There’s probably no NASCAR driver fans want to take selfies with more than Dale Earnhardt Jr. And, for the most part, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is pretty accommodating.
But if you’re a man either nearing or past your mid-30s who’s looking for a selfie, you’re probably going to make Earnhardt feel uncomfortable. Women, though, are an entirely different story.
During Tuesday’s episode of his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast, Earnhardt described a moment he had last weekend with a fan at Kentucky speedway, and used it as a springboard to dive into a topic that’s of the utmost relevance and importance.
“I was walking through the garage area, and I’m 42, and there was a guy that might’ve been 40, 50 years old, hollerin’ at me in this big environment, lot of people,” Earnhardt said. “He’s hollering at me probably 20 yards away: ‘Dale, can I get a selfie?’ And I’m just thinking ‘man, it’s weird to hear that from another man.
“And so I was thinking to myself: Have I ever shouted ‘hey can I get a selfie’ to another man? And I always think to myself: ‘You know, I don’t.’ I actually hand the camera to some man and say ‘hey, can you take a picture of me with this person I want to take a picture with?’ ”
Now, this might be discouraging news for men that are 50-year-old Earnhardt diehards. His female supporters, though, never have to worry.
“I think there’s a time and an age (for men looking for selfies),” Earnhardt said. “Now, I think women are on the selfie train for life. There’s never a bad time for a woman to ask for a selfie. There’s never an age limit or anything like that. Woman can selfie all day long.”
When asked by co-host Mike Davis about men who don’t have someone else to take the picture for them, Earnhardt replied: “Then I think it’s my responsibility to take the selfie with his camera. That for me is less uncomfortable than him taking it.”
Unless selfies die like disco, Earnhardt likely will never stop fielding requests from men and women of all ages.
Thumbnail photo via Kareem Elgazzar/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK
