General Discussion

gollygee

(22,336 posts)

8. I agree that people make fun of white kids' names too

Thu Sep 24, 2015, 10:17 PM

Sep 2015

but only ones that are just plain unusual. Fairly common African American names get made fun of. Names as common as Skyler certainly, but Skyler isn't a more "normal" or common name than DeShaun. It's just more white sounding.

So I guess I agree with both of your points. Yes, people do make fun of some white kids' names too. But I agree also that the way black kids' names are made fun of is different, as you said "an air of otherness or outright racism."

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How White People Subtly Reinforce White Supremacy When They Laugh at Black Names [View all] gollygee Sep 2015 OP

You've never heard a white person laugh at a white kid getting saddled with "Aeshlynne"? Scootaloo Sep 2015 #1

I didn't write this gollygee Sep 2015 #3

OMG, what idiots was that article about? SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #2

almost nobody calls me what I want to be called hfojvt Sep 2015 #18

I completely understand. Call people what they want to be called. Period. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #21

I know someone actually named Allison Wonderland. Some parents are roguevalley Sep 2015 #39

Completely agree about the reason, IMHO, for some of the names. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #42

I knew a Park Street. snort Sep 2015 #61

An old friend, Bob Alexander, named his... meaculpa2011 Sep 2015 #98

I knew a Candy Kane when I was a kid. WillowTree Sep 2015 #146

In my hometown the was a Crystal Clear. AngryAmish Sep 2015 #104

I met a woman who named her daughter brer cat Sep 2015 #131

I love Allison Starboard Tack Sep 2015 #159

I get that. AtomicKitten Sep 2015 #80

I have a Ichigo Kurosaki Sep 2015 #107

People should respect what name you prefer libodem Sep 2015 #127

My last name is two common English words mashed together, and it ALWAYS mispronounced arcane1 Sep 2015 #152

While doing customer service, I ran into this last name: Bookstore. Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #176

At least those words make sense together :) arcane1 Sep 2015 #178

True, now allow me to go on a mini-rant about my last name, Scots-Irish, starts with Mc, Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #184

well at least they don't call you Tommy RedRocco Sep 2015 #167

White people have been mocking creative white children's names since Moon Unit aikoaiko Sep 2015 #4

I agree that people make fun of white kids' names too gollygee Sep 2015 #8

What's "common"? Igel Sep 2015 #105

We had a set of twins who had beautifully sounding names, but you'd be surprised at the origin. Frustratedlady Sep 2015 #207

"Creative names". How about knitting a sweater instead? It's a lower-stakes expression of creativity lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #141

I must confess that I wanted to name my son Bronco. aikoaiko Sep 2015 #144

Awww... I always wanted to name a son Julian... ScreamingMeemie Sep 2015 #222

Dweezil! WinkyDink Sep 2015 #149

The hospital wouldn't let Frank and Gail legally name him Dweezil hifiguy Sep 2015 #157

That's one arrogant hospital! WinkyDink Sep 2015 #199

i dunno Daninmo Sep 2015 #5

Well that's a kind of class based discrimination gollygee Sep 2015 #10

Watch this substitute teacher turn it around: Guy Whitey Corngood Sep 2015 #6

Just what I was thinking off. dilby Sep 2015 #9

Oh you done messed up now Dil-beyh!!!! nt Guy Whitey Corngood Sep 2015 #11

A-A-Ron! This was hilarious. Thanks. valerief Sep 2015 #29

If you get this you get it. Period. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #64

I had a teacher rename me for all time just like in that sketch. Sen. Walter Sobchak Sep 2015 #83

Those skits are funny treestar Sep 2015 #88

Hah!! Love this. Something similar happened to me a couple years back. Bucky Sep 2015 #139

Was going to post but you beat me to it. RiffRandell Sep 2015 #175

This message was self-deleted by its author RiffRandell Sep 2015 #179

These two guys, that show, is gonna go down in comedy history and royalty randys1 Sep 2015 #180

Key and Peele dilby Sep 2015 #7

We mock those names mercilessly. Codeine Sep 2015 #12

A teacher friend of my wife's always shares funny new students' names. X_Digger Sep 2015 #16

