The Media made me do it, Episode II

[oloriel]

Oh, for fuck's...

Dear German Media,

No, it is not that absurd to name a child Sparrow. Aside from the fact that the kid also features a perfectly normal name, it's kind of silly of you to point out triumphantly that Sparrow means Spatz. So? Yes, in German "mein Spatz" is a common enough endearment, but this is not necessarily the case in the English-speaking world (or is it? Quick flist poll: How many of you were nicknamed "my sparrow" by parents or grandmothers?). Even if it is, a sparrow is still a normal term for a small bird.

But you caaaaan't name a boy for a bird, I hear you cry.

Yeah right, idiots. Because there are no Robins or Merlins - or, for those who speak no English and needed the explanation about what Sparrow means in the first place, Falks running around. And none of them are male. Nuh-uh.

So Robin's a perfectly normal male name, and Sparrow isn't?

Buy yourself a babybook and stop being idiots. I mean, why do you even care what other people name their kids? If you're so bothered about naming babies, make your own. For serious. I mean, an online acquaintance of mine named her offspring Emma Josephine Anoriel, but am I giving her any grief?

Srsly.

Not yours,
The mad linguist

- - -

Dear other German media,

So you're airing Firefly. The complete first season (hah!). Congratulations. I hope you are aware that you're about three to four years too late.
I can already hear it. Same way with Doctor Who. "See? Nobody is interested in this kind of thing. Nobody watched the series!"

No, you're just too late. Everybody in this country interested in the series has LONG SINCE bought the DVDs, the soundtrack, and the RPG.
AND the cunning hat.
Everybody interested in Firefly can watch it at any time they please - not at 10 past 10 in the evening on a Saturday, when even nerds have other things to do than watch TV.

Really clever.

Not yours either,
The occasional nerd girl


- - -

When I am too tired to write about, like, real life, all I do is rant. *nods*

Memes are upcoming.

Comments

[allamistako.livejournal.com]

RE: Name
MY bloody name wouldn't be acceptable in germany, because it is ALSO a surname, and is hardly ever used as a christian name these days. And that's just a nice, traditional scottish name...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Aw, but I like your name. Seriously, you were given grief for it? I found it, well, unique but not so unusual.

[allamistako.livejournal.com]

You would not BELIEVE the amount of grief germany's civil servants have given me about my name over the years, or how often I've been told I shouldn't be called hat. One official wrote my name down as "Murphy", because he thought I was being stupid, another only took down my second name - both on purpose, and both took YEARS to correct.

Ah, the 80s...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. >_>
A school friend of my brother was originally named Jura, and when he moved here from Russia, civil servants re-named him Juri because they didn't know Jura as a first name (let alone a boy's first name) and figured Juri would be what they wanted.
He's just kept it. Too much effort to get that i turned into an a.