I would like to ask your opinion on something...but I won't go into details on the first post..first let me stick my toe in to test the water:

First, let me ask you this: would you publicly act like an idiot or a fool if you knew you would be payed EXRTREMELY well? (Not doing anything to risk injury or your life and limb, I might add.) But being laughed at and possibly mocked? Would you?

You'll see what I'm leading into a little bit later in the thread..if I get the moxie to let this all out.

But for now, if you knew you could support your family VERY WELL by acting like a fool, would you do it?

Does your family include teenagers? You risk them dying from embarassment... That being said, I think it would depend on how much fun you would have. Could you laugh inside along with those that may point or otherwise mock you? Would you become a bitter person? Would you dread every day that you had to go to work? Good luck hon, hope you laugh all the way to the bank.

Can I wear a disguise?
Are we talking 5, 6 or 7 figures?
If you have answered "yes" to one or to both of these quesitons...
Heck, Yes.

Doug,

you gotta give us more. there are certain things I would just never do no matter how much money I got paid.

if we're to help, you gotta give us something.

Robert

Well, I was born with both a problem and a blessing...I guess...and for all my life, I have not been able to figure out what to do with it...but it's starting to come to a head, I believe. It's decision time for me..real soon, it appears.

I'm going out on a limb here. You were born with an articulated (sp?) tail, and you have a chance to earn really big bucks by appearing on some reality tv show and making a fool of yourself by wagging it there for all to see?

Act like a fool? I do that anyway sure I would... What I wouldn't do is break the law or do something that would put my family at risk. Of course I would act like a fool for money. Wouldn't anyone? at least if the price is right.

Until you provide more information, people won't be able to give you an accurate answer. It all depends on what it is and where each individual draws the line.

I made a decision early on in life: Never make a decision based on money. The only questions should be:

Is it the right thing to do (sometimes subjective)?
Will it make you happy?

I'd do it if:

1: It doesn't affect me(in the future) earning money in magic or in my proffesion.I don't want to be turned down jobs because of the incedent
*AND*
2: It wasn't enough money to live off of for rest of my life.


If either were false I'd do it in a second, I love acting like a fool

A lot of big film stars make a lot of money acting silly or stupid and nobody thinks that their character is them.

It depends of course, we haven't the information, but as long as you can seperate the performance from yourself I don't see why you don't consider it.

Well, time to spill my guts, I guess.
What would you do if you had a spitting resemblamce to a famous celebrity?

Wouldn't it be great to look like John Wayne? or George Clooney? Or Tom Hanks? Would you be tempted to make a litle dough by exploiting the resemblance? Actually, ALOT of dough.

What if you were going through a really bad financial crisis and your job didn't pay all that well, and yourealized that being a celebrity look a like may just put you in a much higher tax bracket?

Wat if you were having trouble keeping food on the table? What if you had hungry mouths to feed? What if the thought of feeding them REALLY well for the rest of their lives was dangling in front of your face?

What if by becoming a celebrity look alike, you might have to pull up roots, move to another state, leave your family, leave your secure(but not great paying job) behind? And what if that was only on HOPES that you might be able to even find work as a lookalike?

What if your wife was very ill, and by pulling up roots you had to dump your health insurance plan that kept you afloat all these years through her countless hospitalizations?

Here it is. I was speaking to the manager of the place where I work the other day, and he had just gotten back from vacation. he told me he had just gotten back from Branson, and he had the pleasure of watching the show at "Legends", an place whee they have an entire two hour grand show consisting of nothing but celebrity look a likes...Tina Turner, Alan Jackson, the Blues Brothers, Neil Diamond, the obligatory Elvis, and on and on.

He casually mentioned to me that these guys and girls could pull as much a three hundred grand a year!

My jaw dropped.

My little brain immediately began calculating the vast difference between that figure, and what the plant says I'm worth. I don't have to tell you which income won.

I SERIOUSLY began to think about what a WASTE it has been for me to look like someone famous, and NOT be payed for it. I could be living like a King, and instead I'm living on beans. Literally. that's what I mean when I said it came to a head for me.

Problem is, I never really thought I looked like this person...but evidence indicates otherwise. What evidence? The evidence of complete strangers stopping me and telling me I look like so and so. This has happened REPEATEDLY over the years.

So who is this celebrity?

Well, he usually has makeup on, when he's in charachter. So I googled his picture without makeup, and I was SHOCKED to find I was experiencing the illusion of looking at my own face. That's right. My face wa staring at me through this celebrity's image.

That's when I swallowed it. I can no longer deny it.

So was it Tom Cruise? Nah, I wouldn't be that lucky.

Perhaps Michael Keaton? Nope. No resemblamce to him.

Sean Connery? I wish.

Jim Carry? Strke out again.

No the person I look like acts like a freakin' idiot on stage and in the movies, and gets in trouble with the law, ruining his own career for doing unspeakable acts.

The man acts like a little kid, and gets paid millions.

Folks, it's Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman.

I'm the spitting image of this nerd! (Except he has a litte more hair, but a hair piece can rectify that.)

Of ALL the people in this world to look like, why did I have to look like HIM????
And to top it all off, I can do his voice to a tee.
Yup. I couldBECOME him, and surely fool a lot of people.

So what say ye? Should I go out and get a grey suit and a little red bowtie and perhaps a bike?

Should I become him, for all purposes, and march my butt down to Branson?
I don't relish the idea of doing a silly Tequila nerd dance on stage in front of a crowd, but man, considering my current financial situation, I have never been so tempted in all my life.

I'm stuck. I really don't know where to turn.

Now I wish I hadn't let all this out, and I'm tempted to not even click submit, but here goes...

What a question to ask during an election year!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Huh?
Posted: May 31, 2006 9:01pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not running for President!

Hmmmmm,

Part of me really doubts if a Pee Wee Herman Lookalike would pull in 300 G's a year. I would assume that this type of show is geared toward the family audience, and with all of Pee's problems, I wouldn't think he'd be that big of a draw. I doubt if any of the actors make that kind of money, actually. I'd be shocked if any of them made more than $100-$150. I don't management is paying 1.2 million for 4 actors. For that price, they'd better be the real thing...

It sounds like times are tough for right now, but I'd try to keep my focus. From all your posts, and vocabulary for that matter, you seem to know what you're talking about and are a nice guy. Those two traits are infinitely more valuable than looking like someone. Perhaps it's time to take your magic to the next level or some sort of job switch. I'd leave this dream at home, though, and maybe get a different haircut...

Good Luck,

Jamie D. Grant

Keep your health insurance. It's a very important asset to you right now.

Even Paul Reubens himself (brilliant actor that he is) isn't going to be paid 300 G to imitate himself.

You have to be an icon to make that kind of money. And still be lucky. There are thousands of Elvis imitators, only some of them make a living out of it.


Nice dream, but that's all it is IMHO.


Jack Shalom

Are you saying you look like Pee Wee Herman the character or Paul Reubens the man who plays the character?

I'm not going to offer any advice one way or the other, I just want to know so I can put a face to that faceless avatar you've had for over 5,000 posts!


Just kiddin' ya daffydoug. If such an opportunity came your way and YOU are comfortable with it. Go for it! Aside from the little run in with the law a few years ago, what's wrong with Pee Wee?! I think he's a nutty and fun character.

So, Daffy's Big Adventure??

Why not test the waters locally without giving up your entire base of operation? Work it into your show. See if the reaction increases your business.

At the risk of him lurking the Café and seeing this, I know of a guy who missed a golden opportunity to walk onstage as Howdy Doody.

At least you took the steps to be honest with yourself. Inventory of your assets is a huge step toward success.

You guys are really making sense.

Well, people who see me think I look like the charachter...but when I saw his picture without the make up (not the mug shot) I was stunned to see that I also look like him out of charachter. So BOTH, I guess. This has been a hard pill for me to swallow.

I resemble an internationally known pervert. God help me.