It just gets better and better
The Labour Party has elected its national executive committee. Of the 10 members, three are Super One journalists – Claudette Baldacchino, Gino Cauchi and Charlon Gouder, star of one of the most popular YouTube videos in the last election campaign. Another was the chief elf in Sant’s grotto, churning out one letter to the editor after another during the campaign, and patrolling the internet posting ‘Labour is the best thing since sliced bread’ comments, with a team of elves performing the same tasks: Nikita Zammit Alamango. Despite the man’s name, she’s a woman, and the press release tells us that she was elected instead of Michael Cohen through the party statute’s positive discrimination clause. The Labour Party obviously thinks that makes it look hip and happening, not having yet woken up to the fact that positive discrimination is so very yesterday, and that it is now considered – by women, no less – to be insulting and patronizing. If I were Nikita Zammit Alamango, I would seriously resent this advertisement of the fact that I am there only because of a clause that favours the disadvantaged. Ms Zammit Alamango is 18 years old. As a Maltese woman who is politically committed and involved, she would be unusual at any age, but at 18 she is even more so. Surely she has what it takes to get ahead under her own steam, for heaven’s sake. Tagging her like this from day one (“you only got in because of that clause”) is going to brand her and make it necessary for her to strive even harder to prove her worth.
As for the name, I really wish Maltese parents would be more careful. I have no doubt that Mr and Mrs Zammit Alamango were inspired by Elton John’s song Nikita, which hit the charts in 1985 and was played non-stop on Maltese radio right through to the end of that decade and beyond. Everyone assumed that the Nikita to whom the lyrics were written was a woman, a myth born out, in those more conservative days, by the music video which showed a glamorous Russian girl wrapped in fur. I remember thinking at the time how ridiculous it was, given that everyone knew by then that Elton John is homosexual and that Nikita is a man’s name, unless they had somehow, unbelievably, got through life in the 20th century in the belief that Nikita Kruschev was a woman, or worse, never having heard of him. In that context, a woman called Nikita is like a woman called Dwight. We all know that Dwight Eisenhower was a man (if we heard of him, that is), but we’re foxed by the terminal ‘a’ in Nikita.
The fact of the matter is that Elton John was singing about a young Russian soldier (can’t say I blame him), but in 1985 that was too much for the morality police and public opinion.
And then came the French film, La Femme Nikita, to make matters even more confusing. Now just imagine if the Russians began calling their daughters John and Peter….that should make life interesting.
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I agree that calling anyone with a Maltese surname Nikita is silly. The sheer number of unadequate names, such as Waylon, Dwayne and Tyson, which are mated with Maltese surnames in astonishing. It seems that many Maltese parents are either inspired by American Hollywood actors, or just pick up a book of baby names, and find the one with the “deepest and sweetest meaning”, which usually is some stupid sounding name.
However, although in essence Nikita is a boy’s name in Russia (Nikita means a little Nikolai, if I’m not mistaken), across the world many girls have been named Nikita. It has become a name for both sexes really. I don’t think it’s much of an issue that this girl’s name is Nikita. Nobody really cares that it’s a boy’s name, as it has been adopted across the world as a girl’s name – it has gotten into popular usage as a female name. The name Jamie, for example, was used only for males in the past, but has since been used also for females.
Yes, thanks to feminism, many boy’s names have been given to girls.
Nikita, yes, has become a girl’s name worldwide (except in the ex USSR of course). We must all be grateful to Elton John for the ambiguity. He obviously used the name for a man, but the video showed a beautiful woman in furs.
Hooray – A quantum leap forward for the MLP. Smile, smile and smile – the circus has come to town, and the master pupeteer, the political Houdini is lurking in the shadows, attempting, like a magician, to distract you by waving his empty hand in your face whilst the aces slide into his other hand from his sleeve. A new begining – SURE.
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose…..
My God, Daphne, let this girl be. Who cares if she’s called Nikita or whatever?! All I care about is that she is a hard-working friendly and intelligent girl,loved by the majority, who is not afraid to speak her mind despite her young age. I would have expected you to wait and see what she’s made of before you start firing your brimmed canons, left, right and center.
:-)
Who knows, maybe Elton John has been a closet bisexual all these years. Getting a bit of Nikita here and a bit of Nikita there. Great hat he’s wearing in that video at any rate.
I’m proud of my name, although not mated to a Maltese surname it is definitely not inadequate. Names are interesting, instead of the boring old, usual Mark, Matthew, Luke etc etc.
You seem to fit your name Heil Bormann!
There is no doubt about the natural consequence of the most recent disadventures encircling the Malta Labour Party. Apart from being hard-headed, stubborn, irrational and illogical, they are also – most unfortunately – people who cannot understand tha basic meaning of the terms ‘change’ and ‘new’. The first term for them means ‘repeat’, while the second means ‘repeat the repeated.’
