4

Introducing Yourself Is Like Walking Into A Minefield Of Social Awkwardness

I don't think you really understand what I'm saying here, Becky: this is every day, all the time. There will be no end to it, but there is a beginning -- a basic introduction of one human (me, the weirdly named freak) to another (Chad Smith, the asshole who has no idea how good he has it).

3

Your Name Could Be The Reason Why You Can't Find a Job

Fun fact: Hiring managers sometimes throw out resumes that have names that sound too "foreign" for their liking. They're willing to lose out on a viable candidate just cause of good ol' racism. If this fills you with horror (and I sure hope it does, Bobby and Susie), just know that these companies aggressively deny that they're being prejudiced. Sometimes, they do it for the good of the clients, as a hotel owner in New Mexico once did when he ordered a group of Hispanic employees to change their names to something more Anglo Saxon to sound more appealing to customers. "I am not a racist," he was quick to point out. Oh, okay. For a second there, I thought you making people deny their heritage so they can seem less foreign to total strangers was racist. My bad.

Feverpitched/iStock
"I'd like you to meet my Colombian sons, Tyler and Chase."

2

Your Name Could Also Be The Reason You're Single

Here's another fun fact: Attraction is somewhat dimmed if you spend too much time worrying if you're pronouncing the other person's name right, especially when you're trying to focus on other things. Sexy things. Freaky things. Do you really need me to say it, Karen? SEX. I'M TALKING ABOUT SEX, KAREN.

And it's not just about how stumbling through someone's name as you try to call it out in the heat of passion kind of dims the mood. Right now, the go-to way to meet someone is with dating apps and websites, where people with the "funkiest" names are the least likely to get swiped or dinged or however the hell those things work. Location and diversity of said location is a factor, but generally, people tend to choose the suitors whose names look the most familiar. Sexual attraction and similar interests be damned. It must be like when you give up the hours-long search for something new to watch on Netflix, bypass a dozen movies and shows that align perfectly with your tastes and interests, and just watch an entire season of Parks And Recreation for the fourth time.

Pixabay
Maybe if your name wasn't Roofie Scumbag, you'd have better luck.

1

Your Parents Will Never Understand

Alright Rick, let's imagine America really did get into the shit with North Korea. For safety's sake, you grabbed your wife and immigrated to, say, Japan, which, admittedly, wouldn't be the best place considering the situation, but let's run with it. If your kids are born in Japan, are you really going to name them Usagi and Mamoru? No. You'll probably keep the naming customs you'd grown accustom to back home.

From their perspective, my parents have done nothing strange or out of the ordinary. As a young married couple, they fled to this country as refugees and were forced to make a new life here, without knowing the language or customs. That's a difficult thing to do. They struggled through something I can't even fathom, and yet they made it. They survived. To contrast, right before I typed that sentence I almost had a psychological meltdown because the Starbucks barista almost forgot the foam in my latte. Even though my parents can speak English now, giving their children traditional names is for them a bittersweet callback to their past; a way to stay connected to a country they love but may never revisit.

rrodrickbeiler/iStock
"We brought you here so you can be free. But first, let us shackle you to this insane name."

Imagine having to tell your mom and dad that you had to erase one of the most meaningful gifts they'd given you just so you can get laid. The holiday dinner table arguments would be spectacular. There'd be no survivors.

So where does that leave me? Well, I'm not changing my name. I can only ask the people who encounter the weirdly-named people in their life to just be cool. Being unique is a wonderful thing, but you don't know how much of a relief it might be for someone if you don't point out the thing that stands out the most about them. They might be sensitive to it, so just watch out for it is all. No big deal, right? Cool.

Oh, and never tell me my name is "exotic." Toucans are exotic. I'm not a fucking toucan.

Be sure to check out our new Cracked Podcast miniseries, "Looking The Part," in which Soren Bowie and Daniel O'Brien are dissecting pop-culture's greatest beards, scars and tattoos. Listen to part one HERE and catch parts two and three in the Cracked Podcast feed on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

For more check out 7 Great People With the Most Unfortunate Names Possible and 5 Real Baby Names That Won't Make Any Sense in a Few Years.

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