Posted on 07/15/2006 4:49:25 PM PDT by Pokey78
NEWLYWEDS in America are meshing their names in an attempt to banish the sexism that comes when a woman takes her husbands surname. Much as the tabloid newspapers have christened film stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Tomkat, couples are opting to mix and match elements of their names as a sign of togetherness.
Gary Ruderman, 43, a playwright and architect, got married last year to Jodi Wilgoren, a writer for The New York Times. The couple now go by the name of Rudoren. Rudermans wife-to-be first raised the subject, saying that she would love to share his name but on an egalitarian basis.
I have a lot of respect for Jodi so I considered it, he said. Some clients couldnt wrap their heads around it, but very few people I talked to said, Oh thats stupid.
One friend teased Ruderman that married life has taken the man out of you but even his parents came around to the idea. They felt it was a little bit unusual, but I think they were just happy that, at 42, I was getting married, he said. My mother has taken to introducing me as her son Gary Rudoren.
Jodi Rudoren, 35, ruled out hyphenation when her nephew pointed out that our name wouldnt fit on the back of a sports shirt.
One name-meshing pioneer is Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, who combined his name of Villar with his wifes name of Raigosa in 1988.
I was planning to take his name, his wife Corina recalled. But he said, Really? But Raigosa is your name.
He said, Ive been thinking about it and why dont we combine our names to make one name? If you are willing to take my name, I should be willing to take yours.
Villaraigosa recalled that guys made fun of me but the voters of Los Angeles have long since forgotten it.
The feminist custom of retaining ones maiden name is going out of fashion. According to Claudia Goldin, an economics professor at Harvard University, the number of college-educated women in Massachusetts who kept their original name at marriage dropped from 23% in 1990 to 17% in 2000.
Its gone the same way as feminism, Goldin said. There has been a shift even among liberals towards more family-oriented values.
Those who begin by hyphenating their surnames often give up, Goldin added: They have these long names and then they have problems with the school district or the plumber. It gets too hard.
There is nothing wrong with a woman taking the husband's last name after marriage. I detest hyphenated names.
Yeah, she gives up one man's name for another.
I have met a few men who hyphenated their last names...
liberals
How very . . . metrosexual.
wholesale emasculation agenda alert.
Oh, please...
It's no more stupid than the trend of people giving their children a last name for a first name.
Hillary Rodclint.Nice.
Is that worse than Bill Clintrod?
Remove the "N" in both names.Both apply.
Danielle Crittenden writes beautifully about women and names: If she keeps her maiden name, she will indeed set herself apart from being Mrs. His Wife, but she will also set herself apart from her own children.
Her example: With every new introduction, "This is Mr. Serbia, Junior Serbia, Sally Serbia, and, oh yes, over here is Mrs. Bosnia Herzegovena."
This combining "solution" sets both husband and wife apart from their ancestry and their children, if their children follow their example and come up with new combinations
Ouch!
Hillary Rodclint.Nice.
Hillery Clintham?
Bill Rod-on?
I still like impeached former first lady.
Couples find new names for marriage.
Why can't they just call it hell, like the rest of us.
Human cow and major Clinton supporter Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (surrounded by effeminate Metrosexuals)
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