Posted on 04/16/2006 11:03:18 AM PDT by mathprof
IT'S a measure of what we have come to expect from celebrities to consider that if Henry Fonda were alive and having children today, it would seem as likely for him to name his daughter, say, Hanoi, as simply to call her Jane.
It seems almost unimaginable for any 21st-century movie star to send his children out among the Hollywood elite equipped with ordinary names like Michael, Eric, Joel and Peter, as Kirk Douglas once did.
This point was driven home again last week, when Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband, Chris Martin, the frontman of the band Coldplay, named their newborn son Moses. It was an unlikely enough name for a baby boy born in 2006, but perhaps less startling than the much discussed (and mocked) handle his sister, Apple, born two years ago, will carry through life.
Not that a name like Apple Martin stands out among celebrity children anymore. The director Peter Farrelly plucked that very name for his daughter before Apple Martin came along. Even that name seems drab compared with Hollywood baby names like Pilot Inspektor, cooked up by Jason Lee, the star of "My Name Is Earl," or Banjo, the inspiration of the "Six Feet Under" star Rachel Griffiths, or Moxie CrimeFighter, a name chosen last year by the comedian and magician Penn Jillette for his daughter.[snip]
Some therapists said the celebrity impulse to foist odd names on their children amounts to simple narcissism by the parents, and the resulting status comes at the child's expense. The children, after all, are the ones who will have to raise their hands every time a teacher calls out "Coco" or "Eulala."
"It's like having a mini me," said a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles. "The child is a part of them, not an individual. It's an appendage."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Celebrities being shallow, self-centered and selfish?
Who'd have thunk?
Chick down the street from me named her kid Indigo "It's a Boy", Poor Bastard...
What is wrong with the name Moses?
Moon Unit and her brother Dweezle Zappa.
What are their last names?
It should have been not "Apple", but, at least "Quadra", or, considering the child's age, "Powerbook".
Well Mary has spunk and Lou hates it.
Frankly, I could care less that these parents are even on the planet, and when it comes to their children, I care even less.
What passes for celebrity in this nation bores the hell out of me.
I like reading about them occasionally to laugh at how dumb and crass they are.
When it comes to shows like "Entertainment Tonight", "Access Hollywood" and "Extra", you couldn't pay me enough to watch. It says a lot about our nation that these shows are even on the air.
I understand what you mean by your comments. I get enough exposure without trying, so I don't pursue it.
I like it when people make stupid choices hyphenating their last names. The friend of a friend married a woman whose last name was Jolley, and his name was Berger. Yes, Jolley-Berger for the kid. I can't remember what they actually named the poor girl but I was saying if it was a boy they should name him Buster Harry.
Oops, wrong thread... Sorry...
Yep. If only this was only a Hollywood problem. Poor kids.
I like the one in the book "Freakanomics" best. The author studied the weird names people gave to their children, and the economic effect it had upon them. A set of twins were named "Lemon Jello" and "Orange Jello". When he interviewed the mother, she set him straight, "the names are le mon jello, and or ange jellon", in kind of a frenchy twist.
Typo on first try...........so solly
I can't stand Gwyneth Paltrow, but I don't see what the hell is wrong with the name Moses. Why is Moses bad and Peter good? They're both Biblical names. I mean, Judas would probably be a bad choice, but Moses is ok. Moses Malone is a cool name. I mean, if everyone were named Bob, Jim and John, that'd be pretty f-ing boring. Sure, celebs come up with dumb names (Moon Unit springs to mind), but then again, using the same old names over and over is pretty dull. There has to be a middle ground somewhere.
I think they’re all interesting names, a couple are cute. My first son is named Rush. If we had a girl, I was going to call her Tuesday. Last week I met a little girl named Liberty. People who have a problem with that would probably bore the crap out of me.
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