°Proper names
February 21, 2006
From the NYT (2004):
“[In Denmark] People expecting children can choose a pre-approved name from a government list of 7,000 mostly Western European and English names - 3,000 for boys, 4,000 for girls. A few ethnic names, like Ali and Hassan, have recently been added. But those wishing to deviate from the official list must seek permission at their local parish church, where all newborns’ names are registered. A request for an unapproved name triggers a review at Copenhagen University’s Names Investigation Department and at the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which has the ultimate authority.”
In PNG there are often people named Daisy (after a brand of chocolate milk, not the flower), Pepsi Cola, Heli (helicopter), Kopi (coffee), Quantas, Ford…there are a number of people in Bougainville called Soe, which means…no really, this is true… State of Emergency.
TCO [February 23, 2006 @ 6:07 pm]
That reminds me of Taussig’s The Devil and Commodity Fetishism. Literality hits metaphoricity smashes into fetish spins back into hyperreality - in no particular order.
And, Denmark, bastion of free speech.
s0metim3s [February 24, 2006 @ 11:29 am]
Btw, did you see this: legoland uber alles ? Horrible.
TCO [February 27, 2006 @ 10:30 am]