The Most Famous Person Alive

[Zantera]

It's a tricky question. I wouldn't really call it "loved" in this case, but take Justin Bieber for example. While there are loads of people who hate him and dislikes his music, most people have heard his name and possibly seen pictures of him.
Lady Gaga is another example.

[black_biff_stadler]

Timmy T?

[CrimsonSunrise]

I'm pretty sure the whole world has heard of George Bush. Let's be serious here. He's like the most notorious president ever. Plus 911, the Wars, etc.

Most notorious President ever???  Guess you weren't around with Johnson and Nixon...

[black_biff_stadler]

What about Dewey?

[rumborak]

It's a tricky question. I wouldn't really call it "loved" in this case, but take Justin Bieber for example. While there are loads of people who hate him and dislikes his music, most people have heard his name and possibly seen pictures of him.
Lady Gaga is another example.

My mother in Germany will have no idea who Justin Bieber is.

rumborak

[Scorpion]

It's a tricky question. I wouldn't really call it "loved" in this case, but take Justin Bieber for example. While there are loads of people who hate him and dislikes his music, most people have heard his name and possibly seen pictures of him.
Lady Gaga is another example.

My mother in Germany will have no idea who Justin Bieber is.

rumborak

rumbo, out of interest, where in Germany are you from?

[rumborak]

Northwest, Cologne area.

[MetalJunkie]

Northwest, Cologne area.

Well that stinks.

[Scorpion]

Northwest, Cologne area.

OK, thanks! 

[rumborak]

Northwest, Cologne area.

Well that stinks.

There's a lot of germans in the area.

[LCArenas]

Barack Obama. People in the US don't even know Messi that well so he's second.

[jammindude]

Barack Obama. People in the US don't even know Messi that well so he's second.

The responses in this thread alone have pretty much convinced me that he doesn't even belong in the top 10, much less number 2.

[Zantera]

I'd say Messi is a really famous person, but in USA there's perhaps 100 people who actually knows what soccer is, so given how small the sport is, that surely has an affect. On the contrary, I think most people in USA would know who Wayne Gretzky is for example, but over here in Europe less people would know who he is, because Hockey is bigger over there.

I think it's a bit the same with Obama really. In USA everyone is going to know who he is (because he is the president) but as soon as you get some place else there might be a different situation. 

[rumborak]

But it isn't. Didn't matter whether I was in Kashmir or Jaisalmer, people knew Barack Obama.

rumborak

[Zantera]

I didn't say that Obama isn't well known. To be fair, since USA is one of the biggest nations of the world, has an opinion about everything (and wants to be involved in everything) it's kinda logical that the president will appear on television and in newspapers everywhere. Still, believe it or not there are still loads of people who neither have television or access to newspapers.

Also, what about Nelson Mandela?

[Scorpion]

I didn't say that Obama isn't well known. To be fair, since USA is one of the biggest nations of the world, has an opinion about everything (and wants to be involved in everything) it's kinda logical that the president will appear on television and in newspapers everywhere. Still, believe it or not there are still loads of people who neither have television or access to newspapers.

Also, what about Nelson Mandela?

The problem is that the demographic who has no access to media has no way of knowing any of the people that are being listed ITT - except for those that they are or have been involved with. Sure, the people in Africa that fall into this group might know Mandela all the same, but people on other continents that don't have this access are very likely to not know the guy.

[Zantera]

You have a point. But the reason I named Mandela is because he's one of the most known people from an African PoV, but he's also someone that is very known here in Europe, and I assume people knows about him in USA as well.

[Scorpion]

You have a point. But the reason I named Mandela is because he's one of the most known people from an African PoV, but he's also someone that is very known here in Europe, and I assume people knows about him in USA as well.

Yeah, but when we get to the demographic you described, but in Asia or South America, things will look a little different, won't they?

[Zantera]

Obviously. But for example, Asia and Africa are two of the most populated parts of the world. As much impact as USA and Europe has on several different fields, if we're speaking numbers than someone who is known through Asia and possibly Africa as well would easily take it all, because we're outnumbered. Is that person Obama? Maybe. I haven't been to either Asia or Africa, so I don't know if people in small villages knows who he is, but there is a lot of poverty in both these world-parts, which should be taken into account.

Wouldn't someone like George Bush be more logical than Obama? He served as a president for a longer time and did a lot of controversial things, he was also the president when 9/11 occurred (which was most likely reported in every part of the world) and his face was seen pretty much everywhere. I'm not saying Obama isn't famous because I see him everywhere, and I live in a country that's not exactly Pro US or being close to the country at all, but he has only been the president for 3 (?) years now, compared to Bush who was the president for 8 (?) years.

