Re: First name terms
- From: "Jason T" <j.mixont@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 22:46:48 GMT
I don't think I've formed an opinion on this. I know that i would prefer
that everyone address me as Jason, and I make a point of letting people I've
hired or who I'm interviewing know that. And it's not a way of seeming
personal and gracious, either, it's just my name. I can say that anyone
I've met who insists on being referred to by their surname tends to strike
me as, at the least, pretentious, and at the most, arrogant. But then, I
also don't like being called sir, so I have a feeling that you and I will
pretty much disagree on this whole subject.
Now, when people use first names in the service of "name-dropping" - that
starts to irk me a little. When talking about someone who I respect, I'll
usually refer to them as Sondhiem or Coleman. And, I suppose, when on
usenet, I'll even go to "JRB" or ALW". But, if I were to meet any of them,
I suppose I'd say "Mr. Sondheim" or "Mr. Llowd-Weber".
However, here on the net, I really don't have a problem with posters using
first names. Let's face it, many of these people begin to feel like close,
personal friends after spending so much time with their recordings, etc.
The problem comes when the poster can't make the appropriate adjustment in
person when the time comes.
Jason T.
"Matthew Winn" <*@matthewwinn.me.urk> wrote in message
news:ccg4v1p03l420fedula99hiva0gaudanhf@xxxxxxxxxx
Lurking on a UK theatrical message board, I find myself becoming
increasingly irritated with the way the overwhelming majority of the
posters seem to think they have the right to refer to anyone in the
acting profession by their first name alone.
To me, a first name is something you use when you know someone. I've
seen over 4500 people on stage but out of all of them there are only a
handful I've met often enough to feel comfortable referring to them by
their forenames. Yet if you hang around most stage doors or lurk on
theatrical websites you'll find dozens of people who seem to think
that just because they've seen someone on stage they have the right
to call that person by their first name, both to their face and in
conversation with others, even though the person concerned has never
seen them before and has not the faintest idea who they are.
I'd be deeply offended if someone I didn't recognise took it upon
themselves to assume that level of familiarity, but in all the time
I've spent around theatres I don't think I've ever heard anyone other
than me use someone's full name. I would never _dream_ of going up to
someone I'd never met before and starting off with "Excuse me, [first
name] ..." It's so damned rude.
(I recently had a telesales droid phone me and in the course of the
conversation say "Can I call you Matthew?" He was completely thrown
when I said no.)
I'm sure I can't be the only person who's totally creeped out by this.
Opinions?
--
Matthew Winn
[If replying by mail remove the "r" from "urk"]
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: First name terms
- From: Blanche Cohen
- Re: First name terms
- From: Matthew Winn
- Re: First name terms
- From: Newport
- Re: First name terms
- References:
- First name terms
- From: Matthew Winn
- First name terms
- Prev by Date: Re: First name terms
- Next by Date: Re: Peacocks and monkeys in purple adornings
- Previous by thread: Re: First name terms
- Next by thread: Re: First name terms
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
