Non-pseudanonymous stage names

20 comments

• chitownlawyer

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  19 years ago

  When I first started in practice, the minimum increment was 1/4 hour. You would get a letter, then put down a quarter of an hour for reading it. You would then lay it on your desk. When you got in the next morning, would dictate the following: "Dear Colleague: I have yours of April 7, 1988. Yes. Yours very truly, ChiTown," with another 1/4 hour charge. A thing of beauty. Now you can't get away with a minimum increment greater than 1/10 hour. O mores, O tempores!
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  We scientists still can't measure time intervals as short as the "billable hour". We theorize it is something shorter than a pico-second (0.000000000001 seconds), but longer than the initial inflationary expansion of the universe to the first phase transition (0.00000000000000000000000000000000001 seconds).
• chitownlawyer

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  19 years ago

  "By the way, Chitown, you've still got an extra syllable in there. The word is "pseudonymous"." In the words of Ed McMahon, "You are correct, Sir!" Extra syllables come easily to those of us who bill by the hour. I'm 43 on the basis of the calendar, 89 on the basis of my billing records.
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  Dude, not so paranoid. My local club is very near work. One day on my way back from lunch with my boss and several co-workers one of my then favorite dancers was walking from a parking lot clearly headed into the club. She was (as strippers often are) dressed very sexy, although not in "costume". She was carying a pair of CFM shoes. My boss and I were well ahead of the others (thankfully). She decides to be friendly. "Oh , hi. I just forgot my shoes." indicating the obvious stripper gear in her hand. I stammered hi, and we both quickly moved on. My boss looked at me. I made up something about how she was a regular in the bar I worked at on weekends and was probably nervous I had seen her on her way into the club. He said "I thought you might have recognized her from stuffing bills into her g-string." I issued a weak denial and said well, now that I know where she works I might have to. Made a few jokes about wondering why she always paid in singles, and the matter was laughed off. I could have just admited I frequented the club. I'm single, not using the kids milk money, etc, but I really didn't want the endless string of jokes that was sure to come from my boss.
• JC2003

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  19 years ago

  The only time I have ever seen a stripper OTC was at the DMV of all places. Unintentionally, of course, and we didn't acknowledge each other's existence; actually, I doubt she even recognized me since I was new to town (and state) at that point. Everyone else there was practically somnambulant -- waiting in line at the DMV will do that to you -- so it wasn't like anyone was paying attention to what anyone else was doing.
• metaldude

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  19 years ago

  Chi perhaps I'm a little paranoid, but I envisioned the meeting going more like "Hi, (insert my real name here), that was a lot of fun last night, when are coming back back into the club so you can blow your wad (your choice of definition) on me again"...ok maybe I didn't picture her saying all that, but you get the point.
• chitownlawyer

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  19 years ago

  " I thought "Oh shit what if this girl says hello to me and calls me by my name"." In my case, I would just tell my wife that she was someone I had on a jury. I would think that every job with public contact offers similar possibilities.
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  I never did get around to using my club name (my real first name is so common it's almost not worth it, no, not John). I decided that I'd be like the girls who wanted to relate themselves to an expensive luxury car, like Lexus, Mercedes, Porshe (Portia is a real name however). My club name is Hummer. An old discussion of stripper names is here: Stripper names and what they mean... [view link]
• metaldude

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  19 years ago

  AN, thanks for the link, yours were hysterical (Paris, London, etc) as was Chandler's "car payment". I think I would use that if I thought a stripper would get it. No offense TH2O. I just think it would be so esoteric no one would make the connection.
• metaldude

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  19 years ago

  I've had the same experience recently with girls giving me two names right away. I agree with Chandler on both points. As an aside I've gotten in the habit of using a fake name myself in the local clubs and that has become a habit I use on the road as well. It started because one day I was in a store with my wife and thought I saw a girl who did a dance for me a couple nights before. I thought "Oh shit what if this girl says hello to me and calls me by my name". At least if that ever happens I can deny it by saying she used the wrong name. What is it the politicians say - plausible deniability? Hopefully its plausible enough.
• chandler

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  19 years ago

  SC: I think a close #2 reason for stage names is the freedom it gives the girl. All night at the club, she can be Heather, the sex craving slut, then the can go home and return to being Penny, the good girl.
• chandler

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  19 years ago

  By the way, Chitown, you've still got an extra syllable in there. The word is "pseudonymous". There was a stage name thread back when I started posting a couple of months ago. We talked about how dancers give out their real names as a way to make you feel "privileged". And I added that the effect was lost when they give you both right away. I also know of a few girls who have a stage name and a fake real name they give out. Maybe that's a pseudononymous name.
• JC2003

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  19 years ago

  I used to joke to dancers how they should use their real name as their stage name, because everyone would assume it wasn't their real name. I guess that doesn't apply any more these days though. The times, they are a-changin'
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  OK, I'm definitely outgunned on this thread.
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  You lawyers and your big words...
• chandler

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  19 years ago

  Not to be confused with pseudo-anonymous, which would be a dancer whose real name was Jane Doe.
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  I know two dancers who just use their real first name. Yes, both are young. It may be that the stage name is seen as more of a stage persona than a form of anonymity anymore. If you are Lexis or Mercedes, or Lolita, it seems that is more about an image.
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  Is pseudanonymous a real word?
• chitownlawyer

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  19 years ago

  Certainly. It is the adjectival form of pseudonym. (Although I mis-spelled it...should be pseud_o_nonymous.)
• AbbieNormal

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  19 years ago

  I kid about lawyers, but I will say this, I've only needed one once, and it was the best decision I'd ever made in my life. Civil matter, someone thought they could scare or bully me in to a settlement (they probably could have). After an hour with my lawyer I was feeling a lot better. They (the opposition) dropped the case after the first deposition. After that little lesson I will never speak to any LE or attorney without representation, ever.