The Popcorn Stand: What’s in a name, quite a bit actually

We Americans seem to have mixed feelings about our names. Or maybe it’s our identities.

We do seem to take great pride in our names. But our identities we always seem to want to change.

I take great pride in my name although I jokingly said once I want to change my name to Charles Sportswriter when I worked as the Nevada Appeal Sports Editor after I heard a guy named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker.

I also think it’s appropriate Johnny Paycheck sang the song “Take This Job and Shove It.” I wonder if he changed his name just so he could sing that song.

Others I respect for not changing their name. Like Lynn Swann. I’ve written this before but “My Name is Lynn Swann and I Played Pro Football” could’ve been a Johnny Cash song.

I got to thinking about all this when I read about how IHOP has temporarily changed its name to IHOb to promote its burgers. IHOP has taken a lot of criticism for doing this, and of course the fast food restaurants who specialize in burgers couldn’t resist making IHOP for the change. Burger King even changed its named to Pancake King on social media.

IHOP, er, IHOb, apparently though has been getting the last laugh and what it wanted to accomplish. An increased recognition of their brand name and yes, apparently an increase in sales of their burgers.

Still, I’m not going to change my name to Charles Sportswriter anytime soon.

— Charles Whisnand