25 famous names that were originally quite different
Imagine sitting at home, sipping a cold "Brad's Drink" and sitting in a Backcrub, and thinking that it is better to look through the magazine "Bachelor Party", listen to the band "Smile" or watch the TV series "Lenny, Penny and Kenny". But if everything went according to the original plan, all these names would be perfectly known to you!
Backrub – Google
If Google hadn't changed its original name to BackRub in 1997, we would now be back-surfing the Web instead of Googling it!
"Lenny, Penny and Kenny" – " The Big Bang Theory»
According to the original plan of the authors of the series, Sheldon should have been called Kenny. It's a good thing they came to their senses in time.
Whoopass Girls – Powerpuff Girls»)
If the famous animated trio had really been called Whoopass Gils, which translates roughly as "girls ready to kick anyone's ass," things might have been different. After all, this name suits them perfectly! Unfortunately, the creators of the animated series decided to take the path of least resistance.
Mr Cauliflower – Mr Bean
Rowan Atkinson in the first issue of his show did not yet have a stage name, and the idea to come up with a sonorous name for the character came a little later. Among the suggested options, among others, were Bean ("bean") and Coliflower ("cauliflower"). In the end, the "Mr. Bean" option won – and thank God.
Pictaboo – Snapchat
At first, the snapchat was called Pictaboo, but then the creators of the app received a letter from a company that deals with photo books: it turned out that the name was taken. So I had to change it to Snapchat.
Smile – Queen
There is no more stupid name for a music group than "Smile". It is impossible to even imagine the fate of the team that chose such a positive name. However, this was the name of the band Queen before Freddie Mercury joined it. It was he who suggested changing the name to "more majestic".
Six Of One – Friends
It is impossible to predict how one small decision can change absolutely everything. In 2012, Vanity Fair magazine published an article that described what the TV series "Friends" could be in an alternate reality, that is, if everything went according to the original script. For example, Courteney Cox was originally invited to play Rachel Green, but she chose the role of Monica. And she portrayed her as much brighter, more cheerful, and kinder than planned. But the main thing is that at first the series was not called "Friends", but "Six out of One" (an idiomatic expression that means something like "one field of berries"). It's good that Martha Kauffman and David Crane have changed this name!
Spaceman From Pluto – Back To The Future»)
If the head of the Universal Pictures studio decided, then the movie "Back to the Future" would be called "The Alien from Pluto". Why? Because, in his opinion, "no successful film has ever had the word 'future' in its title. According to the film's screenwriter Bob Gale, "absolutely everyone was thrilled with the title 'Back to the Future', except for Universal Studios president Sid Sheinberg. So we went to executive producer Steven Spielberg and asked: "What should we do? He really wants to change the name." Steven wrote on a piece of paper with Scheinberg's suggestion: "Dear Sid, thank you so much for your boundless sense of humor, we all had a lot of fun!". Stephen knew that Sid was too proud to admit that his offer was not a joke, but a serious one. That's how the name "Alien from Pluto" sank into oblivion."
Sweet Children – Green Day
The band that 14-year-old Billie Joe Armstrong once formed was called The Sweet Kids. And the guys decided to change the name to Green Day after they began to be confused with the California brand of clothing for rock musicians Sweet Baby. In addition, "Sweet Kids" does not sound as cool as "Green Day", because it is a day when you are idle, lying around and smoking weed from morning to night.
Jerry And David’s Guide To The World Wide Web – Yahoo!
Yahoo!Search Engine it wouldn't have been so successful if it had kept its original tooth – crushing title - "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web." It's a bit long, isn't it? Of course, you could call it JDGWWW, but Yahoo (which stands for Yet Another Hierarchical Official Oracle, "Another hierarchical annoying soothsayer") looks much more attractive.
Alexis Texas ("Alexis Texas") – Hannah Montana ("Hannah Montana»)
Hannah Montana is the name of the main character and the name of one of the most famous television series for children. It's a good thing the show wasn't called "Alexis Texas" as originally planned. "Alexis Texas" not only sounds strange, but is also associated with the porn actress Alexis Texas.
Mortimer – Mickey Mouse
If it weren't for Walt Disney's wife, we would today call the well-known mouse not Mickey Mouse, but Mortimer. They say she hated the name Mortimer so much that Walt Disney renamed her character-out of harm's way.