Joseph Muscat should resign with immediate effect. He has no future as a political leader, much less as the manager of the MLP. He let the winds of change be transformed into a hurricane which will sweep aside the MLP structures, philosophy and targets. His silly peristence on ‘xamru l-kmiem’ is becoming a proverbial joke. He failed miserably in implementing what the labourites themselves concluded after their third crushing in the general elections. HE is now an accomplice against the majority of MLP delegates who wanted to oust Jason Micallef (Secretary) and bring in new blood in the party. Those delegates who voted for the same failed and failing General Secretary will be for long remembered as the most intellectually incompetent batch of reepeaters of failure through MLP’s ‘democratic’ voting system.
Time will tell…hat a disservice the new Labour administration is going to be both for the MLP and, disgracefully, for our beloved country.
Shame on Jason Micallef…he should have voluntarily gone into oblivion. If he doesn’t take Dr Michael Mangion to court after all the things we read about his last 5-year role as MLP Secretary, he should just get lost, somewhere very far away from Malta! Most vilifyingly he expects to forget what everyone said about him in his own party. Does he want to take his own MLP supporters and all of us for a ride? He doesn’t know Maths, he has failed in statistics, he failed in telling the truth to his own people on the first night of the last General Elections, he enhanced friction and promoted hatred among the same MLP factions…Jason Micallef, you are just incompetent! Does this man has a sense of loyalty to himself? The first thing and the least of all things I expected him to do is to make a public apology on TVM, Super 1, Net TV and all local TV stations and radios to all those MLP people whom he offended and humiliated through his irresponsible conduct.
The fact that Joseph Muscat is incapable of kicking Jason out of MLP, one day the MLP will kick both Jason and Joseph (the two Js) together…with a bang. Wait and see!
Nikita is a gender-neutral name with only one out of nine being male. It is of Greek and Russian origin. Having said that still can not grab the idea behind comments.
A weird line up:
The party leader is not an MP.(He is still preparing that report)
The opposition leader is not a party official , he is only ACTING.
The deputy leader of parliamentary affairs is not replacing the opposition leader.
The party General Secretary has one third of the delegates’ votes.
All the MP’s are shadow ministers.
Does this structure need an earthquake to crumble?
What happened to Evelyn Costa ?
Btw : Nikita makes me recall Johnny Cash’s song “A boy named Sue”
Ahh I forgot to add something…
Nikita Zammit Alamango is 19 years of age not 18 as it is mentioned in the article.
Furthermore, Nikita was elected instead of Nettu Farrugia NOT Michael Cohen.
Wail on, waylon :)
Mind you, by today’s standards that’s a pretty ‘normal’ name in some circles.
Try chewing on these – and all with Maltese surnames… Trixibell, Twinkle, Pantakhan, Daygon, Kevinkeegan (yes one name), Arytonsenna (ditto), Blessed Princess (I’m serious), Rexin, Xylon, Ramses-Pio and my all time fave… Ruud-weah (and just to make it that much worse…. its for a girl).
[Moderator – How about the singer called Klinsmann Coleiro? Klinsmann is a German surname.]
What’s in a name?
Brush up your Shakespeare Daphne and learn that “A Rose is a rose by any other name” and Nikita Zammit Alamango is a beautiful and intelligent young rose. Since you cannot control your your abhorrence for anyone or anything Labour and your rabid of beautiful and intelligent young persons on Labour’s side, here you go on another cheap personal attack that has now become your very sad trade mark.
” The Labour Party obviously thinks that makes it look hip and happening, not having yet woken up to the fact that positive discrimination is so very yesterday, and that it is now considered – by women, no less – to be insulting and patronizing. If I were Nikita Zammit Alamango, I would seriously resent this advertisement of the fact that I am there only because of a clause that favours the disadvantaged.”
Dear Daphne I would like to invite you to replace “Labour Party” with “Nationalist Party” and “Nikita Zammit Alamango” with “Caroline Galea and Janice Chetcuti”
See here for yourself (last 2 paragraphs): http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2008/06/01/t3.html
Poor Caroline and Janice!
As always, What’s good for the goose is NOT good for the gander!
MGT: Mysherona’s another one.
I can just imagine at the beach – TRIXIBELL! (high pitched scream), don’t throw sand at …..(your choice) ghax noqtlok!!
NGT: I’m finding it hard to believe you. But then lots of people from the Sliema/St Julian’s area know of the famous plumber Bettega Cuschieri (maybe I got the surname wrong). His father was a BIG fan of the Italian footballer.
There should be a law safeguarding newborns from the ravages of their parents’ quirky naming convetions! Once upon a time, the Church didn’t allow parents to baptise children with names which were not acceptable. Nowadays, we hear of so many stupid and inane names that I wouldn’t be surprised if these children grew up with a grudge against society!
“A Boy Named Sue” indeed!
