I’ve never been a fan of celebrities giving their kids weird names. Director Robert Rodriguez named his sons Rocket, Racer, Rebel, and Rogue. Comedian Penn Jillette named his kid Moxie CrimeFighter. Nicholas Cage named his son Kal-el. There is Frank Zappa with his children named Moon Unit and Diva Thin Muffin. Then there is Jason Lee who named his child Pilot Inspektor. The list goes on. (More wacky baby names can be found here. )
However, this is not like the problem New Zealand is apparently facing. With parents who tired to (and failed at) name their kid “Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit.” A few parents did manage to name their children Number 16 Bus Shelter, Violence, and Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.
These are not names! If anything, they could be names for a pet, certainly not a baby. Children are merciless in their teasing. I had a friend whose last name happened to be Register and was teased for it. I too was teased for my relatively normal last name. Give them a poor child whose name happened to be Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii and who knows what kind of cruel things they could say.
At least New Zealand is doing something about it. A judge ordered Talula a ward of the court and she was able to change her name. Registration officials have also been able to talk parents out of their absurd names or block some names.
It is one thing to want to pick out a more original name. It’s another to pick out a ridiculous name. If you feel the need to name something weird, get a pet, or better yet, get a virtual pet- like a Neopet- they won’t care if their name is Kal-el. And they definitely won’t be teased for it.
Personally, I don't see the problem with Kal-el, but all of the others are absurd.
I think I heard a news story once about how some parents name their kids. There was one person who said that she saw a name of a brand on a moving box or something like that, and took her child's name from that.
When you think of some names, however, it makes sense to give real, English words as names. My name is Daniel, which is Hebrew for "God vindicates" or "God is my judge" as it is popularly translated. Many names are just normal words in other languages, so why can't we give normal words in our language as names as well?
However, I think a line has to be drawn at Talula does the Hula.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
- George Bernard Shaw
I don't really see a problem with Kal-el either. But the rest of them... I sometimes wonder if these parents think their children are anything more than dolls to dress up, or a fun new way to get some media attention.
Really, these are people, not objects. If you're going to treat your kid like a fun new toy from day one, you probably shouldn't be reproducing.
Read my Blogs!
The Sex Change: A Nursing School Story
It is not that I have a problem with Kal-el. It’s just a little too nerdy for my taste. (And that really is saying something.)
Sadly, those who shouldn't be reproducing seem to be those who usually do.
I totally agree with you! I read that story on yahoos new updates yesterday and I could not stop laughing. I think parents should realize that even though they are expressing their own uniqueness it is their child, and not them, who will be followed by that choice for the rest of their life. If I thought that my child couldn't walk into a job interview and have their prospective employer keep a straight face when they heard their name then I just wouldn't do it. Geez, my mom used to give me a bad time when I told her that someday I wanted to have a daughter and name her Breezy! She thought it would be cruel because of the obvious easily formed not-so-nice nicknames she could get someday. I'll have to show her the article....I'm sure her heart will go out to "Number 16 Bus Shelter"
He named all of his kids George Foreman. That is by far the worse. Racer and Rouge aren't too bad. Talula does the Hula Form Hawaii at least can be shortened to Talula. I second what Uncle Max said, names are just words anyway.
Black is Beautiful