Confession: I Have an Alter Ego
From the desk of an editorial assistant…
Working in New York, I found out very quickly that sometimes you just have to ignore people. I walk like I’m on a mission from hell and whoever feels like giving me a vulgar comment or visually eye screwing me, I just grit my teeth and keep going. But when I’m in a bar feeling like a lamb in a wolf den, I’ve come up with a much different tactic.
I might get some angry comments for this next statement, but here it goes. Whenever I go out to a bar and don’t feel like being bothered by people, or, sometimes, admittedly just for fun, I make up an alternate personality. I go the whole nine yards by completely changing my name, occupation, where I live and where I’m from, and if at all possible, I speak in an accent—and my “accent” has hailed from just about um, everywhere. I figure I’m never going to see these people again—nor will they have a chance to get my number because I’m only visiting for a week, so why not, eh? During the day I’m Kellene from Shecky’s and by night I’m Victoria, a hair stylist from Russia who was adopted by an Irish family, hence my not-so thick accent.
Some people might categorize this as compulsive lying, but if I’m just doing it for one evening for the hell of it, or if I’m using it to fend off a creepy guy, do I still fall under that definition? Is this a New Yorkers-only problem? Is the whole ice queen attitude thing about us city folks true? But…I can’t imagine that I’m the first person to have ever done this.
Do you have something to confess? Do you have an alter ego? What’s her name? What’s she like? Share your thoughts and stories on this topic. If you think I’m wrong for doing this, or if you support my 50+ personalities, let me know!
-Kellene McCaffrey
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30 Comments
Post a CommentI do that all of the time! It makes going out fun and if you have a bf, its a good way to get guys to leave you alone.
I had fun reading this article… I tend to do the same exact thing.. especially when I want to get rid of someone annoying…. It is a great strategy.. And I have so much fun doing it….
oh i have totally done this before–numerous times. before i met my husband and was single and went out w/ my single friends, i used to make up a name and occupation too. actually it was code for “i’m not interested in this guy” so if i introduced myself w/ another name, my friends would know we need to leave this area/bar now! my friends & i would do this all the time, sometimes for fun, sometimes as an indication we needed savior from the creep who was talking to us.
I had fun reading this article… I tend to do the same exact thing.. especially when I want to get rid of someone annoying…. It is a great strategy.. And I have so much fun doing it….
I had fun reading this article… I tend to do the same exact thing.. especially when I want to get rid of someone annoying…. It is a great strategy.. And I have so much fun doing it….
I believe that I have an alter ego. Depending on the place and the people I am surrounded by I will adjust my self accordingly. I beleive to some extent everyone has an alter ego.
Your not the only one. There is nothing wrong with an alter ego! Have fun and enjoy!
LOL…THIS WAS TOO FUNNY, BUT HONESTLY I COULD RELATE…SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT TO HANG OUT WITHOUT BEING BOTHERED OR SOMEONE TRYING TO GET PERSONAL…SO GIRL WORK THAT ALTER EGO WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE IT! KUDOS TO YOU!
I am Woder Woman LOL
Not sure if this counts as a true alter-ego story, but in college (on the east coast, I’m now back on the west), I once had to fend off a creepy drunk guy who found out I was from L.A. and kept joking about how I should be used to “earthquakes in the bedroom” (har-har), by telling him — totally straight-faced — that I had lost a loved one in the Northridge earthquake. I may have even managed a few crocodile tears. Not true for me (and I am sorry if it is for anyone reading this!), but that sobered him up real quick and left me free to enjoy the rest of my night with my girls.
after a couple of drinks me and my friends all have alter-ego with all different names and different lifes lol it so great…
I need a good alter ego name and I’m in!!!
That is funny, but whatever it takes to fend off a creep right? [: I’m sure I will do this someday.
Yea, I always get caught after a couple drinks!
Ha, Ha. That’s too funny! My friend and I do it all the time. It’s fun to be someone else for a night. You can create a whole story about yourself. I’ve found that if you plan on drinking, your alter ego should be something uncomplicated and easy to remember.
I have to live my other ego. I work two completely different jobs. One is very visual by applying make-up on models, photographing models/authors/musicians and networking in the artistic field. The other job is ……taking care of babies and toddlers.;-)
I have to ‘vamp it up’ to look and act in an artistic way to blend in and inspire the artist that I am working with, and then I have to switch to a nurturing plain Jane for the benefit of the children. Half the week is high glam creative energy, the other half of the week is still high energy but ……….
Ponytails, no makeup, baggy pants, t-shirts for working with families….
Fluffy hair, expert makeup application, sensual dressing for the artist projects….
I do live a double life. What gets me in trouble is when the moms get insecure.
Artist can not believe that I run after toddlers half the week, and parents find it amazing that I can photograph Sting one night and then come in to work with their baby the next morning. Too funny!
I have the education and passion for both professions…
My alter-ego is Natasha. She is also Russian and comes from a family of vodka giants and “mysterious” characters. It’s just fun to be someone else for a night and see how far you can push people into believing the ridiculous. In fact, my friend and I both have alter-egos and a back story on how we met (hers is a Greek shipping heiress….we met at an art fair is Buenos Aires).
Back in high school, a friend had an alter ego named Amanda (her name was Chris). She met this guy at a bar and they ended up dating for months. All that time, he thought her name was Amanda. She was still living at home at the time, of course, and this was before cell phones, so she had her parents trained to her name for when he called and asked for Amanda. Months later, she finally told him the truth and he was not happy! I still love that story!
I mean, thats amazing. Why not have an alter ego?! Sometimes we all need to let go and just be someone else for awhile…why not go all the way!!
I see nothing wrong with using an Alter Ego (AE). Sounds like fun. I epecially think it should be used on CREEPS. A good AE would be to say you’re waiting for your partner or lover and she’s on her way! Then again as I think about it, some men like that woman to woman action. Oh well!