The Real Slim Shady

When I launched danapop I had no idea that there would actually be someone with the name or a similar name. I mean, you do all the searches for domain stuff, you try to come up with something that’s brandable, and reflective of you … and danapop fit and I had no idea about this Dana Poplawski. A.k.a–Dana Pop (as her friends and coworkers, as best as I can gather, like to call her).

In short, I get hit often with email invites to parties and requests to join groups–she sounds like she has a pretty fabulous life, in all honesty. It reminds me of that Friends episode where Monica’s credit card gets stolen and the person who stole it is having a much better time than she is.

It got me thinking–what about those people who have the unfortunate names of someone else.

I once worked with a guy, last name Washington, whose parents named him Booker T. No joke. On purpose.

One of my guy friends is Brendan Walsh, not to be confused with Brandon Walsh, whom I assure you his mother gave birth to long before 90210 was even a glimmer in Aaron Spelling’s bugged-eyed brain.

Also on the Walsh note, a good friend I grew up with is married to a Joe Walsh, you know, just an “Ordinary Average Guy,” except this one is an engineer, not a space cowboy tokin’ at midnight. Oh wait–that’s Steve Miller. I know one of those too. And neither Joe, nor Steve toke at midnight, well, not that I’m aware of anyway.

I know a Michael Jackson and a Michelle Pfeiffer (by marriage). Also by marriage, my older sister has the same first and last name of her sister-in-law as both brothers married women with the same first name, so, now, there’s two of them floating around with the same first and last name. Not confusing at all.

At my old job we had a summer intern once that had the initials PBJ–now, that one I could get behind … I actually loved it. But these are things parents must think about before naming a kid–one person’s PBJ initials could be another’s ASS.

Folks, please don’t do this to your kids intentionally. No Olive’s if your last name happens to be Oil–no Richard Wads, Coral Reefs, or Harry Moles. I mean unless you’re tokin’ with Steve, then it’s okay.