Daphne – It IS Bettega Cuschieri, as the sign on his shop in St Mary’s Street clearly shows. And then there was Paolo Rossi Borg in the 1980s …
Like Bettega I know a Keane (after Roy Keane), I met a Cranston (a surname), my neighbour is called Rosmar (Madonna tar-Ruzarju), but the most awesome name I’ve heard was of a 17 year old boy called…….Adolf!!!! I would never forgive my parents if it were me
More weird names
I know of a girl called Pearl Haber
and another on Richwasshe
from the song Angelo
these are the lyrics:
rich was she
came from a very high family
Angelo knew it could never be
they ran away to their destiny
Relgio et Patria: The Church did not allow children to be baptised with names that were not acceptable to the Church. That was no safeguard against people being name Coronato and Redentur. I don’t know of anyone baptised Vergni Marija, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone out there is saddled with that name.
You are all invited to a meal celebrating Nikita’s election on the MLP Executive. Keynote speakers: Janice Chetcuti and Caroline Galea.
There’s also an EltonJohn + surname and a ConnieFrancis + surname. I think she is a young soprano
@cikki
Actually Elton John as a name fit perfectly as both are christian names (The name was coined by the singer himself. He was born as Reginald Kenneth Dwight).
Regarding Connie Francis, yes she is a young soprano (and a teacher) but actually she is called Connie FrancEs i.e. 2 female christian names.
@everyone
I’ve heard about RUSLANA but the most hilarious surely was LAURINA!!! Say it loud to know what i mean!
@ Ray Borg:
erm, I don’t want to sound pedantic and all that, but your comment backfired a wee bit. When you quote Shakespeare, avoid the ‘abridged’ edition :)
Try: “that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet”
@DCG I assure you, as unbelievable as they sound, those names are genuine. And btw, Bettega’s brothers are all named after famous Juve players too.
To change topic,
I agree with you 100% on the “Positive” discrimination issue Daphne, any person should feel humiliated to know that they just got in because of discrimination – how could anybody respect them that way? I certainly wouldn’t!
How about Stacy (pronounced Stahsee) Vulliamoz and Kevin Rudaz, two of my Swiss students! I think that their mothers must have watched an episode of Eastenders by mistake…..
@ Religio et Patria : Krocifissa & KatrinU (yes that is a U ) were acceptable but Gerald was not.
I heard of Richwasshe also and we were present in a Valletta Church were a boy was named BRAZEN , that was way back in 1987 , I think.
Why is Consuelo acceptable for a girl?
[moderator – Consuelo is a Spanish name for girls. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everything that ends in ‘o’ is masculine. Radio is a feminine noun, except in Maltese.]
A few years ago a friend taught a boy named RUSSELL FENECH!
Say that in Maltese…..ras-il fenek!
Youre not going to believe this but i know of someone in Gozo by the name of Dolindo….and he is not young, and a very senior ( in Gozo) civil servant. Now doesnt that sound suspiciously like something that usually comes made of rubber and in lurid colours… Mx up the letters , remove an o and an n, and you see hwta i mean. ….
[Moderator – do you mean Marigold washing-up gloves?]
What about …
… the many Raisas born around the time ofthe Gorbachov / Bush summit?
… the Fiorellas who look like anything but a lovely flower?
… the Biancas who are anything but?
“SOLAIKA! Ghedtlek itlaqha l’ohtok ghax nirwilhek ghonqok!”
lol
Many names clearly give an indication of your age =
As said –
Raisa – the famous summit
Sue-Ellen – the Dallas saga
Crystal – the Dynesty saga
John-Paul – the election of the Pope
Winston – end of the war
Adolf was a common name before the Hitler one came along !
@moderator. Marigold, Durex and other rubber/latex objects of a more dubious nature are made by one and the same company, SSL. Satisfied?
I know of a boy called Shatanzar
Of course everyone calls him Xitan Zghir
Have a look at this article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080724/ap_on_re_au_an/new_zealand_bizarre_names
I wonder what this judge would do if he had to work in Malta. He’ll have an endless list, that’s for sure.
Mario Debono – Please don’t use this site to peddle your wares :)
This is the best one though:- A girl called Fraulein. Hillarious!!!
Some months ago I met a amn who was not an inch taller than 5’3. ASking his name to fill up some forms he answered me ‘Ercole’!!!!
Luckily I was able not to burst out laughing in his face!
How’s this for a name … JURASSIC and with a surname PACE !!
(true)
How about ‘Harley Davidson’ (a Maltese boy), Starskin (another poor Maltese chap).
A close look at our National Under17 Football squad: Jesus Camilleri (Valletta), Elkien Cauchi (Hibs), Tristan Caruana (Hibs co-mate), Lyden Micallef (Mosta), Rowen Muscat (Bkara), Randall Refalo (Pieta).
Similarly Under19 boys: Kane Paul Farrugia (Sliema), Osbert Ellul (Hibs), Quilin Refalo (Pieta), Angus Buhagiar (Tarxien).
Need I say more?
I’d love to hear the commentators pronouncing them!