Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Name changes that are silly beyond belief?

Time magazine this week has made a list of the top ten most absurd name changes.

Whilst I have loved to note name changes and even love to use the phrase g.k.a. (generally known as) for a pseudonym and to refer to a person by their real name, I have rarely laughed at the use of pseudonyms, even though I know that in some spheres of sport and religion changing names is mandatory for those of high rank.

Time's list was:
  • Lisa Bonet to Lilakoi Moon
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard to Big Baby Jesus
  • Caryn Johnson to Whoopi Goldberg
  • Mark Duper to Mark Super Duper
  • Mark Sinclair Vincent to Vin Diesel
  • Ron Artest to Metta World Peace
  • Prince to a Symbol
  • Steven Demetre Georgiou to Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam
  • Puff Daddy to P. Diddy to Diddy
  • Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco
Of these, I can easily see a great deal of merit and reasoning in all Time's inclusions with the exception of Cat Stevens, for the simple reason that if Stevens was converting to Islam then there is every reason why he should want to change his name as the Islamic faith in its strictest forms requires him to do so.

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