Jason English
Photos: Our Readers And Their Famous Friends
by Jason English - January 31, 2009 - 1:50 PM

Before I announce the winner, let me bestow 1st Runner-Up status on Karen Garrett, who brought the volume with three super celebrity photos:

AlecBaldwin.jpg

Jack Donaghy/the guy from Glengarry Glen Ross…

Fonz.jpg

…Barry Zuckercorn/The Fonz…

StanLee.jpg

…and Stan Lee! For her effort, Karen has earned the mental_floss t-shirt of her choosing.

But since I have to pick one big winner to receive a copy of FBI 100 Years: An Unofficial History, I choose Michael Geier, who sent in a picture of himself with Mr. Rogers.

MrRogers.jpg

I was walking down the street to work one day when I looked up and noticed a man wearing a bow tie. It’s not something I normally see everyday, so it caught my attention. I looked at the man’s face and realized, I know that man. He came closer and in a mix of surprise and complete expectation, I said “Hi, Mr. Rogers.” I don’t remember how he greeted me other than to say he was just as you’d expect: perfectly kind and welcoming. I remembered I had a camera in my bag and asked him if I could get a picture. I got someone to take the picture, Mr. Rogers put his arm around me and then told me that he hoped the picture turned out.

If you have a picture you’d like to share, send it to flossypics@gmail.com. Perhaps there will be a sequel.

See Also…

Our Readers Are Nerds! (We Have Proof)
*
15 Reasons Mr. Rogers Was The Best Neighbor Ever
*
4 Terrifying Theories in Astronomy

twitterbanner.jpg

shirts-555.jpg

tshirtsubad_static-11.jpg

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Click here to get a Risk-Free issue of mental_floss magazine
Comments (50)

  1. Mr. Rogers is the best. RIP, man. :’(

    posted by Emily on 1-31-2009 at 2:09 pm

  2. I have a great picture of me with Ernie Coombs, who was Mr Dressup, Canada’s version of Mr Rogers (and also his protege).

    I also have a great picture with me and Hulk Hogan.

    posted by Martin on 1-31-2009 at 3:35 pm

  3. Mary V T,

    How I envy you! Tony’s coming to NC in Feb, but unfortunately I’m unable to get there to see him :-(

    posted by Amy on 1-31-2009 at 4:43 pm

  4. Thanks for allowing me to have 15 mins of fame, haha. Love all the pictures.

    posted by Sarah in CA on 1-31-2009 at 4:43 pm

  5. You with Mr. Rodgers, you are my hero.

    posted by Patrick on 1-31-2009 at 4:46 pm

  6. This was fun!

    posted by septer on 1-31-2009 at 5:01 pm

  7. There is no beating a picture with Mr Rogers! You Rock!

    posted by Don on 1-31-2009 at 5:55 pm

  8. Barry Zuckercorn’s real name is Henry Winkler. He was the Fonz on a show from the 70′s called Happy Days. In addition to playing the lawyer on Arrested Development he is a very popular children’s book author. Many of Hank Zipser’s, (the protagonist of the books) adventures are based on true stories from Mr. Winkler’s childhood.

    Good choice on the winning pic!

    posted by Sue on 1-31-2009 at 6:41 pm

  9. Yeah you can’t really beat a picture with Mr. Rogers. You know which picture I’m most jealous of though? The one with Alton Brown! He’s the food authority in this girl’s house. If I want my husband to use a certain recipe or gadget, I just say Alton says so and it is done!

    Oh and I’m loving that I got to put a face to a name that I always see on here, Sarah in CA. Now I’ll have a person to put with the comments!

    posted by Tricia on 1-31-2009 at 7:49 pm

  10. Michael, I hope that picture is framed and hanging in a place of honor in your home. Way to conveniently have your camera with you! Hooray for Mr. Rogers.

    I think first runner up status should have gone to the Pluto-discoverer guy. That picture is great–the astronomer looks just like a guy you’d expect to discover a planet (er…non-planet). And then the 9-year-old budding geek next to him. It’s a very flossy picture, I think.

    posted by kate on 1-31-2009 at 8:06 pm

  11. Whoo! I’m on mental_floss! But yes, Mr. Rogers beats them all.

    posted by Laura on 1-31-2009 at 9:23 pm

  12. I agree — Mr. Rogers is the hands down winner. Such an all-around classy guy. I wish he was still around.

    posted by Bob on 1-31-2009 at 10:12 pm

  13. Dwight Schrute is a character name, the actor is named Rainn Wilson

    and the guy from Glengarry Glen Ross is named Alec Baldwin :)

    posted by Jenna on 1-31-2009 at 11:02 pm

  14. That Mister Rogers story was really touching.

    @Jenna- I agree, there were lots of character names (ex: Henry Winkler???) haha and it threw me off!!!!

