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Tuesday, June 30, 1998 By Tony Norman, Post-Gazette Columnist
I do a little television, but I'm no Al Roker. Still, hardly a month goes by without someone mixing me up with that venerable Today Show weatherman. And like clockwork, it happened again last week.
While heading off to a low-calorie lunch, I ran into two women exiting the Post-Gazette newsroom.
They were glancing furtively about, as if lost. I thought maybe they'd gotten separated from a tour group and were too in awe of the PG's decor, the stylish way we flaunt our ink-stained dinginess, to ask some rumpled, half-sleepy reporter for directions.
As I drew closer to offer assistance, I heard one of them whisper, "Al Roker." Taken aback, I demanded an explanation and picked up my pace to close the distance between us.
Giggling and acting a little embarrassed, one of the women blurted out that she thought I might be Al Roker, since she was convinced she'd "run into somebody famous" that day.
While walking down the stairs, I apologized for being 60 pounds lighter than the NBC weatherman, an observation the women eagerly agreed with. Still, one of them said she thought there was a slight resemblance "in the face."
I took my glasses off, hoping she'd back off from even that concession to facial stereotyping. But by then, they were only interested in getting out of the building and away from me. As they fled down the stairs, I was left with a burning question: What's a brother got to do to not be mistaken for Al Roker?
I have a theory: The more nonthreatening a black guy is perceived as being, the more society "rewards" him by imputing a certain Rokeresque amiability to his character, whether deserved or not.
Now, Al Roker is a righteous man, a smooth-as-silk professional whose beguiling personality and wit have made him morning television's most beloved weatherman. I would never take anything away from him, but I don't think I look anything like the man, contrary to all the inquiries I've received on street corners from Greenwich Village to St. Petersburg, Fla.
I don't want to be mistaken for Al Roker any more than, say, PG editor John Craig wants to be besieged by Willard Scott fans. It's a safe bet that neither of those Today Show veterans are itching to be mistaken for two obscure newspaper guys from Pittsburgh, either.
When I visited the set of "Homicide" several years ago, I was struck and incredibly flattered when folks like Andre Braugher and Yaphet Kotto waved to me within seconds of my entrance to the squad room. Were they all so starved for good ink that they'd even suck up to a print journalist from Pittsburgh? I wondered.
It was only when one of the lighting guys whispered to me between takes that I looked "a lot like Al Roker" that I realized that even the actors of my favorite television series had me mixed up with their NBC colleague.
Lately, I've been so rattled by the frequency of the Al Roker comparisons that I finally asked my wife what she thinks about all of this.
"Whom do you think you look like?" she asked.
"Lou Rawls," I said hoping for the best.
"Hmmm. Try Clarence Thomas, especially when you scrunch up your face in the mirror when you're putting on your tie."
So much for the nonthreatening black guy persona.
Tony Norman can be reached by e-mail at tnorman@post-gazette.com. His column runs in Region Tuesdays and Fridays. He also does commentary on "Sunday Edition" on KDKA-TV.
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