On my ride up in the elevator this morning (no, I didn't get a fritter... there weren't any left) I noticed a sign announcing the retirement of some lady that's worked her for 31 years. That's a long time. That didn't stand out to me nearly as much as her name, though: Marge. Tell me honestly: does anyone reading this blog not instantly think of "Large Marge" when you hear the name Marge? I do.
And it got me thinking about how we make associations with names. I've met this woman before; in fact, I see her on a pretty regular basis. She's really nice, and not at all "large". But admit it, every one of you thought "Large Marge" when you saw the picture of her name (or you at least laughed when I mentioned it).
I've run into the same thing with my name, though maybe to a lesser degree. If I had a penny for every time someone, when hearing my name, has said "Hey Dan, Dan, the Maytag Man" I'd take those pennies and shove them down the next guy who says it's throat. Well, maybe not, but I'd certainly have a lot of pennies.
It's one of those things you just have to get used to. I'm pretty sure there isn't a single name out there that doesn't have some connotation, association, or rhyming taunt. I'm sure you can all list a half dozen things that people have called you.
Another name that comes up a lot for me is "Big Dan", though it's usually only applied to me when people meet me in person; not so much on the phone.
I don't mind being called Big Dan; it's a lot better than "Large Marge", anyway. There are more positive connotations with "Big" than there are with "Large". Plus, it's much more advantageous for a guy to be "Big" than for a girl to be "Large". As a result, "Big Dan" has always been fine with me.
Growing up, I was always "Daniel Boone" or "Dapper Dan" (which I didn't understand until the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou"). There were also rumors that I combed my hair with a wagon wheel and died with a toothache in my heel. I can't say I was ever a big fan of being called any derivative of my name, especially when I didn't understand the reference.
On the other hand, I always felt pretty good about having my own book in the Bible.
...But I didn't appreciate Elton John singing about me...
...And definitely have never, ever, enjoyed being called "Danny Boy", especially if it's done in song. I've listened, but have never heard the pipes calling me (oddly, though, I really like the song)...
...Never enjoyed answering to "Danielle" on the first day of school (on a related note, I always seemed to get a cold on the first day of school, making it hard to correct the teacher ("Just call me 'Dan'")...
...On the positive side, it's nice that there's a song about me ("Dan, I Wish I Was Your Lover") that wasn't sung by Elton John...
...It has come in handy for some personal slogans: "I'm Dan if I do and Dan if I don't" and "Well, I'll be Dan"...
Really, though, there's no name that would be immune from being associated with other things, both positive and negative. And, at the end of the day, I feel relieved to have the name that I do. Just--please--unless you see me wearing blue Maytag overalls, just stick to "Dan".
6 comments:
it could have been A LOT worse...two words...zina vagina!
and now that we are married...dannie. isn't it fun.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed this post, I've never actually been called anything associated with my name. Well, I take that back. When I was growing up my best friend was named Sarah and the two of us were always together, so people started calling us Sarika. But that's it. Nothing shameful or haunting. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
Jason wants to take this opportunity to apologize for all the times he's called you "The Maytag Man." He won't do it again.
A bit of history about the Maytag man from Wikipedia.
Ol' Lonely, or "the lonely repairman", is a character in Maytag advertisements, created for Maytag by the Leo Burnett advertising agency. He was initially played by Jesse White, beginning in 1967. Ol' Lonely is representative of the professed dependability of Maytag products. Maytag advertisements stated “Ol' Lonely’s predicament is testimony to the durability and reliability of Maytag appliances. Now if only he had something to do with his days.”
In 1986, the repairman was joined by Newton, a basset hound named for Maytag’s headquarters in Newton, Iowa. In 1989, character actor Gordon Jump first appeared as Ol' Lonely in the advertisement “Biker.” In total, Jump appeared in more than 77 Maytag commercials and print advertisements. He made appearances at events for employees and customers and also was actively involved in several philanthropic and charitable causes.
Actor Hardy Rawls was hired to play Ol' Lonely after Jump's retirement in 2003, although he appeared only in print advertising and personal appearances. Gordon Jump died two months later on September 22, 2003.[1] In French-speaking Quebec, Ol' Lonely was played by Paul Berval.[2] For a period of time Maytag gave Ol' Lonely a younger sidekick character known as the 'Maytag Apprentice', played by actor Mark Devine. However, in 2005 Maytag cancelled his contract. Maytag also elected not to renew Rawls' contract, instead holding open auditions. Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback Jim Sorgi was among those who auditioned.[3] On April 2, 2007, Maytag announced that Clay Earl Jackson of Richmond, Virginia had been selected to fill the role of Ol' Lonely.[4]
The "Maytag repairman" has become a commonly-used metaphor for a professional whose services are rarely needed, such as "Most people in town now have their own cars, making the local bus driver like the Maytag repairman."
signed,
Jason and the Argonauts
weird
I'm personally fond of "Daniel." It is one of my favorite boy names. Strangely, "Danny" is one of my least favorite boy names.
I thought you got called Dapper Dan because DAP are your initials.
i always get comment on liz burton...good thing my middle name ain't taylor.
and my favorite name...lez.
Post a Comment