    I just remembered I ahve a picture of myself with some members of the band Guster… we were tailgating in true Jersey fashion and saw a bike fly by and we were like… um… he looked familiar… a little bit later the band members and their wives drove up on a golf cart… they had been shocked by the tailgating and wanted to hang out! They commented it was cool that people were blaring their music… he called one car the “lost and gone forever” car (referring to their album) and then we cooked them hotdogs (it was kind of a mob scene by then) Then my drunk friend spilled on one of their wives, and declared “I just spilled beer on Guster’s wife!!!” They were SO nice and it’s a great memory.

    posted by Kelly J on 1-31-2009 at 11:08 pm

  15. Ahh I wasn’t cool enough with my bassist from Finland in band most people here don’t know. So jealous of Mr. Roger, Alton Brown an dmost of all Tony Bourdain, love that guy!

    posted by Sarah in IN on 2-1-2009 at 1:12 am

  16. love the stevie nicks photo! she looks so serious though….

    posted by Kikadee on 2-1-2009 at 1:51 am

  17. aww, mr.rogers. epic win.

    posted by em on 2-1-2009 at 2:24 am

  18. Man, I should have sent in my picture of me and Wil Wheaton!

    posted by missdk on 2-1-2009 at 7:18 am

  19. I love how people are trying to explain who Henry Winkler and Alec Baldwin (and Rainn Wilson) are. The writer obviously knows who they are!

    My favorite was the Pluto guy. What an amazing photo!!

    posted by Monica on 2-1-2009 at 9:52 am

  20. Mary Van Tyne, I am way jealous!!!

    posted by stacy on 2-1-2009 at 11:08 am

  21. I’m so happy Carl Kasell’s picture got posted. I love Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (and they mention mental floss every now and then – a double bonus!)

    posted by Debbie on 2-1-2009 at 12:03 pm

  22. i had no idea, i would have sent in my pic of me and fred savage!!!

    posted by mary on 2-1-2009 at 11:32 pm

  23. I’m bummed I missed out on this one! I have a picture of me and Olga Kern- she won the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2001 with her AMAZING performance of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3… Not that I would have won, but hey…

    posted by Ashley on 2-2-2009 at 12:05 am

  24. Is that Blagojevich or Quagmire?

    posted by Joey Jo Jo on 2-2-2009 at 3:24 am

  25. Is it just me or does Kwame Kilpatrick have the worst case of pit stains ever documented? “Call Guinness!”

    posted by BW on 2-2-2009 at 12:24 pm

  26. Darn…I meant to send in the picture of me with Kids in the Hall minus Scott Thompson and the other picture of me with Scott Thompson.

    posted by Lisa on 2-2-2009 at 12:32 pm

  27. I completely forgot I had a picture of me and Mr. McFeeley until I read the winner was Mr. Rogers. *sigh* Other than that my encounter was making Adam Carolla’s friend take our picture on Topanga Canyon…while ignoring Adam Carolla.

    posted by erin on 2-2-2009 at 2:15 pm

  28. Good lord! The Pluto guy has the highest pants I have ever seen, by a wide margin!!!

    posted by Billy on 2-2-2009 at 4:59 pm

  29. Aw, I was thinking that I would have won first prize if I also included the one of me with Slash from Guns & Roses, but no. Mr. Rogers is an epic win.

    posted by Karen on 2-4-2009 at 10:38 am

  30. The guy with Jerry Springer was one of my closest friends in college – hi, Brian!! We totally lost touch after graduation; I’m going to have to track him down now…..

    posted by Tracy on 2-5-2009 at 3:04 pm

  31. Awww, thanks, everyone! Tony came to give a lecture in Pittsburgh and graciously signed books afterwards. (A friend told me later on, “It was the most popular lecture in this lecture series that I have ever seen!”)

    Also, Mr. Rogers rocks. (And is also from the Pittsburgh area.)

    posted by Mary (Van Tyne) on 2-15-2009 at 8:46 am

  32. I couldn’t find my picture with Martha Stewart :( I made a video that won my mo-in-law a $100,000 kitchen and we got to go on the show.

