Seriously why do major media outlets use netanyahu's childhood nickname?

[redqueen]

Last edited Tue Dec 12, 2023, 08:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Are there any other foreign leaders that our media refers to this way? I get the familiarity with domestic politicians but foreign heads of state?

It's so irritating. He is not a child.

Imagine calling Putin 'Vova' or calling King Charles 'Charlie' or 'Billy' or 'Tim'!

Edited to add needed emphasis

[Ocelot II]

1. He uses it himself. He has written an autobiography, "Bibi - My Story."

https://www.hoover.org/research/bibi-my-story-benjamin-netanyahu-his-life-and-times It's been his often-used nickname for decades and throughout his political career, and obviously he doesn't find it offensive or belittling.

[Think. Again.]

12. I don't think anyone's concerned...

...about whether he finds it offensive or belittling.

I think the problem is that it makes this ruthless ultra-rightwing warmonger seem cute and innocent.

[LeftInTX]

2. In the US nicknames are allowed on ballots. Additionally, you would be surprised that how many elected officials

don't use their real names!

"Bibby" is palm wine made in Bermuda. Drink up pirates!

[redqueen]

3. It just seems so unprofessional

Makes my teeth itch

[PufPuf23]

10. San Francisco has just tightened rules on pols using Chinese names on ballots

Off topic for thread but interesting.

Citing Cultural Appropriation, San Francisco Tightens Rules on Candidates’ Chinese Names
Written by Han Li] Published Dec. 04, 2023 • 12:30pm

In recent decades, candidates for political office in San Francisco have developed a tradition of finding an “authentic” Chinese name to put on ballots. In the past, the process was somewhat freewheeling, in which non-Chinese candidates were more or less allowed to call themselves whatever they wanted. But the rules are tightening.

After an inquiry from Supervisor Connie Chan, the Department of Elections has decided to follow a 2019 state law saying self-submitted Chinese names may only be used if candidates can prove that they were born with them, as many Chinese immigrants or Chinese Americans were, or they have been using the names for at least two years.

If that’s not the case, candidates will then be given a transliteration-based name, which are often wordy and based on Mandarin phonetics.

As San Francisco is heading into an election season, the rule change may be considered a crackdown of sorts. Because of the city’s robust Chinese-speaking population, ballots are in both English and Chinese, which has led many non-Chinese candidates to adopt a Chinese name in an effort to appeal to monolingual Chinese voters.

more at: https://sfstandard.com/2023/12/04/san-francisco-chinese-name-elections-rule/

[Bucky]

15. Matters came to a head when Gavin Newsom ran his official Chinese name "华丽先生"

Not that he doesn't deserve to be called 华丽先生 !!

[PufPuf23]

18. Please translate Newsom's Chinese name for me.

The use of Chinese names in San Francisco by politicians had totally flown over my head until just days ago.

[LeftInTX]

22. Mr. Gorgeous

[PufPuf23]

28. That is hilarious in a twisted sort of way.

Thank you.

Humans are weird.

[LeftInTX]

30. I think it's a joke

[PufPuf23]

31. A funny joke too. nt

[LeftInTX]

19. LOL - I had to translate it...I assume this is a joke!

[redqueen]

27. That's fabulous

You know it's gotta annoy some people

I want to know the story of how he got it.

[doc03]

4. Its easier to spell and it is dumbed down for MAGATs.

[tritsofme]

5. And why doesn't Joe Biden go by Joseph? 🤣🤣

This is an interesting one….

[redqueen]

7. Well he's our President so that seems more familiar

It seems wildly unprofessional to refer to the leaders of other countries by nicknames but if he likes it and uses it I guess it's NBD ...

[TheBlackAdder]

6. Because Meshuga is harder to spell.

[redqueen]

8. Ha

[brush]

9. Easier and fewer character count in single-column newspaper stories.

[TwilightZone]

11. Simple - he still uses it himself.

It's not just a childhood nickname. It's a name that he continues to use.

Someone should ask Rafael Cruz if he has a problem with it, since he thinks everyone should use their legal names (except for him, of course).

[Bucky]

13. Tim?

But seriously, not a big deal. We called Bush "Dubya" and Clinton "Bubba". It's not automatically an endearment.

[redqueen]

14. Ha :)

One of the best movies of all time

It could more likely be seen as belittling, but it's not the potential endearment or belittling that bother me, it just seems wrong

Bush's nicknames for foreign leaders used to irritate the heck out of me too

[Bucky]

16. And yet how long did "pooty-poot" hold sway around here?

I agree it can go too far. But some pols just like the familiarity.

[redqueen]

17. I don't get irritated by individuals saying it just

headlines in major media. It's like they misspelled a word or something, just irritates. I'll stop going on about it

[Ms. Toad]

20. My understanding is that it is the name he prefers.

The general rule is that the individual gets to dictate the name others call them.

[Donkees]

21. He once called himself "Ben Nitay"

Netanyahu applied to have his name changed to "Ben Nitay" in the 1970s while living in America. His historian father, Benzion, occasionally wrote using the alias "Nitay," and Binyamin Netanyahu adopted the name because Americans found it easier to pronounce.

Netanyahu's paternal grandfather, Nathan Mileikowsky, was a rabbi and Zionist writer. When Netanyahu's father emigrated to Mandatory Palestine, he hebraized his surname from "Mileikowsky" to "Netanyahu", meaning "God has given."

[redqueen]

24. Now that's interesting

Thanks!

[Hekate]

23. Bill (William) Clinton, Jimmy (James) Carter, Ted (Rafael) Cruz. My old home state: Spark (Masayuki) Matsunaga...

Although I only mentioned American politicians, all kinds of people in public life retain a nickname by which they are commonly known. We toss “Joe” around pretty casually at DU, meaning our current president.

We in the US aren’t the only ones — Mr.Netanyahu is known as Bibi in his home country.

[Raine]

25. Mitt Romney, his name is Willard but

he prefers Mitt, his choice.

[choie]

26. Because he's so warm snd fuzzy.

[The Blue Flower]

29. Not a fan of Netanyahu

And I agree with the OP, but we do have Jimmy--not James--Carter.