Happiness Is a Warm Post: The Happy Thread

[Greg Nog]

I really only hate people who are named after groundbreaking jazz musicians.

[elpollodiablo]

I was like #217 I think

[santaclaustral]

Middle class people looking down their noses at the Brittneys and Tylers (who were Sharons and Tracys when I was younger)

Weerdly, I've never yet known a stripper who used either Sharon or Tracy as a stage name, whereas I've definitely heard Brittney and Tyler. So it's gonna be fun to see which names come into and go out of fashion as stripper names in 20 years' time. I can't wait till Enid and Ethel are considered the right kind of trashy sexy to find favour with the nation's dancers.

[ellaguru]

My name was in the top 1000 between 1912 and 1944, reaching its peak of popularity at 672nd in 1929, and has never been heard from since.

[Ignatius]

My name is so cool it would be like no. 1 every single year except in the 80s it got stigmatized by Anthony Michael Hall so now everyone hears "Brian" and they go, "oh, what's up nerd."  My same-named cousin took me aside one time and told me never to take shit from anyone for being called Brian.  He goes by "Boots."  So far, no one's given me any shit.

[elpollodiablo]

You guys are friggin nuts!

You feel persecuted because of the name Brian? What the hell!

[kadiekatRN]

Whatever, my given name is Katie.

I was named after a character in a random McDonalds commercial. 

No one else can complain.

[Ignatius]

I should point out I don't at all feel persecuted because my name is Brian.  A few times in my life, other people have told me that I should...  But they're silly. I was trying to be a little ridiculous, sorry.  I think my name's great (even though everyone calls me Brad here at school, cuz I was too afraid to correct them when I introduced myself).

edit - wasn't clear on "here"

[elpollodiablo]

I ain't raggin on ya man; Brian just always seemed like a really unremarkable and thus unmocked name to me. I think you perhaps give AMHall a little too much credit.

[Ignatius]

Boots was the guy who told me about that.  Before that I was totally unaware of how profoundly the Breakfast Club impacted American culture.

[Bernard]

Boots was the guy who told me about that.  Before that I was totally unaware of how profoundly the Breakfast Club impacted American culture.

I know somebody else called Boots, odd! Where does your cousin live?

[Ignatius]

Scranton, PA. I have no idea how he earned the nickname, but I've always been curious.  How'd your friend get to be called that?

[Mike24]

I also knew a dude nicknamed boots.  he got the name by forgetting a change of shoes on a snowy day in grade 7 so he had to do everything that day including gym class in big honkin' boots.

[Nick Ink]

Middle class people looking down their noses at the Brittneys and Tylers (who were Sharons and Tracys when I was younger)

Weerdly, I've never yet known a stripper who used either Sharon or Tracy as a stage name, whereas I've definitely heard Brittney and Tyler.

Yes, they weren't really stripper names, but the phrase 'Sharon & Tracy' became known all over the country in the early 90s, as a byword for chav/white trash/working class girls of the type who stereotypically dance(d) around their handbags in cheap nightclubs, wearing silver shoes and white miniskirts. I'm not sure why, but it might have come from a TV comedy sketch or something like that.

[hannah]

Haha I'm so glad to have destroyed this thread with my obsession. For the beautiful Internet record, I agree 100% with Nick. Doesn't mean I can't have opinions on names, but it does mean I know every opinion I've got comes bearing tons o' class and race biases. Anyhow, regardless of what I may think of the name "Addison," which won't change a damn thing, its quick ascent is fascinating. Sociology, you dig?

(And to those who disparage names that have ostensibly been misspelled, remember "Catherine," "Katharine, "Katherine," and "Cathryn." ZING.)

Oh yeah and consider the number of Jennifers and Jessicas you know. "Madison" and "Ava" won't seem like too big a deal to those kids when they're old and cranky.

I AM DONE LECTURING NOW I WILL HAVE A BABY NAMED DINGBATS AFTER MY FAVORITE BAND

[Andrew_TSKS]

Whatever, my given name is Katie.

I was named after a character in a random McDonalds commercial. 

No one else can complain.

ouch.

i knew a dude who played drums for a punk band that was from a redneck county over an hour outside of richmond whose given name was "bobby ray". bobby ray robinson. he totally had a super-thick redneck accent, too.

EDIT: concerning the name "boots", in my mind this is a popular nickname for old southern ladies. and when i say southern, do not confuse that with "redneck": "southern" = drinking mint juleps on the plantation porch and talking like foghorn leghorn, i.e. my mother's father. "redneck" = that david cross bit where he imitates people having that same accent in georgia, california, calgary, and northern alaska. and he's right, too.

[Ignatius]

"redneck" = that david cross bit where he imitates people having that same accent in georgia, california, calgary, and northern alaska. and he's right, too.

That reminds me of the time Thom Yorke claimed that the midwest was "20 miles outside of any city" in America.

[diesel_powered]

I'm intrigued by your viewpoints and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[Andrew_TSKS]

"redneck" = that david cross bit where he imitates people having that same accent in georgia, california, calgary, and northern alaska. and he's right, too.

That reminds me of the time Thom Yorke claimed that the midwest was "20 miles outside of any city" in America.

hah, well, i wouldn't go that far. these days, 20 miles outside of any american city just equals the rich part of the suburbs.

[Ignatius]

That's very true... I thought it was a pretty asinine thing to say, to be honest.  I understood what he was trying to say, but I have a problem with terms like "redneck" and "bumblefuck."  Painting with a broad brush and all.   

[coldforge]

I am pretty fond of the redneck names. I like Bobby Ray a lot. In general, I've got to be old testament, of course. Isaac, Malachai. Asterion, Lord Of The Pit.

[slow west vultures]

our neighbors directly behind us have a live mariachi band playing in their backyard.  the  music's actually quite good.  i was dipping my foot in the pool, listening to the music, thinking 'this is pretty nice.  suddenly my neighborhood seems a little less white bread'. 

[G.C.R]

I actually think "Gauge" was on the boys list. Funny, when I was working with hookers, the ones that were asked about most were the ones with normal working names. Victoria, Charlotte, Rose, Sophie. The Deztiny's and Latoya's and Tyler's, much less so.

[Bernard]

Not having to hear a bunch of class-based epithets would be so awesome! wtf is up w/ LPTJ these days!

Anyway, I think the graduating folks should get more than a small shout-out in the happy thread. Graduating is a big deal. See you soon in the Congrats thread.

[jebreject]

this is my favorite person named boots: