Buzz
At some point, we all experience the fantasy. Whether it’s receiving a prestigious acting award, performing before a massive crowd, or stepping up to bat with the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and two outs, everyone has envisioned becoming famous.
Despite the planet’s population of around seven billion, only a tiny fraction will ever turn this dream into reality. Most celebrities are driven, fiercely competitive, and remarkably lucky. They’ve honed their skills through rigorous practice and are often born with talent, making them superior at their craft. However, this list isn’t about those types of individuals. Instead, we’ll focus on those who gained fame by simply being incredibly average.
10. People Sharing Names with Famous Personalities
What could be more commonplace than sharing your birth name with a celebrity? It’s a coincidence that requires no effort beyond simply being born. While many celebrities change their names to be more distinctive or memorable, occasionally, you find one with a fairly standard name, and it impacts those who share it.
Take Taylor Swift, for example—she’s a globally recognized pop star who continues to rise in fame every day. However, there’s also a male photographer named Taylor Swift from Seattle who happens to have the email address [email protected]. He’s received countless emails from fans, some of which include explicit content, as they mistakenly believe they’re reaching out to the pop sensation.
And he’s not the only one. Whether it’s Taylor Swift, Matthew Broderick, or Donald Trump, these individuals all request that you spare them from offering witty, original jokes about their names. Because, truth be told, those jokes are neither as original nor as clever as you think.
9. Individuals Who Became Internet Memes
To make a mistake is part of being human. So it only makes sense that one of the most typical ways to become famous is through an accident.
The Internet has created opportunities for people to gain fame through viral content. Some instances are positive—like the “ridiculously photogenic guy”—while others are negative—such as the “sheltering suburban mom.” Regardless, the lesson most of these viral stars impart is to take it all in stride. It’s not about you as a person, but the version of you captured in that image that’s being joked about. And don’t forget to mute those social media notifications.
8. John Doe
Though not a specific person but a term for an unidentified or nameless individual, John or Jane Doe has become a widely recognized symbol of the average person. Initially used as a legal workaround for landowners who wanted to evict tenants or squatters without going through lengthy legal proceedings, the first recorded use of the name dates back to the 13th century.
In legal cases, it was common to see John Doe as the plaintiff and Richard Roe as the defendant. The origins of these names remain unknown, but it is curious that a doe refers to a female deer and a roe to a type of deer found in Britain. Despite this, the modern use of John Doe refers to an unidentified body or individuals in legal cases who prefer to remain anonymous (Roe v. Wade).
7. Jimmy Hoffa
One of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries in American history is the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1958 to 1971, was notorious for his controversial tactics and alleged ties to the Mafia.
In 1975, Hoffa vanished without a trace after an alleged meeting with two Mafia leaders. Despite efforts to gather evidence, including attempts by law enforcement to use hypnosis on witnesses and suspects, the mystery of Hoffa’s whereabouts remains unsolved.
Perhaps the success of the Godfather series during this period contributed to the widespread attention on the case of Jimmy Hoffa. SNL and various comedians soon jumped on the bandwagon, using Hoffa’s name as a punchline for anything that was missing or difficult to locate.
Numerous urban legends have emerged, each claiming to know Hoffa’s whereabouts. Over time, many individuals have come forward, insisting they know where he’s hidden. This just goes to show that sometimes the easiest way to achieve fame is by simply vanishing.
6. Elizabeth Swaney
The Olympics have always showcased the finest athletes in the world. Mediocrity was never part of the conversation... until the 2018 Winter Olympics. Elizabeth Swaney stunned viewers during the women’s half-pipe skiing event with her remarkably average performance.
Many people, including the commentators, found it hard to comprehend how someone with such an underwhelming performance could have made it to the Olympics. The reason: Swaney found a way to exploit the system.
Realizing she couldn’t compete with the US team, Swaney eventually chose to represent Hungary (her grandparents’ homeland), which gave her the best shot. All she needed to do was participate and avoid falling in any races to earn enough points to qualify.
After a few years, Swaney achieved what the average person might dream of, as CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn put it: “Scamming the system to achieve your life goals while doing the absolute bare minimum to get there.” Naturally, the Olympic Committee is already taking steps to close this loophole.