It's not the kid's fault. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #22

Whoosh. Perhaps you missed the context, but we're poking fun at pretentious parents, not kids. n/t X_Digger Sep 2015 #25

If you're sharing funny kid's names, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #26

I don't make fun of kids' names, but... meaculpa2011 Sep 2015 #99

Oh, I totally agree with the lack of judgment of the parents. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #108

Oh my gosh, an indirect mocking! How shocking! X_Digger Sep 2015 #187

Well, there's all kinds. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #188

When I was considering what to name my child notadmblnd Sep 2015 #194

Reasonable. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #195

And will he/she spend his whole life spelling and pronouncing it Freddie Sep 2015 #205

I feel sorry for the kids who are named HEAVEN spelled backwards. MADem Sep 2015 #52

Pronounce it the way the kid tells you to. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #59

Well...DUH. But at some point you're going to have to ERR if you're, say, MADem Sep 2015 #201

After a while, if you continue to ask for correction, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #210

Not if it's a one-off....not everyone is a teacher. nt MADem Sep 2015 #212

If it's a one-off, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #213

In some of my writing, I use Persian names quite often. kentauros Sep 2015 #84

It ain't Navideh or Parisah or Farah....it's word salad!!! MADem Sep 2015 #200

I know; I was just making a comparison :) kentauros Sep 2015 #203

One person I know just didn't mention it... MADem Sep 2015 #204

I hope you are not a teacher. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #28

Guilty. To that list, add "stripper names". We mock those too. cheapdate Sep 2015 #69

I have, in the past, Erich Bloodaxe BSN Sep 2015 #102

I resent this. I'm white, and I don't make fun of anyone. Or names. nt babylonsister Sep 2015 #13

Exactly. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #23

I find stupid white-person names to be hilarious Spider Jerusalem Sep 2015 #14

Yep, it's the parents. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #24

Stripper names were big for a while jberryhill Sep 2015 #31

Goes to prove a lot of people are parents who shouldn't be. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #37

You wonder 1939 Sep 2015 #118

You can call your great grandchild anything you want jberryhill Sep 2015 #119

Call me picky, but I don't agree. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #211

You know what my great granddad called me? jberryhill Sep 2015 #214

In my daughter's school, there were 14 different spellings of Caitlin Maeve Sep 2015 #96

I bet none of them pronounces it "Cathleen" though (n/t) Spider Jerusalem Sep 2015 #133

No, but I think one called herself 'Cat-a-leen' Maeve Sep 2015 #150

Yes, I believe in Irish the name spelled "Caitlin" is actually pronounced "Kathleen" smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #192

My granddaughter is Makayla Freddie Sep 2015 #206

I see much more making fun of weird white names. Example: Nye Bevan Sep 2015 #15

That reads like a fucking eye chart. Hassin Bin Sober Sep 2015 #50

That is an abomination unto the FSM. hifiguy Sep 2015 #154

Oh that poor child. smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #193

"We act as if only European and Anglicized names are reasonable." RufusTFirefly Sep 2015 #17

Exactly. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #60

I don't think that's true treestar Sep 2015 #90

If I need a scrabble game to invent a name for my child, I'm doing it wrong. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #19

I think I know your nephew jberryhill Sep 2015 #32

I thought it was my old boss, Dakota Toad the Wet Sprocket Macintyre alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #47

I thought you worked for Guam Radiohead Johnson jberryhill Sep 2015 #51

Idaho Lit Marlboro Art_from_Ark Sep 2015 #55

Wyoming Nirvana Jennings yodermon Sep 2015 #58

Whatever the name, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #63

And never, ever Bettie Sep 2015 #103

Of course I smile at the absurdity in private. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #112

Didn't he marry Kentucky Kansas Washington? Elmer S. E. Dump Sep 2015 #68

He might as well just tell us his nephew's name jberryhill Sep 2015 #87

Jesus. The poor kid has enough problems. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #134

