On the one hand, a small handful of parents do subject their children to some offensive, tasteless and embarrassing names, as well as names based on their own peculiar fads and fancies.
On the other hand, what business is it of yours, mine, or the government's, what people name their children?
Some countries have laws laying out what is and isn't permissible in a name (Japan has forbidden certain kanji choices and combinations on a case-by-case basis, New Zealand forbids computer symbols and titles).
Others, like Denmark, have lists of pre-approved names - surely an outdated and rather dictatorial concept nowadays?
Would you like your own government to tell you what you cannot name your child? It's bad enough when family and friends get involved and tell you they don't think much of your choice...
For those of you living abroad, how would you feel if you weren't allowed to name your child after a relative from the Old Country because it wasn't a name native to your country of residence?
Once upon a time, most of our names would have been considered unusual, odd, or just plain stupid.
Autres temps, autres moeurs. Get over it and get with it!
And kids with names like Pikachu and Bakudan will be tormented and nicknamed, and will eventually find a way around it, just as generations have before.
I think the parents need to sit down and properly explain their name choice while taking into account the children's future. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but everyone knows reality is different. When these poor kids have to interview to go to high school or get a job, they may be passed over because if their name. I can stand behind ones that are silly for the most part but ones with negative connotations really make me want to shake some sense into the parents. For example, Uzi will most likely be associated with a gun and killings so would really be opposed to someone naming their kid that.
For example, Uzi will most likely be associated with a gun and killings so would really be opposed to someone naming their kid that
Somewhat ironic, considering that "Uzi" was the name of the creater of said weapon.
There should be a rule against tasteless or offensive surnames. Parents do get the honour of assigning a name to an infant to probably has to carry it for the rest of his or her life and they need to carry out that role responsibly. I am not proposing banning "Apple" as a name just because it is mildly silly name celerities choose, or even the habit of choosing surnames and first names, as Americans do, but names like "Satan" etc.
Ah_so: the creator of the Uzi was actually Uziel Gal. If someone wanted to name their child Uziel, that would be fine by me. However shortening it to Uzi from the start doesn't really give the right impression in my opinion.
As long as the law of that particular country is set up so that the child can eventually legally change their name and disown their parents, then fine. Personally I wouldnt want to set myself up for a future of being disowned by my own children but thats just me.
That is egoistic idea of guardians. The children who have strange name would be worried about their names until they die. Can you take a responsibility for them?
One of Penn Jillette's kids is called, "Moxie Crimefighter Jillette". I think you can only get away with that if one or both of the parents are famous. If your name is Watanabe Pikachu, and your dad works on a building site and your mother works part time in a convenience store, you're going to get bullied and laughed at for the rest of your life. Forget about getting a decent job.
It shows how huge an ego those parents have yet also how shallow and starved for attention they are. Particularly the Hollywood elite, naming their kids Apple, Pilot Inspektor, Moon Unit, and of course Moxie Crimefighter... Hey, look how awesome I am naming my kid these ludicrous names, because, gosh darn it, we're just so special and don't have to play by anyone's rules! How happy you must be to know your kid will grow up and when people meet them, all they'll think of is you.
What do I think of them? I think they all deserve intelligent children who succeed despite their ridiculous names and grow up to realize what jackasses their parents where...
probably much better than those you mention! But at least those kids had very rich parents and grew up in circles where weirdness was not just accepted but positively welcomed and encouraged, as opposed to these kids who probably won't have too many problems with their friends but will never know if they got turned down for that job interview just because they were called Pikachu.
When there are other parents that abuse their kids, kills them, etc... stuff like weird names, tacky clothes and hairstyles , it's details, that gives matter to the gossipers.
turned down for that job interview just because they were called Pikachu.
Your theory.But they have more chances to be turned down if the name is Hiroshi... like Kim Hiroshi, Peng Hiroshi. etc, or even Hiroko,even Abe Hiroko. But Abe Pikachu that's just funny. Surveys were done about it, even experiments with similar CVs with different names. Even if employers had some idea that such names were higher or lower class, they'd meet candidates. The problem were, besides gender discrimination, mostly for names indicating a religion (Muslim names in non-Muslim countries for instance) and family names indicating ethnicities with a bad image. Note that you have no obligation to use your official name on a CV and usage names are widely accepted. Also that's the rest of the CV that matters the most.
It's not my theory, there are lots of studies you can easily google showing prospective interviewers were prejudiced against certain names because of what they read into them as you seem to say yourself, although you contradict yourself by saying people would still meet candidates in that experiment irrespective of their name, yet these kids would have as much chance if their name was Kim Horishi etc, and talking about gender and religious discrimination. Are you saying there was discrimination or not? It's common sense anyway, anything outside the mainstream for a mainstream job will be discriminated, probably against.
It's very true that first impressions (from the name on her CV) last, and her parents' choice of name influenced the outcome of the interview, I'm embarrassed to say.
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Tennohaka
think u call them ... :PMONT" don't kn how to spell it but believe it meancs "empty" head like Big Pepper ?
oikawa
I think they're most likely morons.
Daniel Sullivan
Child abusers setting their children up for a life of explaining their parent's immaturity
samwatters
Such parents are very, very narcissistic.
pizzatime
Those parents are awesome. I wish my name was Satan or Akuma.
