# Using Celebrity Names As Nicks Here? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 20, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345 "2012-04-20T01:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/41 "2012-04-20T14:12:24Z")
> [@SlickRoenick](#): > > Aren’t there “fake” celebrity names on Twitter and such? Tons of them, which is why Twitter has a verification process. It’s a strict one, too- ask Salman Rushdie. We don’t have anything like that, and that’s one reason you wouldn’t see anybody writing news stories about what purportedly famous people are saying on this board. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/42 "2012-04-20T14:22:58Z")
I thought it was ironic that Chuck Norris is now a poster here 😃 > **[Straight Dope Message Board - Your direct line to thousands of the smartest,...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php)** > > Fighting Ignorance Since 1973 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/43 "2012-04-20T14:28:57Z")
There is another message board I frequent where several celebrities do post under their real names. Most of them are far far far from being household names, but a few of them certainly are very well-known outside of the niche community. ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/44 "2012-04-20T14:37:36Z")
That’s why I added numbers to the end of my name. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/45 "2012-04-20T15:37:58Z")
OK, OK, I admit it. I am really Chico Marx. So I apologize to the legions of SDMB women I’ve seduced who thought I was really Harpo. It’s an easy mistake to make. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/46 "2012-04-20T16:03:35Z")
**honk** Make that three hard-boiled eggs! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/47 "2012-04-20T16:10:49Z")
Even if one famous person was using a nick that’s the name of _another_ famous person? Sorry, Quasi looks like the SDMB authorities would **refuse to put the nix on Nixon nicking Stevie Nicks’ nick, son.** ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/48 "2012-04-20T16:19:00Z")
I want to go on the record as stating clearly and formally that I am the famous Gagundathar The Inexplicable, storied adventurer of movie and video blog fame. Except no substitutes. PM me if you want to get together for a drink sometime (but only if you are buying). ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/49 "2012-04-20T17:29:02Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I can use my real name can’t I? It is actually also the name of a well known English actor/ commedienne. I don’t happen to be that person, nor would I present myself as him, “Enne” is a female nominant. “Comedian” is the standard and male term. “Commedienne” is a variant used for female comedy people. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/50 "2012-04-20T18:00:25Z")
Okay, possible solution? Quotation marks or an underscore between the first and last name. If it’s your real name, I don’t have a beef. I’m crazy, not stupid. That’s it. Q ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/51 "2012-04-20T18:10:31Z")
Quasi, there’s no real risk here. The celebrity, the newspaper, the reporter, none of them would blame us if someone misattributed a quote to a poster on an anonymous message board. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/52 "2012-04-20T18:13:57Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Okay, possible solution? > > Quotation marks or an underscore between the first and last name. The underscore doesn’t change anything. Think about it this way: everybody’s names where are in quotation marks. They’re nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/53 "2012-04-20T18:42:36Z")
Ok I confess. I am not the real Drunky Smurf. Although we were roommates for a couple of years and I don’t think he’d really mind me using his name. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/54 "2012-04-20T19:11:05Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > It’s wholly possible the “celeb” doesn’t realize that though, **BigT**. I do, but that puts him in the 5% or so of Dopers I actively remember the personal stories of. That’s about 4.8% more than me. “I got misled on the interwebs. BooHoo.” Cry my a f’n river. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/55 "2012-04-20T19:14:47Z")
Let it be known that I am, in fact, the real Mr. Mustard. You can ask my sister, Pam: I think she’s working in the shop. mmm ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/56 "2012-04-20T19:32:25Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Cry my a f’n river. Is this Gaelic? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/57 "2012-04-20T19:43:12Z")
Back in 1997 or so, I did one of those free months of AOL things and made myself an account that was something like lflynt97 and filled in all of the profile information as if I was the real Larry Flynt. It was supposed to be a one off joke with a friend for a reason that I don’t recall. Of course, these were more innocent days as far as the 'net went but I couldn’t believe how many emails and PMs that I got from people who thought that I was the real Larry Flynt. Fun times. These days, of course, there is zero risk of a problem and a rule change would be beyond silly. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/58 "2012-04-20T19:56:28Z")
> [@SlickRoenick](#): > > Aren’t there “fake” celebrity names on Twitter and such? Are you talking about actual, phony ones, or just parody accounts that state right up front that they’re fake? Because I read some of those – they’re hysterical. (You aren’t the real Jeremy Roenick, are you? If so, no offense, but…ew) 😉 Oh, and I must confess – my name is NOT Guinastasia. Sorry, folks, I know, I know. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/59 "2012-04-20T20:04:19Z")
**Quasimodem** , forgive me, but you’re looking for a solution to a non-existent problem. And how would the banning of celebrity names have made any difference to the situation you spoke of? The person involved could still have led you merrily up the garden-path by telling you that for obvious reasons she was not using her real name as her user name but she was in fact the true Meryl Streep or whoever, honestly she was. If you believe someone is egregiously misrepresenting themselves you should contact a mod. I don’t know if there are any specific rules about this but I’m pretty sure “Don’t be a jerk” would cover it. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345/60 "2012-04-20T20:13:05Z")
How would you even draw the line on who is a celebrity? It’s not just impractical, it’s pretty damn close to impossible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-celebrity-names-as-nicks-here/619345.md?page=4)