of English at Hope College in Holland, Mich., has a disorder called prosopagnosia, or face blindness, and she has had it since birth. “I see faces that are human,” she said, “but they all look more or less the same. It’s like looking at a bunch of golden retrievers: some may seem a little older or smaller or bigger, but essentially they all look alike.”
Golden retrievers.
On another note, when I mentioned the synesthesia, what I meant was that in addition to the face recognition problem, I also have a cross sensory thing, which I just recently realized was an actual phenomenon. (This is where A is always red and 5 is always red and some sounds are orange and some things feel beige and some thoughts taste like copper.) I thought it was just associative from childhood, but turns out, it’s not.
I think it explains my music angst and the reason I can’t get enough of Wes Anderson movies. But I don’t know.
Oprah Boy said,
October 31, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I’ve always associated sounds with colors. It was more vivid in my mind when I was younger.
julieluongo said,
October 31, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Cool. Same here. But recently I’ve been focusing on it to see exactly which are real sensory crossovers, which are my imagination, and which are childhood/normal associations. Not that any of this data is useful in any way…
Sissy said,
October 31, 2007 at 2:54 pm
You guys are in over my head. I’ve never noticed a color/sound association. I associate tastes with colors. Certain sweets are pink, but some are red or purple. And blue. Bitter is hunter green.
julieluongo said,
October 31, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I wonder if people who wear hunter green are bitter.
Kendrick Coach said,
October 31, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Or, I wonder if people feel bitter only when they wear hunter green.
Esmerelda said,
October 31, 2007 at 6:24 pm
I’m so with you. It’s just that telling them apart is unimportant to you. You’re probably one of those people that remembers details about people you LIKE. More power to you.
Oprah Boy said,
October 31, 2007 at 9:05 pm
“You guys are in over my head. I’ve never noticed a color/sound association. I associate tastes with colors.”
It’s the same idea!
Jenn said,
November 1, 2007 at 12:26 am
People wearing green are bitter because they are Eagles fans. Momma, I know this will go right over your head and I am not supposed to make sports references on your blog, but I could not help myself.
MamaPeg is Watching You said,
November 1, 2007 at 6:03 am
I might have to agree with Jenn.
MamaPeg is Watching You said,
November 1, 2007 at 8:43 am
Renee Zellweger has those squinty eyes. And what’s with her and Vincent D’Onofrio?
Jenn said,
November 1, 2007 at 9:17 am
I mix up Vince Vaughn and Vincent D’Onofrio in my mind. I have to stop and think about which one is which.
Sissy said,
November 1, 2007 at 10:02 am
No wonder I associate bitter with green. It’s all clear to me.
And now for the important topic at hand – I LOVE both Vincents. I am obsessed with D’Onofrio.
Oprah Boy said,
November 1, 2007 at 11:29 am
Vaughn = same character every time in comedies.
D’Onofrio = usually someone with some sort of mental problems.
Jenn said,
November 1, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Further adding to the confusion is that I think they are pals IRL.
Sissy said,
November 1, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Yes. They are friends. It probably does it make it worse for your confusion.
I like that same character Vaughn plays every time. I imagine he can’t act and that’s just who he is in real life. I dig it.
When D’Onofrio took the role on L&A I read in a Newsweek interview that he feared taking on the job would type-cast him as a psycho forever. Psychic, too.
Dayv said,
November 1, 2007 at 2:54 pm
My mom swears up and down that Jeff Daniels and Dave Coulier (from Full House) are one and the same…
julieluongo said,
November 1, 2007 at 4:39 pm
But Jeff Daniels doesn’t have anyone to remind him of the mess he left when he went away. It’s not fair. We can’t deny him of the cross we bear that Dave Coulier gave to us. He, he, he doesn’t have to know.