Maria
On the one hand, a small handful of parents do subject their children to some offensive, tasteless and embarrassing names, as well as names based on their own peculiar fads and fancies.
On the other hand, what business is it of yours, mine, or the government's, what people name their children?
Some countries have laws laying out what is and isn't permissible in a name (Japan has forbidden certain kanji choices and combinations on a case-by-case basis, New Zealand forbids computer symbols and titles).
Others, like Denmark, have lists of pre-approved names - surely an outdated and rather dictatorial concept nowadays?
Would you like your own government to tell you what you cannot name your child? It's bad enough when family and friends get involved and tell you they don't think much of your choice...
For those of you living abroad, how would you feel if you weren't allowed to name your child after a relative from the Old Country because it wasn't a name native to your country of residence?
Once upon a time, most of our names would have been considered unusual, odd, or just plain stupid.
Autres temps, autres moeurs. Get over it and get with it!
And kids with names like Pikachu and Bakudan will be tormented and nicknamed, and will eventually find a way around it, just as generations have before.
sakurala
I think the parents need to sit down and properly explain their name choice while taking into account the children's future. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but everyone knows reality is different. When these poor kids have to interview to go to high school or get a job, they may be passed over because if their name. I can stand behind ones that are silly for the most part but ones with negative connotations really make me want to shake some sense into the parents. For example, Uzi will most likely be associated with a gun and killings so would really be opposed to someone naming their kid that.
Ah_so
Somewhat ironic, considering that "Uzi" was the name of the creater of said weapon.
There should be a rule against tasteless or offensive surnames. Parents do get the honour of assigning a name to an infant to probably has to carry it for the rest of his or her life and they need to carry out that role responsibly. I am not proposing banning "Apple" as a name just because it is mildly silly name celerities choose, or even the habit of choosing surnames and first names, as Americans do, but names like "Satan" etc.
sakurala
Ah_so: the creator of the Uzi was actually Uziel Gal. If someone wanted to name their child Uziel, that would be fine by me. However shortening it to Uzi from the start doesn't really give the right impression in my opinion.
ChibaChick
As long as the law of that particular country is set up so that the child can eventually legally change their name and disown their parents, then fine. Personally I wouldnt want to set myself up for a future of being disowned by my own children but thats just me.
sincerely999
That is egoistic idea of guardians. The children who have strange name would be worried about their names until they die. Can you take a responsibility for them?
Probie
I think they're stupid idiots.
One of Penn Jillette's kids is called, "Moxie Crimefighter Jillette". I think you can only get away with that if one or both of the parents are famous. If your name is Watanabe Pikachu, and your dad works on a building site and your mother works part time in a convenience store, you're going to get bullied and laughed at for the rest of your life. Forget about getting a decent job.
combinibento
It shows how huge an ego those parents have yet also how shallow and starved for attention they are. Particularly the Hollywood elite, naming their kids Apple, Pilot Inspektor, Moon Unit, and of course Moxie Crimefighter... Hey, look how awesome I am naming my kid these ludicrous names, because, gosh darn it, we're just so special and don't have to play by anyone's rules! How happy you must be to know your kid will grow up and when people meet them, all they'll think of is you.
SquidBert
Little Bobby Droptables comes to mind.
http://xkcd.com/327/
USNinJapan2
What do I think of them? I think they all deserve intelligent children who succeed despite their ridiculous names and grow up to realize what jackasses their parents where...
PeaceWarrior
Off with their heads!!
nath
Let them call their kids what they want.
Thunderbird2
No worse than Moon Unit and Dweezle Zappa, or Zowie Bowie.
cramp
eclectic idiocy
oikawa
Thunderbird 2,
probably much better than those you mention! But at least those kids had very rich parents and grew up in circles where weirdness was not just accepted but positively welcomed and encouraged, as opposed to these kids who probably won't have too many problems with their friends but will never know if they got turned down for that job interview just because they were called Pikachu.
Cos
When there are other parents that abuse their kids, kills them, etc... stuff like weird names, tacky clothes and hairstyles , it's details, that gives matter to the gossipers.
Your theory.But they have more chances to be turned down if the name is Hiroshi... like Kim Hiroshi, Peng Hiroshi. etc, or even Hiroko,even Abe Hiroko. But Abe Pikachu that's just funny. Surveys were done about it, even experiments with similar CVs with different names. Even if employers had some idea that such names were higher or lower class, they'd meet candidates. The problem were, besides gender discrimination, mostly for names indicating a religion (Muslim names in non-Muslim countries for instance) and family names indicating ethnicities with a bad image. Note that you have no obligation to use your official name on a CV and usage names are widely accepted. Also that's the rest of the CV that matters the most.
oikawa
Cos
It's not my theory, there are lots of studies you can easily google showing prospective interviewers were prejudiced against certain names because of what they read into them as you seem to say yourself, although you contradict yourself by saying people would still meet candidates in that experiment irrespective of their name, yet these kids would have as much chance if their name was Kim Horishi etc, and talking about gender and religious discrimination. Are you saying there was discrimination or not? It's common sense anyway, anything outside the mainstream for a mainstream job will be discriminated, probably against.
Get Real
Perhaps the worst form of child abuse?
I once interviewed a Chieri Hanami.
It's very true that first impressions (from the name on her CV) last, and her parents' choice of name influenced the outcome of the interview, I'm embarrassed to say.