Wyoming Weezer Wishniak? redwitch Sep 2015 #198

Minnesota Nirvana Walker treestar Sep 2015 #89

Culture Club is from the 80s gollygee Sep 2015 #91

Yes, but they were ahead of their time jberryhill Sep 2015 #92

ROFL gollygee Sep 2015 #94

New Jersey Jimmy Eat World Jones? redwitch Sep 2015 #196

Oh, I guessed it for sure! Generic Other Sep 2015 #218

That is one way dominant cultures integrate minorities. It happens in every country. LittleBlue Sep 2015 #20

Honestly, this could be a short term issue, I could imagine, in the future, that "black names" and.. Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #35

Yeah I've seen that too occasionally LittleBlue Sep 2015 #45

ROFL alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #44

I feel sorry for them LittleBlue Sep 2015 #46

In Queens? alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #49

Well played Alittleliberal Sep 2015 #62

. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #65

LOL, good answer. Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #71

.... LittleBlue Sep 2015 #79

That's what Tony, Tony and Tony hifiguy Sep 2015 #155

Remember all the names in Goodfellas? RiffRandell Sep 2015 #182

Question GummyBearz Sep 2015 #73

Anywhere English is predominantly spoken LittleBlue Sep 2015 #81

African Americans are not immigrants gollygee Sep 2015 #85

Ukrainian guy at work Freddie Sep 2015 #208

I didn't realize the Palins were black jberryhill Sep 2015 #27

Or the Romneys... JHB Sep 2015 #162

Can we still mock names like Boehner and Dick Swett? Orrex Sep 2015 #30

You haven't seen the last of Dick Swett Cheese Sandwich Sep 2015 #34

If it's because of their behavior, absolutely. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #38

It's true. zentrum Sep 2015 #33

I remember it. One of the Wayans brothers was hosting and played a driver picking up daycamp kids. Gidney N Cloyd Sep 2015 #129

Yes. That's it! Good memory. zentrum Sep 2015 #170

I stumbled on this the other night.... Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2015 #36

Years ago, one particular commentator mocked names like "Shaniqua" and "Shaligua" Orrex Sep 2015 #40

He's cool with the name Rophenol though Capt. Obvious Sep 2015 #125

No, giving kids stupid names is subtle child abuse lbrtbell Sep 2015 #41

Yep, parents need to think. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #66

Someone actually named their kid ESPN. alarimer Sep 2015 #101

I agree with the article, but Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is universally funny alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #43

One of Alabama's best defensive backs in years. Roll Tide! cheapdate Sep 2015 #74

haha GummyBearz Sep 2015 #75

It's only a game...(sigh) cheapdate Sep 2015 #77

Let me assure you that names that once were considered "black" have 1monster Sep 2015 #48

Yeah, many names do cross the color lines, and it gets more difficult if you have an influx... Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #67

My brother went out with a white girl named Candy Lane npk Sep 2015 #53

I wanted to name a kid Grogopolus but my right hand never got pregnant. n/t Gore1FL Sep 2015 #54

Simple procedure on the first day of class in elementary and middle... Thespian2 Sep 2015 #56

There's a hockey player named (last name) Satan. Manifestor_of_Light Sep 2015 #57

Is it pronounced "Sateen"? Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #72

No GummyBearz Sep 2015 #76

That's Miroslav Šatan and it's pronounced shuh-TAN. He's a Slovak Monk06 Sep 2015 #106

It isn't "subtle." It's overtly nasty. McCamy Taylor Sep 2015 #70

I will like to share my opinion with you. As far as Blacks are reclaiming their names, it akbacchus_BC Sep 2015 #78

We bear our children at home, and name our children after natural occurences Zorra Sep 2015 #82

SNL did one skit years ago treestar Sep 2015 #86

Yup. Dr. Strange Sep 2015 #202

thanks treestar Sep 2015 #219

People have made fun of my name yuiyoshida Sep 2015 #93

Yeah this absolutely happens with Asian names too gollygee Sep 2015 #95

yup! yuiyoshida Sep 2015 #97

People make fun of my name as well... haikugal Sep 2015 #114

Yes well try being named Rex and listening to 'oh that's my dog's name' all your life. Rex Sep 2015 #156

you should tell them its short for ... yuiyoshida Sep 2015 #168

Now that part is actually great, all my nieces and nephews call me T-Rex. Rex Sep 2015 #169