    Also, I was homecoming king with this year’s Miss America.

    posted by Tommy Day on 4-14-2009 at 12:52 pm

  33. love Love LOVE the picture of the guy with his tie tucked into his pants. Classic!

    posted by Marie on 4-17-2009 at 4:07 pm

  34. I don’t know how many of you out there would recognize this name, but I got my picture taken with Steve Grogan when I was like, 10. I suppose that counts.

    posted by Cassie on 4-17-2009 at 9:40 pm

  35. If I had known there was a picture contest, I would’ve sent my pic with Ray “Darth Maul” Park taken at this past year’s San Diego Comic-Con!

    My brother got his picture taken with UFC legend Randy Couture, and even he was jealous that I got a picture with a former Sith Lord!

    Still, Mr. Rogers for a well deserved win works for me.

    posted by Steve on 6-16-2009 at 6:03 pm

  36. I’m so jealous of the Alton Brown photo. Ah, I love AB. But Rainn Wilson is pretty cool too. =)

    posted by TJ on 8-4-2009 at 2:09 pm

  37. After reading that mental_floss article about Fred Rogers, I love him even more. Lucky guy who got the picture. :)

    posted by Alexis Rae on 8-5-2009 at 1:08 pm

  38. Oh my goodness Mr. Rodgers. I have a t-shirt that he signed when I was like, 6 or something because he was THE coolest guy on TVO. He hugged me and it was pretty much the only thing I could talk about until grade one started. That just made my day a little bit better :D

    posted by Kelly Monica on 9-9-2009 at 4:03 pm

  39. I’ve never known what Carl Cassel (sp?) looks like! And GREAT to have that wonderful photo of Tombaugh.

    However, I’m a little worried about how many of these celebrities are people I’ve never heard of, even with the names included… Yikes.

    posted by Susan on 9-30-2009 at 9:32 am

  40. Quagmire! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

    posted by Jeff on 10-16-2009 at 4:54 pm

  41. as I perused the photos and wondered who I would be so bold to ask to take a picture with, it would have to be Mr. Rogers – he was such a wonderful human being. with the Pluto guy next. Those are the real celebrities. Okay, maybe Alec Baldwin, not because I admire him, but he is hot. I wish everyone could follow Mr. R’s lead though.

    posted by codsWallop on 2-6-2010 at 11:21 pm

  42. I agree with most all here, Mr. Rogers rocks it. He was my ‘babysitter’ through all those years in the 70s. However, I must admit majah jealousy at the Alton shot. Alton is my hero. (and secret crush)

    posted by Brenda V on 2-25-2010 at 5:17 am

  43. Oh, and Karl Kassel is my other majah crush.

    posted by Brenda V on 2-25-2010 at 5:18 am

  44. Mr. Rogers is the BEST photo!!!!
    Also, does anyone else think that Tyler Mann (posing with Rob Schneider) looks like Robert Downey, Jr.?

    posted by Andrea on 5-10-2010 at 12:41 am

  45. clyde has his pants hiked up to the kuiper belt. goofy !

    posted by dirk alan on 6-7-2010 at 10:27 pm

  46. How can you argue with Mr. Rogers.

    posted by Todd on 6-8-2010 at 9:01 am

  47. Aww man, Alton Brown… He’s the science professor we ALL wish we had. :)

    I haven’t met too many celebreties in my day (although my parents have on two or three different occasions), but I do remember meeting Marjane Satrapi, author of graphic novels Persepolis, which tell of her childhood experiences growing up in Iran (the animated film of the series lost against Ratatouille, another deserving movie, during the 2007 Oscars), and she signed one of her books for us. So we have a signature from an Oscar nominee! lol She was a lovely, very down-to-Earth woman.

    Also, one evening on a whim my mother, sister and I went to a book signing of sorts; several frequent New York Times cartoonists had recently released a book of their rejected strips (which were sometimes funnier than the ones that made initial publication). We went to see them speak, and they were bright, neurotic and very funny men. At one point, one cartoonist drew a spontaneous gaggle of doodles for people to watch, and after the end of the show my sister boldly asked if she could have it. We still have that thing, somewhere.

    posted by Araxie on 7-2-2010 at 3:07 am

  48. I don’t know if you put that there on purpose, but Dwight Schrute is actually Rainn Wilson. Just saying…. I would kill to be in that photo, though.

    posted by Stephen on 8-1-2010 at 6:37 pm

  49. Looking at the photo of Mr. Rogers, my reaction was “hey, it’s Orville Redenbacher!”

    posted by Taz on 10-1-2010 at 9:47 pm

  50. You should change the Aisha Tyler caption to something else. In her podcast, she talks about how she hates that people only mention that she used to host Talk Soup, because that was a decade ago.

    I think more people would know her as Lana in the animated show “Archer,” currently on FX.

    posted by michelle on 10-5-2011 at 4:49 pm

Comment

commenting policy