WHO DAT?!

Nawlings Ya’ll!

Nov. 4-9 we go to New Orleans for the National Association of REALTORS conference.

From the flight there to the flight back and everywhere in between…Ellen became my identity. NOT on purpose or with any intention on my part…but because I am me, which happens to be similar to who Ellen appears to be. Or as I like to look at it, Ellen appears to be similar to me.

What?…are you fooling us? People would ask me…Are you Ellen?

OMG you look like Ellen…you are her right? You dance just like her too…

Excuse me…can I get your autograph?

Oh Looord...I can’t even look at you…you sure you’re not Ellen? Dance for me that will prove it. Dance Ellen…dance… OMG…you are Ellen…it’s those eyes…

Please may I take a picture with you. I love Ellen so much, she is my favorite person in the world. I can’t believe you look so much like her…

You could make a lot of people freak out if you went to LA…

You should get paid…

Hey Ellen…oh my gawd, your not Ellen…I thought you were…a lot of celebrities do come around here so I thought for sure you was her…

Did you know she’s from here? Grew up in the Quarter…

My wife used to work with Ellen, court clerk…she was just as funny back then…wait til I tell my wife I saw you.

My favorite story is Gail, the tour bus driver. She saw me on the corner waiting for her bus and she told all the passengers, oh that looks like Ellen. When we loaded the bus she said I am sure you hear this all the time but you look like Ellen. I said yes a matter of fact I do. So we continue to the next stop where she then stood to address the group and as I listened she looked at me and said …I can’t even look at you…are you sure your not Ellen? Oh I am sure Gail. She said stop looking at me you are freaking me out. It’s the eyes. As we continued the tour she kept slipping in comments about how she can’t wait to tell everyone that Ellen is on her bus. We get to our final stop, the swamp for a boat tour, and of course Gail had to tell everyone that Ellen is coming. We get to the office and I, rather Ellen became the topic of discussion.

Gail was so excited to have Ellen on her bus.

When the swamp tour was over and it was time to drive back to town, Gail pulls up in her bus with another load of passengers to start their tour. As she pulls the bus past me she points to me and I can read her lips…see there she is  - Ellen! I waved to them as they went by.

On our drive back, Gail addressed me as Ellen…where’s your stop Ellen? Did you have a good time Ellen? Ellen are you back there? etc. Finally as we got off the bus, she said well, if you dance then I will really now you are Ellen. I laughed, and as I got off the bus I began to dance my way out and in front of the bus…” See…I knew it…you are Ellen” She drove off with a smile!!

Oh My...Did You Know You Look Like Ellen DeGenerate?

As we were flying to Alabama for a Porsche Sport Driving camp a grumpy Flight attendant kept walking up and down the isle and gave me what I thought was a glare. Finally as the flight was descending she comes over and says, "I am sure people tell you all the time that you look like Ellen DeGeneres". She finally had a cheery smile on her face as I answered, "Yes people do tell me all the time". She walked away with an even bigger smile on her face and says…”I thought so”.

At the end of a long day at the Porsche Sport Driving School, a group of us were walking back to our rooms across a large patio area. On the other side of the patio was a large party of people gathering. As I looked over at the group, several people started to wave frantically in our direction. I nodded my head towards them and smiled. At the same time our new friends asked if we know them. I said “No, I think they think, I look like Ellen”. “Ohh yeah…” they say…”of course you do…we can totally see that.” The rest of the evening they called me Ellen.

Still in Alabama, we go into a restaurant. The hostess - an overly friendly Southern Gal, says in her best Southern accent… “Oh my word…did you know you look just like Ellen DeGenerate?” As I told her that yes a lot of people tell me that I look like Ellen and in fact Ellen herself has even told me I look like her, she says back…”Yes ma’am…I  apologize for staring but I just couldn’t help myself”

As we were seated looking over the menu I could hear the same voice in the kitchen telling all the staff how much I look like Ellen, and then I overheard another voice respond to her…”I thought the same thing”.