[Scorpion]

Bush I'd agree with - more than Mandela at least. As sad as it is, there are people in my school that don't know the guy.

[TL]

The thing is, in a remote area without any real media access, you probably won't have any famous figures who are known there, so those areas basically don't factor into this one way or another.

[KevShmev]

Too lazy to read through this to see if it had already been posted, but:



Walt Disney 

Sadly he's dead. Not frozen, dead.

Plus, I'll bet if you anonymously polled hundreds of people on the street, a somewhat large percentage would have no idea that Walt Disney was the name of an actual person.   

[bosk1]

On my trip around the world I met a lot of people who hadn't heard of a lot of things. But even in the remotest point on Earth I was pretty damn sure they knew who Obama is. Messi is an insignificant blip. As an example, essentially none of India gives a rat's ass about football. They love cricket, and that's what they know.

rumborak

Hence my post on page 1 regarding not only their #1 love, but their #1 export.  I'm shocked at the latent racism on display on this forum evidenced by the failure to acknowledge that fact. People on this forum need to not be so Anglo-centric.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

what about Nelson Mandela?

"Oh there they go. There they go, every time I start talkin 'bout famous people, a white man got to pull Nelson Mandela out they ass. That's they one, that's they one. Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela. Let me tell you something once and for all. Nelson Mandela was good, but compared to Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela ain't shit!"

[Stonestef]

When Ronaldinho was considered the best in the world (for Americans,I'm talking about a soccer player) he asked to meet Michael Jordan because he was his idol growing up. When they met, MJ didn't even know who he was talking with. I mean,every European or South American would recognize him.Although Jordan is known to be a %$%^#. So,it doesn't seem strange to me that half the people in this thread don't know who Messi is. He plays a sport that a large part of the world doesn't care about. So,my guess is either the Queen, Obama, Bush, Clinton or an actor/actress.

[Adami]

what about Nelson Mandela?

"Oh there they go. There they go, every time I start talkin 'bout famous people, a white man got to pull Nelson Mandela out they ass. That's they one, that's they one. Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela. Let me tell you something once and for all. Nelson Mandela was good, but compared to Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela ain't shit!"

His mama named him Mandela, I'ma call him Mandela.

[Implode]

Today I asked a coworker who is just visiting here from India. He agreed with either Bill Gates or the US president. He said that no one knows who the Queen is, and football isn't popular in India enough for Messi to be a household name there.

[Sketchy]

Well I'll be damned.

Looks like it's time for another invasion then, besides, I was running low on the tea.

[Adami]

Today I asked a coworker who is just visiting here from India. He agreed with either Bill Gates or the US president. He said that no one knows who the Queen is, and football isn't popular in India enough for Messi to be a household name there.

How would no one in India know their former queen?

[Implode]

I don't know. I'm just an American. His mentor from India backed me up. I mentioned the Queen and they immediately dismissed her. Their first answers were Bill Gates, then the US president--but not necessarily by name.

[bosk1]

Did you ask him the question in an open ended way, or did you suggest certain answers?  I have a hard time believing they wouldn't have even mentioned at least one of the names in my post if you just asked an open ended question.

[Implode]

Did you ask him the question in an open ended way, or did you suggest certain answers?  I have a hard time believing they wouldn't have even mentioned at least one of the names in my post if you just asked an open ended question.

This is a rough transcript of the conversation:

Me: So who do you think is the most famous person in the entire world?
Coworker: Hmmmm. Maybe Bill Gates.
His Mentor: Yes, Bill Gates is really famous. Who were you thinking about?
Me: Well other people and I were thinking maybe leaders like Obama...
Coworker: I'm not so sure. Not many people get into politics...
His Mentor: But the US President does have an impact world wide.
Me: What about the Queen or the Pope or Dalai Lama?
Coworker: No. Nobody knows who the Queen is.
His Mentor: Yeah.
Me: Then some people where saying Messi...
Coworker: Well he is pretty famous, but football isn't really as popular in India as everywhere else.
His Mentor: Yeah, I'm not too sure about that.

They do live most of their lives in India. This is his first time in the US. First experience with the culture and everything. But also keep in mind that these are IT workers, so they do have access to the internet a lot.

[Adami]

Meh, you shouldn't have offered answers. I think if you left it strictly open ended they would have admitted that Chuck Norris is the most famous person ever.

[Implode]

Well they did say Bill Gates without any prompts.

[mrjazzguitar]

probably Barack Obama, along with the Queen and Pope. Actors ilke George Clooney or Leonardo DiCaprio are surely more famous than Messi.