Another difference between Heinz-Kerry and Malkin is that Heinz isn't TaRaySa's maiden name but her deceased husband's name, while Maglalang is Michelle's family name.

I know this may seem petty but I find nothing offensive about a woman retaining her family name, but I find it a little discomfitting when women, either through divorce or death, prefer their previous husband's name to their current husband's name. In every instance I've notice this, the previous husband was hugely famous while the second husband's name is not so reknowned.

Even with the hyphens. Maglalang-Malkin isn't nearly as creepy as Heinz-Kerry.

I think it's creepy that a wife would do that to her current husband and I find it creepy that a husband would accept it.

Creepy.

Hairsplittingly yours,
Lunacy

There's really no good solution to the name problem. I transitioned over to using my husband's name over a number of years, but it still amounts to giving my name up in some sense. And for most legal documents I'm still Joy Whittemore McCann, or Joy W. McCann. Socially, I'm Joy M. McCann, using my "real" middle initial.

There really is a huge difference between the Malkin situation and the Heinz-Kerry situation, but Malkin did go out on a limb by criticizing someone on what amounts to an intensely personal issue.

If we weren't planning on having kids, I would probably have stayed Joy Whittemore--but McCann is shorter, and I think in a family it's a great convenience when kids and both parents share a name.

Nonetheless, if my maiden-name clips were better, I'd probably still be writing under the original name. I have a friend who's a film editor, and there's no way she could have changed over: it would wipe out her entire resume.

Like I said: no perfect solution.

This must all a part of that "rebranding" Oliver is talking about...

My "cousin" Attila Girl points out some of the practical issues with switching to your husband's name. What I find peculiar about the accusation against Malkin is the idea that someone is going to appear less ethnic by using a Jewish name. We're only 2% of the American population, which is below even my blog's vote total.

I'll just be blunt: I love that my wife shares my last name. That said, it wouldn't bug me a bit if she still used her maiden name for legal purposes.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Oliver Willis thinks that being black and a Democrat gives him a license to act like a complete jerk. He's the blogosphere's most prominent bigot. Every time I read his site, I feel like I need a shower to slough off all the filth.

ms. malkin addressed this issue here last week.

Actually, I feel that being black and a Democrat gives me license to point out the racism of people like Dean Esmay who ask questions like "Black People: Aren't They Annoying?". For what its worth, I'm sure most white republicans would find Dean's brand of race-bating equally repellent.

I don't agree with making fun of Malkin's name, just her hypocrisy and shoddy research.

The only problem is Oliver, is that the two situations do not appear to be at all the same. Michelle Malkin uses the same name virtually all the time save when copywriting here works. Heinz (Heinz-Kerry) on the other hand adds or drops the hyphenation for convienence sake alone.

So, you are left really with making fun of her name...or being an idiot and thinking this is hypocrisy. I'll leave it to you to choose which it is.

I vote for idiot. Oliver's track record speaks for itself, and him ripping anyone else for shoddy research and hypocrisy would be hilarious if it weren't so sad.