My Experience with Porsche

Porsche Sport Driving School - USA

THETVOBSERVER!: TheTVObserver: Ellen DeGeneres

THETVOBSERVER!: TheTVObserver: Ellen DeGeneres

A Celebrity is Spotted

Earlier this year we took a much needed vacation to the famous Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson, Arizona. The resort (among other things) is known for accommodating high profile guests, such as Oprah. In the informational brochures about Miraval there is a statement that relates to respecting the privacy of other guests. I took this to mean "if you see a celebrity, don't take pictures, or bug them"

Our first night in the dining room, I made eye contact with a woman seated across the dining room. Suddenly she starts enthusiastically waving at me. I looked behind me to see who she was waving at, and then it hit me, she was waving at me because she thinks I'm Ellen. So I sort of raised my hand and smiled at her, at the same time she realized I was not really Ellen. So we just smiled back at one another.

Throughout our stay at Miraval, and when ever I left the room, I could feel people looking at me. It happened over and over, the same scene...someone stares at me, then I make eye contact and smile, then they whisper to a friend who would then turn and look at me, and then turn back to their friend and whisper again. You know when you can tell that someone is looking at you or talking about you...well this continued the entire week. I was beginning to feel a bit paranoid, like this really can't be happening every time I leave my room, I must be imagining things. Then as we were waiting in line for a smoothie, a guest whispered to my other half, "your friend looks a lot like a famous celebrity". Of course, he didn't want to mention anything directly to me, but once he spoke, then we were engaged in a conversation about Ellen, and how much I look like her and act like her and sound like her.

On the flight back home, the flight attendant, who had been giving me the "look", gets to our row to offer drinks. She leans down and says, "okay I have to say something, but I am sure people tell you all the time…" I smiled and nodded back at her. She told me that she and her coworker saw me board the plane and had to really look close. She said it’s not unusual to see famous people flying 'incognito' on coach, so for a second they thought they really might be seeing Ellen. As we de-boarded and walked off the plane the other flight attendant yells out to me…”Bye Ellen”.

Finally we get home and start sorting through the photos. I put together a slide show to share our experience with family and friends. I got a call from my Mom after she viewed the photos and she said she really had to stare hard at one picture, she couldn’t tell if it was me or Ellen. Aside from my own Mom not being able to identify me, a couple of other friends mentioned this one picture where I really look like Ellen. I have to admit, most of the time I don’t see the look-alike thing, but in this picture I must say I kinda do.



Ellen or LynEllen?



Photo Opportunity with LynEllen

A few months back Dad and his wife came for a visit. We went to the famous King Estate Winery for dinner and wine tasting. As we were eating in the dining room, a large party was seated next to us. As we dined and sipped wine, I could feel the stares from the other table. One by one the gentlemen at the table kept getting up and walking by our table, but they would have to scoot by my chair and as they went by they touched me, like gently on the shoulder or arm whatever.

Then the moment came, the two gentlemen, did I mention they were in there late 60’s, walked by again, but this time as they passed they looked at me and said “We love your show”. Meanwhile, Dad and my other half, Kim, were in the restroom, missing this whole interaction. I knew what the men meant, but Dad's wife, was clueless and had no idea what they were talking about…so I said to the man, "tell her what you mean." He looked at her and said "What? Don’t you know…that’s ELLEN". As the conversation continued turns out the entire party was talking about me and had seen me on the Ellen Show.

Of course they all told me how much they love Ellen and insisted on getting a picture with me. I shyly obliged and went over for a quick photo opportunity with my new friends. Cheers!

