Do people pretend not to know who people are in order to seem intelligent?

[coulditbeme2323]

Do people pretend not to know who people are in order to seem intelligent?

This question is prompted from reading comments online re The Met Gala?

Now let me prefix this by saying I have no interest in reality tv, Showbiz mags, etc - but surely there are some people who you know who they are because everybody does!

There were people saying "who" on a photo of Kim Kardashian. I have never seen an episode of the show, have no interest in her, but of course I know who she is - because how can you not?

Another British example is Jordan/Kate Price. No interest in her, but she has literally been headline news in The UK for 20 years. If you live in The UK - surely its impossible to not at least know who she is?

I have a friend late 60s who genuinely won’t have heard of people unless they were either famous 25+ years ago, a famous sportsman or a well known politician. The only thing he watches on the telly is sport, he listens to old music and ‘oldie’ radio stations and has no interest in celeb news at all. He genuinely won’t have heard of the Kardashians. There are people out there like that.

I don't follow anything really, I've no idea who anyone is and I don't care.
Anymore that is lol
Its called decluttering your mental space 😉

I could pick out all but Taylor Swift, who seems to change her look quite a bit. I wouldn't know a Kardashian if I fell over one.

I'm generally a bit shit with faces though. When I see famous people, they look familiar but I often can't put a name to them. I said hello to one of the Dimblebys in a supermarket once, because they looked so familiar I thought I knew them. The late Mr L took the piss out of me for days afterwards.

I listen to the radio a lot - but rarely watch tv or read newspapers - I know the names of many people - but I have no idea what they look like - I wouldn’t recognize loads of them as no visuals involved over the wireless!

I couldn’t recognize a photo of a kardashisn or of many politicians in the uk - but I certainly have an awareness of many of them.

I know who Katie price is and I know there are multiple Kardashian’s with first names that begin with K, but I have no idea what they look like nor would I be able to work out which one they were if I saw them in red carpet photos with lots of people. I feel like this bit passed me by as I was in hospital with my child for over 6 months with a lot of stress and missed big chunks of ‘popular culture’

I know who Kim Kardashian is, as in I have heard of her, but I wouldn’t be able to pick her out in a line up. I could with Katie Price.

I know the name Kim Kardashian but I wouldn't know what she looks like. With a few exceptions I have no interest in celebrities and I expect a lot of other people feel the same. You clearly think that's a sign of intelligence, maybe it is.

I am genuinely not sure…I know she is famous so I have certainly heard her name plenty…I know there is a reality tv show… but recognise her in the street? No. She could walk past me and I wouldn’t know. . I have a dull idea of Botox, ass and dark hair for Kim (but isn’t there a gaggle of siblings? If they were all lined up I wouldn’t know which was Kim). Then I have an idea of Botox, pout and blond hair for Katie Price but no idea why she is famous, (and no idea who Jordan is - did she transition to become a Jordan?)….partly I have no interest, partly I have terrible face recognition. …. but then I also wouldn’t be commenting on either of them on social media….. though I guess I have now. 😂

I know their names . Would recognise Jordan. I dont really watch much TV ive got really poor face memory and I'm not interested. My friends are like omg you would lose as the masked singer even if they didnt have masks. I couldn't pick most celebs out of a line up. I'm not "oh I don't possibly know who they are" because "im intelligent" on the most part I just don't know who they are

Exactly. I've heard of Kim Kardashian but I couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Or any of them actually

Ooh how witty. Someone posted these names as an example of people everyone should have heard of. Clearly they aren't.

If anybody is saying "who" to Kim K they are definitely acting ignorant and probably are being obtuse, i think it just makes look silly when they act superior like that.

This is so wrong in my case. I’ve heard of the Kardashians. I know they are in the public eye but I don’t know what they are famous for or how many there are.i have zero idea what they look like. I take exception to being called ignorant and obtuse. I have no intention of acting superior because I don’t know them. Basically my life revolves around my dog, my family, my friends, going out for tapas or to see a good band or show, and my hobbies.

I know who both of them are. I'd recognise Katie Price, but I genuinely wouldn't recognise a Kardashian.
Most of my news comes from Radio 4 these days so no pictures.

KK actually features in the higher brow media every now and again on account of the sheer amount of money she's made by "being a celebrity". My conservative, unfashionable mid-80s parents know who she is.

YABU it is nothing to do with intelligence. Just not into, or up to speed with popular culture.
I have heard of Kim Kardashian (the Trekkie in me changes it to Cardassian). I could walk past her in the street and not recognise her.

I'm the same. I will often recognise the name but might not recognise a picture. Or I might think that they look familiar but I don't know which celebrity it is.

I know who barely anyone is. My brain just doesn't retain things like that and unless they feature in something I like then I'd have no way of knowing who they are.

I don't think it makes me seem intelligent or cool. Quite the opposite really!

I don’t think my mum would know who Kim Kardashian is from a picture (she’s mid 60s). I only know who Sabrina Carpenter is because a friend mentioned her and I said ‘who?’ And she preceded to explain I had been living under a rock. A lot depends on your lifestyle and the algorithm!

My DH doesn't know who lots of 'celebs' are. I would guess he probably knows Kim Kardasian, but not the rest of the Karadsians. Knows lots of actors though. But reckon he wouldn't know who most the people at the Met Gala were. Then again, he wouldn't be commenting on SM posts either!

I think that's a rather flimsy excuse to do a spot of advertising! 😅

Same, he knows & has zero interest in celebrity anything

I think it's a form of trying to seem "above it all" and demonstrate they don't know popular names or celebrities because they are busy being invested in something else. I find it childish, tbh. Of course you don't have to know big names or celebrities and chances are even well-known names aren't familiar to some, but it's rare. In most cases people do know, they just prefer to act ignorant as if it's somehow below their level.

Older people often don't watch Celeb type progs or mundane, boring soaps.And have no idea who these people are and would probably have no.interst in them anyway.

But they do watch the news and maybe bits of Social.media post sites.

Bur l.think.you would have to live in a cave not to know who Jordan and KK are. Or Taylor Swift for that matter.

We are so bombarded with media junk these days. That it is virtually impossible to escape from it.

Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide?

But what are you counting as knowing? I know their names, I might recognise Taylor Swift but couldn’t tell you the name of any of her songs, wouldn’t recognise Kim Kardashian and might recognise an old picture of Katie Price but may be not, don’t know what she looks like now. This is just the genuine position, my path just never crossed with them. I largely stay away from SM.

Would you recognise the lead singer of Behemoth or Rotting Christ? Can you name all Iron Maiden albums? I come across these sorts of things more often in my circle and with my algorithm than Kim Kardashian. Surely you recognise people simply have different interests and experiences?

I do YouGov surveys which often tag on an extra little survey at the end where you have to click thumbs up/down or neutral on a range of personalities. I can honestly say I don't know 90% of the names. I don't watch live TV, read magazines or celebrity news in papers - literally no interest. It all seems so shallow.
The subject of celebrities never comes up in conversations with family, at work, or social circles. Real life - how people are, what they've been doing, their worries, their achievements, their pets, their experiences are what matters.
There's no 'pretence'. Just disinterest.