Not The Cosby Show – Married With Children»)
The cult TV series "Married... with children" is definitely different from the popular sitcom of the 80s "The Cosby Show", very traditional and sugary-sweet. So the creators of the new series even thought about naming it from the opposite: "NOT the Cosby Show." Then, after all, this idea was abandoned, because the association with the name Cosby already stuck in the teeth could cause the audience to reject it.
Brad’s Drink – Pepsi
Did you know that before 1898, you couldn't enjoy a bottle of cold Pepsi, but you could only drink Brad's Drink? And who is this Brad guy? When American pharmacist Caleb Bradham came up with" Pepsi " back in 1893, he used his last name in the name of the drink, but six years later changed the name. So in 1902, thanks to the popularity of a new drink, the Pepsi-Cola company was born.
Baby Gays – Q‑Tips
In 1923, Leo Gerstenzang, the founder of Q-tips, saw his wife winding cotton wool on toothpicks, and came up with the idea of producing cotton swabs. His products were called Baby Gays ("Children's Joys", not "Baby Gays"). Then, in 1926, the word Q‑tips was added to the name. Over time, only it remained, and "Baby Gays" was lost somewhere.
Screaming Abdabs – Pink Floyd
"Screaming abdabs "is an old English expression that means"to cause someone to have a panic attack, nervousness or irritation". And four students, fascinated by music, decided to name their group that way. Who knew that many years later, the whole world would know them as Pink Floyd? By the way, before settling on this name, the band members considered such options as The Pink Floyd Blues Sound, The Pink Floyd Sound and The Tea Set.
Blue Ribbon Sports – Nike
Imagine that your favorite sneakers do not have a recognizable "swoosh" (Nike logo), but an image of a blue ribbon. But if the company had not changed its name and logo in 1971, we would not have known any swoosh. Nike is the name of the Greek goddess Nike, the goddess of victory, and swush represents one of her wings.
Starfish – Coldplay
The British band Coldplay was once called Starfish ("Starfish"). And before that, it was called Pectoralz. Musicians are so fickle!
Hermione Puckle (Hermione Puckle) – Hermione Granger (Hermione Granger)
JK Rowling said that she first wanted to give Hermione the last name Puckle. It's now that we're used to the fact that she's a Granger, so Hermione Puckle may sound unusual. Although the association with the Pakla rifle, the first rapid-fire weapon and the prototype of the machine gun, would be very useful: remember how clear, fast and sharp Hermione is!
Spongeboy (Sponge Boy) - Spongebob Squarepants (SpongeBob Squarepants)
According to the creator of the famous animated series Stephen Hillenberg, his character was originally named SpongeBoy, but it turned out that the name SpongeBoy was already occupied by a company that produces mops. So SpongeBob was born, but Bob needed a last name. So the famous Square Pants appeared.
3,000 – Pretty Woman ("Pretty Woman»)
3 thousand – that's how much Edward Lewis offers the heroine of the film Vivian Ward for the fact that she will spend one week with him. It would be logical to call the film this way, but "Pretty Woman" is also not bad!
Under The Red, White, And Blue ("Under The Red, White, And Blue") – The Great Gatsby»)
Just three weeks before the publication of the cult novel, Francis Scott Fitzgerald wrote to his publisher that he really liked the title "Under Red, White and Blue". The colors of the national flag, the American Dream – all this would be extremely symbolic. "The Great Gatsby" - the name is weak… But let him stay."
Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo – Sony
Until 1958, Sony (from the Latin sonus, "sound") was called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. Not a bad name, but Sony sounds much better, doesn't it?
Blood Fart ("Blood fart") - Limp Bizkit ("Softened cookies»)
Once, the lead singer of the band Limp Bizkit, answering questions from fans, said that when the band chose the name, one of the options was Blood Fart (along with Gimp Disco, Bitch Piglet and Split Sickslit). They chose the name so that it was sonorous and memorable, but in meaning it could be any gibberish. "We did not take the choice seriously, believing at the time that our chance of success was close to zero."
Stag Party ("Bachelor Party") – Playboy
Hugh Hefner's magazine might have been called Stag Party, if another magazine called Stag had not been published at the time, which banned the use of the word in the title. I had to quickly change all my plans and change my name to Playboy. And what, it turned out well!
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