Gov. Jim Hogg of Texas named his daughter Ima. alarimer Sep 2015 #100

As a teacher, I do this every year, too. LWolf Sep 2015 #109

In German we've got names for this phenomenon. OldEurope Sep 2015 #158

Presently I'm pretty much laughing at all the contemporary names GoneOffShore Sep 2015 #110

We do both Prism Sep 2015 #111

This former cop describes real institutionalized racism: Marr Sep 2015 #113

Racism encompasses both big and little things gollygee Sep 2015 #115

Except it isn't necessarily even racism. Marr Sep 2015 #117

Names can be made fun of for a number of reasons gollygee Sep 2015 #128

+ a million, gollygee. brer cat Sep 2015 #132

Can I still make fun of Tagg and Tripp? (nt) TacoD Sep 2015 #116

Anti-Alasquism is a horrible prejudice that too many DUers tolerate. Bucky Sep 2015 #140

Actually one is Romney one is Palin :-) (nt) TacoD Sep 2015 #147

You know about the lady that is a reporter on MSNBC? Manifestor_of_Light Sep 2015 #120

How can you not enjoy K&P's East/West College Bowl series? Throd Sep 2015 #121

Oh please. cwydro Sep 2015 #122

The author obviously didn't grow up with my then last name mythology Sep 2015 #123

when I worked in low income city schools, I was joking with an Afr. American student whose name wordpix Sep 2015 #124

It's possible, if you're talking to people who know you as a friend gollygee Sep 2015 #126

It's as old as John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt jberryhill Sep 2015 #136

Ich bin Heinrich Schnibble 1939 Sep 2015 #164

My name is Yon Yohnson, I work in Wisconsin, I work in a lumber mill there.. jberryhill Sep 2015 #165

I make fun of all stupid names... TipTok Sep 2015 #130

Ha! Me too. Duppers Sep 2015 #135

Gollygee are you making fun of me? Sunlei Sep 2015 #137

If we pretend it's only white people doing this, then that's an important point. Bucky Sep 2015 #138

What kind of black names are we talking about? romanic Sep 2015 #142

When I hear doctor friends laughing over black names, hedgehog Sep 2015 #143

I get ya, but.... Adrahil Sep 2015 #145

IDK. My mother was just laughing at the names "Dustin" and "Zach." (Johnsons, golfers) WinkyDink Sep 2015 #148

Who named their kid Apple? cwydro Sep 2015 #151

In the 1950s in my hometown, frogmarch Sep 2015 #153

It's not like you cannot buy a book of baby names DonCoquixote Sep 2015 #160

by the way DonCoquixote Sep 2015 #161

I met this person in San Francisco who went by the name of Siobhan (that's how it was spelled) smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #197

What's the correct Irish pronunication? oberliner Sep 2015 #209

It's pronounced "SHIVawn" smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #215

Thanks for the info oberliner Sep 2015 #217

Even traditional Anglo-Saxon names can be "bad" 1939 Sep 2015 #216

I think there is a difference between laughing at parents who saddle their kids nadine_mn Sep 2015 #163

I think that's exactly right gollygee Sep 2015 #174

Yep. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #190

When is Praisegod Barebone hifiguy Sep 2015 #166

As a native of Appalachia, I've been known to mock plenty of 'redneck' names. phleshdef Sep 2015 #171

We obviously need legislation limiting allowable baby names: all boys should be named struggle4progress Sep 2015 #172

No Aethelred? hifiguy Sep 2015 #189

We don't really like toremind the public of King Aethelred struggle4progress Sep 2015 #191

I yuk it up all the time.............. llmart Sep 2015 #173

That's a nick name gollygee Sep 2015 #177

Yeah, but nobody knows that about her.... llmart Sep 2015 #181

No problem gollygee Sep 2015 #183

I laugh at a ton of white names. RiffRandell Sep 2015 #185

My mother's name is Lawanda. MineralMan Sep 2015 #186

sounds more like culturalism Shankapotomus Sep 2015 #220

since mot mentioned DonCoquixote Sep 2015 #221