Seriously, though, we bloggers (and not-a-bloggers) have a lovely community here in the ‘sphere. We know a lot about each other, each other’s children, each other’s lives. We know the trials and tribulations, failures and successes that we choose to share with each other. But we don’t know what half of the folks we talk to look like. Some of you have shared images with your readers, so we have a face to associate with the ‘voice’ we read every day. Others have described themselves in one way or another. But with most of the people I read, I know way more about who they are than who they look like.
I’ve never posted my picture on the net. No real reason, other than (1) I am my own worst critic and (2) there was that stalking incident several months ago. So each of you have your own version of me. And I find that interesting.
I’m very visual. I immediately put a face on the voice I hear (or read). That backfired on me a few years back, when I was working part-time as a police radio dispatcher during college breaks. And I fell in love with a voice on the other side of the radio. Another dispatcher. ( I have told this story somewhere, sometime on the internet. I cannot remember if it was in a comment or on here, so forgive me if I’m repeating myself.) To make a long story short, he asked me out once, and I accepted, and when we finally met, he looked nothing like he sounded. Nothing. God, I mean nothing. (Let’s just not go there now, m’kay?) Worse still, he did not have the personality he had on the radio. It was a total disaster, and I cut the evening short. Very short.
So I have a picture, in my mind, of each of the people I read. And along the way, sometimes, I find out what some of you really look like. Some are dead-on balls accurate, like our dear Kenju, who just happened to include a photo of herself in her post today and who just happens to look exactly like she sounds. Tiff? Looks like she sounds. (Not just the eyeball.) And, since she’s moved on up into the big leagues, to actual audio posts, we now know she even sounds like she writes.
Others, not so much. In the past couple of weeks I’ve seen pictures of people that sound one way and look totally, completely another.
Remember. Elle MacPherson. Only prettier. Bah!
August 3, 2006 at 10:23 am
You posted that picture of your mother and I assumed you were looking somewhat similar to that 🙂
Haha you get a ton of hits from me because I am a compulsive procrastinator and I read comments. All day. But I am sure you know who I am on your sitemeter.
Do I look like I sound in my typing? I think so. Of course you’ve heard my voice too if you watched my videos. Last night I was thinking I should do a post AND narrate it.
August 3, 2006 at 10:24 am
You know, I think I’ve seen almost every blogger that I read at some point or another. People tell me I look like Debra Winger
August 3, 2006 at 10:24 am
Except that I have a pumpkin on my head.
August 3, 2006 at 10:32 am
I do the same thing too…. and I’ve been disappointed a time or two!!!
Michele sent me today!
August 3, 2006 at 10:35 am
i was laughing about that facial recognition thing because i have actually been told that i do resemble dana delany. of course the first person it thought i looked like was ashton kutcher and i really don’t see that.
last night while sitting through the previews before the start of pirates with notsoccer mom, there was a preview for a new movie with kevin costner and ashton called something like “the guardian”. i leaned over to NSM during the preview while they were showing a scene with ashton and said, “i feel like i am looking in a mirror”. that cracked her up.
August 3, 2006 at 10:50 am
For some reason I imagine you with short brown hair and cute funky glasses. Am I even close?
August 3, 2006 at 11:02 am
Hm, I always pictured you as more of a Heidi Klum type 😉
Actually though I always picture you with dark hair also, but the face is just a bit of a blur–I haven’t constructed you in much detail yet! I do put faces to bloggers though and have certainly been shocked on many occasions when I saw a picture of the real deal! But that’s why I like to put up a picture. I feel like it lets my readers get to know me on a different level somehow…
August 3, 2006 at 11:19 am
I too assign looks and was way shocked recently by one – so much so that I have had trouble going back to read even though I love her.
For you, I picture you with reddish brown wavy hair, medum length with green eyes. Yes, I have an active imagination and I was so disappointed by the Harry Potter movies because the characters outside of Harry did not look anything like they did in my head and now it makes me crazy because I can only picture the movie characters not mine.
Hope you are feeling better!
August 3, 2006 at 12:12 pm
I don’t assign faces to the blogs I read. I do with books, mainly because they are fictional characters and there is no right or wrong answer. I don’t think I’ve ever done it with blogs because I know there is an actual person writing and I don’t want to think of them one way and find out they look another way. I don’t even know if that made any sense.
Oh and Michelle sent me.
August 3, 2006 at 12:39 pm
I’m always surprised when I meet or see a picture of online folks I’ve never met/seen before because they almost NEVER look like I think they do. 🙂
August 3, 2006 at 12:43 pm
Sometimes I imagine what the blogger on the other end looks like. 🙂 In your case I imagine sort of sleek red-gold hair and chic clothes. And a bag with that flower pattern from your header on it. 🙂
Characters in books? ALL the time.
August 3, 2006 at 1:26 pm
WN – you have shoulder length brown hair,with dark eyes and the soul of a gypsy.
I think it’s funny that you’re kind enough to link to my blog, wehre my ghoulish avatar is the only thing people see of me. Loves it!
August 3, 2006 at 1:28 pm
One more – when I was working doign radio stuff, I was asked out by a fellow who thought I was his age – somewhere around 60. I was 27 at the time. We never did go out.
August 3, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Yeah, Tiff, I actually forgot to mention that you now have an avatar which only slightly resembles you!
August 3, 2006 at 2:10 pm
I picture you like Sophia Loren. I’m sure I’m right.
I am really bad about imagining people a certain way and then being completely wrong. One of our DJs had the BEST voice – wow. Then when I saw him, it was not the hunk in my head. He was balding, 40ish, and about 350 lbs. Oops.