Birthday Party with Ellen

I went to a friend’s 50th surprise birthday party. One woman in particular was blown away at the resemblance between myself and Ellen. She could not stop staring at me to the point that I was a bit uncomfortable. She also insisted that I study up on comedy and become funny. When her friend arrived at the party, they double teamed me followed me all around and kept saying over and over "Wow you do look like Ellen!" I kept catching them stare at me all night. I would just smile at them and give a little shrug and they would both shyly smile back. That is the first time someone has suggested I study up on my comedy, but not the first time someone has asked if I was funny. Maybe I'll start with Ellen's "funny" book....

Later that evening, the "Birthday Girl" came over to the table where I was sitting. She told me that a gentleman sitting a few tables over, leaned  to his wife and whispered… remind me to tell you something when we get home. The wife said back, in a much louder tone, what…that that woman over there looks like Ellen?

The birthday girl was happy to have a celebrity CRASH her party...even though it was just me, LynEllen - Ellen's look alike.

My Ellen DeGeneres Show Experience

I got tickets to be in the audience at one of Ellen's shows. When we arrived in Burbank for the taping of the show, people looked confused when they saw 'Ellen' waiting in line for her own show...but wait, it wasn't Ellen...it was Me. People began acting as if I was Ellen, following me down the street, taking my picture, chanting and yelling "ELLEN", asking for autographs and even giving me hugs. One frenzied fan told me I looked more like Ellen than Ellen. Hum?

While we waited to be seated for the show, one of Ellen's staff came over and took my picture - with a Polaroid camera - and then disappeared. Later, I found out the staffer took the picture to Ellen and the producers of the show. When they ushered us in the studio we were seated in the isle Ellen typically dances down. The show started and sure enough here comes Ellen, down our row, and she stops right in front of me, did a double take and then we started doing this mirror shadow dance thing.

When she got to her seat, she says "when did they put a mirror in the audience, because now I can see myself dancing through?" She then proceeded to do a mini interview with me. After the show was off the air, she looked up at me again and said to the entire audience "I know a lot of people claim to look like me, but you really do, come down here and get a picture with me."

I do get people telling me all the time I look like Ellen, the funny thing is that I don't think I look like her, and I am not trying to look like her. Although, if you gotta have a look alike, I guess she is a good one to look like. So many people LOVE her. I hear it all the time. I think people feel a connection to Ellen when they see me, so they feel compelled to share their Ellen stories. It's great fun!

Do you have any Ellen stories to share?

Can I Have Your Autograph?

I was in Portland Oregon, at a restaurant having dinner with friends. I had gone to the restroom and on the way back to the table I spotted our waitress sitting on a bench with a friend in the lobby area. I said something like "taking a break huh?"…which then opened the door for them to talk to me. The waitress said she and her friend were just talking about how much I look like Ellen, and how I probably get that a lot and that I am probably sick of hearing it, but that Ellen is so funny and they love to watch her show. I told them about my Ellen Show experience and how even Ellen thinks I look like her. So now people call me LynEllen because my name is Lynell.

Later...back at our table the waitress came up and said, "...can I please have your autograph, for my friend?". So she pulled out a piece of paper and I signed it…To my biggest Fan. Love…LynEllen!

Check Back for the next upcoming post..."The Ellen Show Experience"!

I Look Like Ellen DeGeneres

"Has anyone ever told you, you look just like Ellen DeGeneres?"... I was first asked that question many years ago when Ellen's talk show exploded on the tv circuit. Then one day, my hair dresser asked me how often people say something to me about looking like Ellen. I thought for a second and realized…it happens every time I go out anywhere in public!

So, after several years of the "look-alike" stares, whispers and comments, I thought it was time to start documenting the funny statements, circumstances and stories I experience... all because I look like Ellen DeGeneres. It was never my intention to ever look like anyone else. I am simply being me and if that means I look like a well-liked and respected celebrity…then I gladly accept it. I still do get a bit embarrassed every time someone says something to me about how much I look like Ellen, but I have to admit I do get a kick out of it and really have fun talking to people about how much they love Ellen.

Check back for the upcoming story..."Can I have your autograph?"