On nicknames and affectionate terms

Nicknames are also known as meaningful replacements for birth names we give to friends in an attempt to bridge the distance between individuals. It also represents the desire to be closer to someone.

Nicknames can also be names we give ourselves because our birth names are FML-worthy, or it could be a result of this desire to break out of who we innately are.

So which category do you belong to?

It doesn't matter though, because this post is not about the deep psychological link between inter/intra personal relationships and nicknames. It's much more superficial than that. It's about the type of nicknames people adopt and the first impressions that people have of them as a consequence. (Or, I despise you because you named yourself 'Angelababy'.)

The choosing of a nickname tells a lot about yourself. I regret to say this but years ago I was (at one time) a 'hiieexx omgzxxx i amzzz boredzzz' sms-er, and (at another very short period of time, like one day) a Japanese accent mimicking, (for 2 years or so) cutesy-pose neoprint addict. As a consequence of this past self, I'm stuck with a hotmail address that I really hesitate to give out now. (How do you run away from your past?!)

Well I do have other less embarrassing e-mail addresses now but it's too much trouble to import contact lists and tell the whole world who you are and so on.

Well anyway, I had this classmate in secondary school whom I had always thought was cool. She's pretty but has this heck-care boyish style that I really admired. And then she moved on to school, leeched on to a boyfriend and changed her FB name to "(some 'cute' fruit that I shouldn't name) (surname)". I was this tiny bit away from fainting when I saw it.

And I remember on the very first day of Biz Law tutorial back in sem 1, some guy introduced himself as 'Apple' and I believe I cringed. Badly.

Ditto whenever I watch 'Wo Cai' on Channel U. I think I'm down with some chronic dislike for over-aged cute. I have no issues with cute kids and animals but I think when you hit fifteen, cute is no longer a prerogative. Cute, when attached to a very non-cute you, becomes gag-worthy.

Cute is so overrated.