Sarah said,
November 3, 2007 at 12:10 am
That’s not David Arquette in that movie?
julieluongo said,
November 3, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I’m kind-of bummed.
carlos said,
November 24, 2007 at 6:52 am
Jim. you are pioneer. hahahah
My Birthday Was Great, Thanks « Julie Luongo said,
December 3, 2007 at 3:09 pm
[...] I wish my phone had been working properly on my birthday. But when it clicked in, it was nice to hear the messages from my great people. So, thanks to my family and friends who called and emailed and texted both early and late. Love you. (Oh, and someone called and sang, in beautiful voice, I might add. My caller ID isn’t working and I can’t figure out who it was. So, I guess my voice recognition is as good as my face recognition.) [...]
cat said,
December 20, 2007 at 5:34 pm
in reply to sissy,
i think the person you’re thinking of is Kate Hudson. Blake Lively looks slightly like Kate Hudson
julieluongo said,
December 21, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Good call, Cat. I think I’m going to have to make an edit to this post…
This Just In: More Blond Actresses Look Alike « Julie Luongo said,
December 21, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] my post about Look-Alike Celebrities, it was brought to my attention that Blake Lively looks like Kate Hudson (thanks, Cat). If [...]
Dr. Letitia S. Wright, D.C. said,
April 23, 2008 at 4:10 am
Helen Hunt and LeeLee look like mother and daughter
Pat Blue said,
September 2, 2008 at 1:55 am
What the fuck you racial bitch. If I said all blacks look the same I would be beaten and hanged. It is obvious that you do not have to be smart to write a book. Give up trying to be smart and jsut put a bullet in you head and save the world that way.
julieluongo said,
September 2, 2008 at 10:28 am
In the title you find so offensive, I’m referring to a phenomenon in facial recognition research called “other-race effect” that shows differences in face perception abilities depending on the individual’s experience with the race used in testing. For example, a Caucasian raised with Asiatic people will most likely have better face perception skills with Asiatic people than a Caucasian raised in an environment with only exposure to Caucasian faces.
However, you’re clearly a delicate and sensitive person who has been deeply offended by my comparison of LeeLee Sobieski and Helen Hunt. Please be assured that I’m not “trying to be smart,” “save the world,” or be a “racial bitch” by blogging about how my face recognition skills are bad. I was just hoping to get into a discussion about face perception … and now I have. So, thanks.
messiestobjects said,
September 2, 2008 at 10:49 am
Wow, Pat Blue. Troll the internet looking reaaalllllyyyy hard for inane things to get offended by much? I bet you didn’t score very well on the reading comprehension section, didja?
Sissy said,
September 3, 2008 at 9:45 am
How difficult was it for you to find this page, P.B.?
I think all Romanians look the same.
julieluongo said,
September 3, 2008 at 10:09 am
Lots of people come here for Renee Zellweger.
Sissy said,
September 3, 2008 at 1:21 pm
That’s beats people visiting a blog seeking advice on spanking their sissy husbands.
JD said,
September 19, 2008 at 4:48 pm
How about Courtney Cox and Nelly Furtado, they could be twins..
Gary said,
September 19, 2008 at 8:06 pm
hehehe Julie is racial.
Jennifer said,
September 21, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Let’s keep this politically relavent and discuss how much Sarah Palin and Tina Fey look alike. Or is that too controversial?
Gary said,
September 21, 2008 at 1:35 pm
http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainment-general_impact/2008/09/large_palinfey.jpg
Get rid of the glasses and I don’t think they’d look THAT alike. Take any girl with brown-ish hair and put her hair in a bun and put some glasses on her and she’ll look like either of them.
julieluongo said,
September 21, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Don’t forget the lipstick.
Anonymous said,
January 11, 2009 at 9:20 pm
How about Melinda Page Hamilton and Renee Zellweger?
Anon said,
March 16, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Every single time I see LeeLee Sobieski, I think it’s Helen Hunt at first; I have to tell myself “No, she’s too young, it must be LeeLee Sobieski.” EVERY TIME. lol
Allys said,
April 3, 2009 at 12:30 am
They are all Jewish silly.
