2/10/10

News Flash: John Cage Not a Hamster Cage

I know classical music composers aren't as famous as, say, a member of the President's Cabinet, but you'd think they wouldn't be that easy to get confused. Sally Vollongo at the Toledo Blade apparently disagrees.

"Who was that first composer - Sib-something?" asked one listener of another slogging through the snow.

Sib-something? Ha ha. Ignorance is funny.

Not surprising if confusion arises about Sibelius, Jean, the late Finnish composer, and Sebelius, Kathleen, the current U.S. secretary of health and human services.

Seriously, you thought it was possible that the former Governor of Kansas was having her fifth symphony performed on this concert?

I know distinguishing people with similarly pronounced last names can be a real chore. But it's kind of like mixing up this guy...


with this guy.


Or, mixing up this guy...

with this guy.


I guess you're right, that is pretty confusing. Help me out some, Sally.

Just to be clear, it was the former whose music dominated the first half of the program.

Ohhhh...thanks for clearing that up. So, Kathleen Sebelius didn't compose Jean Sibelius' Fifth Symphony. Got it.

But I'm pretty sure that this guy was the second President of the United States, right?



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Some easily confused pairs that didn't make my list:
Henry Cowell / Simon Cowell
Ted Turner / Tina Turner

Ross Lee Finney / Albert Finney
Rube Goldberg / Whoopi Goldberg

Warren Benson / Benson DuBois
Christopher Rouse / Rickey Rouse

Kevin Bacon / Canadian Bacon
/ Robert E. Lee

Who am I forgetting?

18 comments:

Danny said...

Heinrich Schutz / the sound you make when you sneeze

Sator Arepo said...

"Rickey Rouse"?

Gustav said...

He's an original creation, like Sherry Boppins or Monald Muck.

Gustav said...

Sorry, that's Shary Bobbins.

Sator Arepo said...

August Belmont/Arnold Schoenberg

Gustav said...

Gordon Jacob / Jacob, younger brother of the prophet Nephi

Gustav said...

Tan Dun / Brooks & Dunn

Gustav said...

Steve Reich / Third Reich

Anonymous said...

Claude Debussy / W.C. Fields

Sator Arepo said...

Nice.

C.Ph.E. Bach/Arnold Schwarzenegger

?

Gustav said...

I think you're operating in a different plane, SA.

Gustav said...

Arthur Foote / My left foot

Simon said...

Johann Sebastian Bach / Sebastian Bach

Sator Arepo said...

Heh and/or touche'.

Anonymous said...

Aaron Copland / Kenneth Copeland

Sator Arepo said...

Stewart Copland/Neil Peart

AnthonyS said...

I'm a little late to the party, but to trope Simon, we have to go with:

Engelbert Humperdinck / Engelbert Humperdinck

Travis said...

Katherine Hoover / Ms. Hoover / Hebert Hoover / A Vacuum Cleaner