5. Joe The Plumber
Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as “Joe the Plumber,” gained notoriety during the 2008 US presidential election campaign. After he questioned Barack Obama about his proposed tax plan, Senator John McCain began to promote Joe as the embodiment of the average American worker whom Obama’s socialist policies would negatively impact.
Joe quickly became a conservative icon. However, during the campaign, it was revealed that Joe actually worked as an unlicensed plumber. Despite his rise to fame, Joe wasn’t a fan of the attention. After the campaign, he took a union job with Chrysler Group LLC.
He and John McCain have since parted ways, and Joe has been quoted saying, “McCain was trying to use me. [ . . ] It was a ploy.” It doesn’t get much more ordinary than becoming a symbol of the average person and gaining fame for it.
4. William Hung
Almost everyone loves to sing, whether it's in private or in front of others. This is one reason why karaoke is so popular. However, most people don’t have the vocal ability to pursue a career as a professional singer. But that didn’t stop William Hung.
His unforgettable performance of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” during his audition for American Idol captured the audience’s attention, even though Judge Simon Cowell didn’t share the same enthusiasm. “I already gave my best, and I have no regrets at all,” Hung said in response to Cowell’s criticism that he couldn’t sing or dance. The other judges cheered his defiant remarks, and to everyone’s surprise, he went on to become a sensation.
Many people were upset by his rise to fame, arguing that Hung was only popular because people were mocking him and reinforcing Asian stereotypes. However, Hung has stated that he relished the attention and didn’t believe he was being ridiculed in a negative way.
Today, Hung works as a statistical analyst for the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Although he’s no longer performing, he looks back fondly on the time when he rose to fame despite the harsh criticisms he faced.
3. Adolphe Quetelet
It would be challenging to pinpoint what exactly is “average” about the individuals on this list without first understanding what the term truly means. Adolphe Quetelet was the first person to apply the concept of “average” to human beings in a scientific manner.
Initially trained as an astronomer, Quetelet turned to studying people after his observatory was overtaken by rebel forces during the Belgian Revolution in the early 1800s. His goal was to discover systematic patterns and models for human behavior, much like Isaac Newton had uncovered the laws governing the physical world.
Quetelet collected data on human measurements that had been recorded by governments across Europe. Using the astronomical concept of the average, he calculated averages for everything from height to the age at which people married. This work led him to establish what we now think of as the “average human.”
For instance, Quetelet used the average height and weight of people to create the body mass index (BMI) that we still rely on today. However, Quetelet’s concept of “average” had a very different meaning than what we associate with it in modern times.
In his work with astronomy and mathematics, Quetelet believed that the average represented the closest one could ever get to the true value. Therefore, being considered average in his calculations meant you were as close to perfection as possible. So, embrace your average-ness, as it means someone thinks you are just about perfect!
2. Mario Mendoza
You might have heard the phrase “Mendoza Line” when talking about baseball or discussing an athlete’s performance. Many athletes, particularly baseball players, are described as being either above or below the Mendoza Line, a marker for assessing the quality of their play.
This term is named after Mario Mendoza, a former shortstop for the Seattle Mariners. The expression originated as a lighthearted joke among his teammates but gained widespread attention when baseball player George Brett mentioned to reporters that they should check the paper for players falling below the “Mendoza Line.”
Mario Mendoza’s career batting average was precisely .200. Anyone who performs at or near this “Mendoza Line” is considered to be playing at a mediocre level. The phrase has become so ingrained in the culture that it now serves as a standard for measuring mediocrity, ensuring Mendoza’s place in baseball history as a symbol of the statistic.
1. Colin Holmes
Colin Holmes may not be a household name, but his brain certainly is. At 28, as a graduate student, Colin endured 27 10-minute MRI scans, which were taken to create a high-quality composite image of his brain. This took place when MRI scans were less accessible, making the resulting image—dubbed “Colin 27” or “Average Colin”—an invaluable resource for brain studies.
Since then, Colin’s brain has been featured in over 800 scientific papers and research articles worldwide. However, despite his brain’s fame, few scientists know who Colin is. He doesn’t receive royalties for the image either, but he’s perfectly content knowing that his contribution has advanced scientific knowledge.
At 52, Colin underwent another MRI scan to compare his brain to the original. Upon seeing the results, he let out a sigh of relief, saying, “I think I’ve got some time left.” So, the next time you come across an image of a brain, see if it’s Colin’s!