As for me, I don’t know if I look like I type, but I cringe when I hear my voice on an answering machine. It sounds like a 14 yo cheerleader – not at all like how it sounds in my head.
August 3, 2006 at 3:06 pm
First, I wanted to say Hi from Michelle.
Second, Sorry about that whole stalking thing … oh wait you didn’t know it was me! … It must have been some other clone … yeah that’s the ticket.
I have been told my voice (and no offence meant to anyone) sounds like a gay newscaster with a cold.
two things I am not and one thing that I don’t get often.
In my head, most of the people I deal with on line don’t conjure images in my brain, I just get amorphous guy or gal. Sometime depending on the writing the age of said guy or gal will change.
August 3, 2006 at 3:47 pm
Hi! Here via Michele’s.
I definitely assign faces to blogs and voices over the phone.
I also do this when I read books, which is why I hate it when they make a movie version and the actor chosen looks nothing like I had pictured. (Coz they should just asked *me*, dontcha know!) Like Tom Hanks in TDC? Puh-leeze. I had Dennis Quaid all ready for that role! *giggle*
Feel free to stop by for a slice soon! 🙂
August 3, 2006 at 4:05 pm
Well I cheated and there is a picture of me on my blog…
but you…
I see as a dark haired lady with dark eyes. I would guess you 5’4 to 5’5″ and about 115 to 120 lbs.
I think your hair is mid length…and tucked behind your ears often
You definitely have a Louisiana accent! 🙂
August 3, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Back a thousand years ago when I had my magazine, I did a huge cover spread on “The Faces Behind the Voices”. We printed photos (with interviews) of about a dozen of my city’s favorite radio personalities.
We got more mail on that issue than any other we did in seven years of publishing.
And for the most part? We were ALL shocked and dismayed. 🙂
August 3, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Hi – here from Michele’s.
I loved your post – so very true – and I hadn’t read Kenju’s entry yet – she didn’t look like I expected…..
I definately imagine people in my mind and most of the time I’m not close.
I havent read your blog enough yet to have an opinion! But… it looks like a goody!
August 3, 2006 at 7:40 pm
I love the story about the dispatcher. Love it! I’ve read it, but I don’t think you left it at my place. My memory is gone.
I’m like Juliana, I picture you looking like your mother. (And Liza?)
I’m bad with faces and voices too. I totally get things wrong.
August 3, 2006 at 8:16 pm
Well then my lady you are seriously hot! I may have to try that scan thing just to see. When much younger people used to stop me and ask if I had any idea I looked just like Deborah Harry, (Blondie) so I wonder if she would come up?
Audio…I wonder if the northerners would even be able to understand me!
August 3, 2006 at 8:50 pm
I picture you as somewhere between Audrey Hepburn and the wife on Yes, Dear. (the petite one). Only much funnier.
I have been told that I look like Meryl Streep for years. I have also heard Julianne Moore (!) and Emma Thompson. (I am shorter than all of them. It HAS to be my nose!)
Ask Tiff what I look like. She’ll tell you.
August 3, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Hi from michelle!!
I have posted a couple of shots of me on the net at my flickr site – mmm… not sure if my voice sounds the same. I am always confused with my Mum but I don’t think I sound like her at all.
August 3, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Wordnerd, thanks for the link – and I am glad that you pictured me as I am.
I also have pics in my mind for all the bloggers whom I have not seen, and you are all fabulously good looking with no defects whatsoever!! Please don’t disappoint me by turning out to be dogs……LOL
August 4, 2006 at 6:28 am
I don’t have a picture of you as I have not been reading you for a long time, but yes, I usually attach a virtual image to the text I read.
August 4, 2006 at 9:21 am
Renn lies – she’s tall and slinky with waist-length black hair and ruby-red lips. Like Cher. Yes, just like that. It’s the whole third eye thing that throws everyone off.
August 4, 2006 at 9:44 am
Well everyone has a pretty good idea of me, I think (I wish I DID look more like the girl on Yes, Dear…she’s adorable!). I do look like my mom, who did look like Audrey Hepburn when she was young…I’m shorter than you think (barely 5′), short dark hair (and yes, behind the ears), with lots of funky reading glasses (good one, preppygirl). Tiff, you KNOW my soul…
And Susie, I ‘cast’ every book I read! What’s worse than Tom Hanks in TDC? Tom Hanks in “The Bonfire of the Vanities.” Morons.
August 4, 2006 at 2:06 pm
YOHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I was right dark hair behind ears!
woohooo
August 4, 2006 at 2:51 pm
I would have said cute, petite, dark short thick wavy hair in a tossled cut and glasses. Yup. Of course, now I’m worried that I should never post a photo of me so my readers (okay, reader) don’t get dissapointed. Hmmmm.
August 4, 2006 at 2:53 pm
I am guilty as charged: I always assign faces to voices. I think it’s left over from my life in radio….you can’t help it.
But I learned why some people spend their entire careers in radio – namely, because they’re too hideous for anything else. Seriously, most on-air folks are beyond homely. We used to say they “had a face for radio.”
Uh oh. I was in radio. I must be hideous then! Gah!
August 4, 2006 at 9:52 pm
http://www.rezdog.com/images/Erika%20Headshot1.jpg
LOL!
Seriously… LOL! okay, this time seriously really LOLOLOLOOLLLLLLLLOLLOL!!!!!!111111111one111bbq
hehehe
Oh, lord..
August 6, 2006 at 10:43 am
I do. At least in part, I do. Like some others mentioned, I never really get the full face outlined in my mind. I can picture bits and pieces.
I did always picture you with brown hair – but not short.
August 13, 2006 at 4:36 pm
I thought that face website was great fun too. it linked me up with Andie McDowell…
Mary, mom to many