Subscriber Services Weather

Burnett's Urban Etiquette

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Whoa! I think I found my twin(s)?

They say we all have a twin out there. Somewhere on the other side of the planet is a man or woman who looks exactly like you.

Anyway, I've always believed that twin theory. So you can imagine my excitement when
Freddie posted a link to My Heritage, a Web site that, among other things, allows you to upload a photo of yourself and then does a face recognition scan of the picture and looks for matches among its collection of celebrity mugs.

It was both the funniest and most disturbing thing I've done online for a while.

Here I was thinking this program was gonna match me to Malcolm-Jamal Warner, better known as Theo Huxtable on the Cosby Show or Dennis Haysbert, AKA Pres. David Palmer on 24. I ain't that vain, but those are the guys strangers most often tell me I look like.

Instead, I swear, this thing matched my face scan to, among others, Mary Tyler Moore, David Schwimmer, Jason Biggs, Paulo Maldini, Shalom Harlow, and John Cleese.

So I tried a different photo, in case the first one was fuzzy or something. And the program matched the second photo with Beyonce, Jeff Bridges, John Cusack, Ray Romano, James Brown, and Helena Bonham Carter, among others.

Either that program's broken, or my folks have some 'splainin' to do.

9 Comments:

  • That's fascinating. I think it illustrates how we assume the differences we see on the surface are more than they really are. Take away a few elements that history has exaggerated the importance of and our differences melt away.

    Ether that or their "Heritage" program is seriously fucked up.

    Whichever.

    Glad to have you surfing by my site. Enjoy yours.

    By Blogger FHB, at 11:09 PM  

  • In a certain angle, you do kinda look like John Cleese.

    By Blogger Rune, at 8:06 AM  

  • Well you mentioned Naomi Campbell on my site James. That combined with some of the others suggests you have good facial structure. So maybe you and Mrs. B. will spawn one of the next generation's supermodels.

    And thanks for the link, btw.

    By Blogger Freddie, at 9:24 AM  

  • Something tells me that their database of dopplegangers is limited.

    Besides, you look like this dude I used to go to high school with named Chris, except he was white with braces and freckles and had a shaggy red jewfro.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:40 PM  

  • Ha! Very funny, Rune. I always wanted to be in Monty Python. Now, I can say I sort of already was.

    And B.D. you are wrong. Freckles and braces? I'm more fly than that. I'll take John Cleese anyday.

    Matter of fact, I'll take Mary Tyler Moore.

    By Blogger James Burnett, at 1:57 PM  

  • James, it took three photos for it to recognize me. (I must have one of those "invisible" faces!) But eventually the program correctly matched my face to the following: Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, and 60s UN Secretary General U Thant. A company of greatness. Now I gotta do the rest of my family. Again I need to thank you for further distracting me from accomplishing anything productive today.

    By Blogger The Sarcasticynic, at 7:40 AM  

  • You aren't Malcom Jamal-Warner?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:12 AM  

  • Hilarious!! I'm going to have to try this! (And I may steal for my own blog!) :)
    And yeah -- I can TOTALLY see the Dennis thing. Wow. Never thought about it until now, but -- dead ringer. You can play his younger self in his made for HBO lifestory.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:12 PM  

  • Thank you Freddie and Kelley. Nice facial structure and a dead ringer for Dennis Haysbert? I'll take it.

    By Blogger James Burnett, at 10:38 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home