Since Dana’s birth, family and friends keep asking how Mom and Dad picked her name. My parents watch horrible movies and TV shows and decide to name us after these characters. They can’t give us normal names, even though they’re named Danny and Betty.
Dana Scully (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So they named her after Dana Scully from The X-Files. I’ve seen a few episodes, and they were alright. The character wasn’t an alien or cyborg, but aliens abducted her. She even gave birth to an alien kid. The character was a redhead, and my sister does have reddish blond hair which is pretty freaky.
Poor Hal’s named after some computer in a movie called 2000 or 2001 or something. I had NO clue what was going on in that movie! And the computer was so mean. I mean, why would you name your child after an evil character?? Even Hal hated the movie and the computer! Can you imagine if you were named after some character you hate?
Mom’s favorite author is Mary Shelley, so she named my sister Shelley. Mom will go on and on about how great Frankenstein is and whatever. The movies all scared me, and my friend Lisa said my dad was kinda making us into Frankensteins by giving us terminator parts. I never thought about it that way, but it’s true.
Blade Runner (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Rick Deckard was one of Dad’s close friends, and they made a film about his life called Blade Runner. I saw that movie and did not like that at all either! My parents love the weirdest movies!! My brother Rick reminds me of the character from the film, a total jerk. Dad says the real Rick was a great guy and hated having to kill the Replicants, these robots an evil scientist made. Dad dated a Replicant for a while, but she disappeared after a few months.
Then there’s Maria! Another evil robot! This character was from a black and white, silent, French or German or maybe Russian film, called Metropolis. I wouldn’t even try to watch that. I mean, who wants to read a movie, right? Maria loves the movie and watches it over and over.
Elizabeth was a little girl in a show called V. She was the daughter of an alien and human and brought peace on earth. I really liked it, and the girl was adorable! My sister even has long blond hair like the character.
And then there’s me, of course, named after my great-great grandmother, Ellen Ripley. The movies only show her as a badass, so everyone only knows her as a total bitch. Or butch. Either one is not good for a cute, straight fashion designer and model like me. Thanks Mom and Dad!
I guess it could be worse. A lot worse. Some alien and terminator friends have Star Wars or Star Trek names. I actually know a girl name Rebacca. Yeah, Rebacca not Rebecca. At least it’s not Chewbacca, right?
Ripley Connor 