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Main Aerith And Bob Discussion
On the Dragon Age example:
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't Loghain, Anora, Alistair, Morrigan, Isolde, Fergus, Levi, and Bryce all Celtic or Gaelic names? And Leliana, Zevran and Oghren are foreigners and a dwarf, respectively. Seems fairly consistent to me... any objections to it being removed?
Am I the only one who thinks that a lot of people's reactions to this is overblown somewhat? I get that it can be weird is certain settings, especially with two names like Sam and Tullopinna is rather distracting. However, I see people reacting over names in more realistic settings and Real Life that aren't that weird. Just because they're not as common as Sarah, Rachel, Tim, and Bill names like Laurel, Glenda, Fran, Lana, and Byron are not some super weird abominations upon the spoken word. I dunno, Ive just seen names that that get reactions from people like "Wow, what a weird and strange name you have. Who would ever ever think to use that name?" when they don't seem that over-the-top to me. :P
I cannot be the only one to think that the Rocko's modern life one isn't a real example...at least not for all of those names. Rocko is stated in canon to actually be from Australia, for instance, where that name wouldn't be so unusual. And Spunky is a pet dog...if we can legitimately use this trope for pet animal names, then the list of examples would be ENDLESS. I'm just saying...
Also, it seems like a lot of these examples ignore the whole "cosmopolitan setting rule". (I.E., instances where it would actually make SENSE for this sort of thing to happen.)
For that reason, I also question the Real Life examples. I mean, the original trope is based around the Bad Writing mistake of having people have exotic names or overly modern names in settings where it wouldn't make sense for them to have them, right?
For Tamora Pierce's names, Lalasa, Joren, Cleon, and Baird are all real names. She started making up names in Lioness Rampant, starting with Thayet and Buriram. She has begun bringing back normal names now. She had Owen, Conal, all the others I mentioned and more in Protector of the Small and Rebakah (hebrew spelling of Rebecca, Tansy, Matthias and more in Provost's Dog.
The whole trope falls under fridge logic. Not the examples of the trope but trope itself.
Why is Aerith stranger name than George? Why should characters actually notice that strangest?
it is really not stranger than Edwin or Mike, inverse. The trope creation comes from very narrow American point of view which assumes that all currently used names are okay when everything which does not fall in that category is strange.
It is completely illogical.
The only appropriate examples would be a name for a Gaul from Asterix comics which does not end with "ix" or if every girl is named after a flower except one and nobody notices it.
Aerith and bob is not a proper example