Apparently they no longer have irony in the UK. Live Aid founder, The Wall actor, musician and onetime Boomtown Rats singer Sir Bob Geldof – who brashly named his three daughters Peaches, Fifi Trixibelle and Pixie to the barely concealed derision of the planet back in the late 80s/early 90s – has come out swinging against his new grandson being called Astala.
The child, courtesy middle daughter Peaches Honeyblossom and musician/fiancé Tom Cohen, was born last month. When asked by England's The Sun about his daughter's choice of name for his grandson, Geldof said: "Yuck! I've actually been begging them to change it. What's he going to be called in school? Ass? Stella? It's a girl's name, let's face it."
Still, the impish Irish-born activist is delighted to have a grandchild, and even more so to have a boy in his family, having lived with four daughters for so long (his own three with wife Paula Yates, plus her daughter with INXS singer Michael Hutchence, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, whom Geldof graciously adopted after both Hutchence and Yates died).
"I've swam in estrogen my entire life,” Geldof cracks, “and now finally a little chap comes along. It's great."
In Geldof’s defense, Peaches, Fifi and Pixie are kind of cute and there was little doubt the three would be raised in a coddled environment where schoolyard taunting wasn’t much of a threat. By contrast, little Astala might be in for some serious whooping unless he has an extraordinary sense of humour.
And maybe a bodyguard, which might be handy given his dad’s band is S.C.U.M., named after radical feminist and would-be Any Warhol assassin Valerie Solanas' SCUM Manifesto… an acronym for ‘Society for Cutting Up Men.’ Yup, good times.
Poor kid, considering he's also got 'Dylan Willow' tacked on to that disastrous moniker!
Maybe some sane person in his family (grandaddy perhaps) will just call him 'Alan', if he's lucky.
Poor kid, considering he's also got 'Dylan Willow' tacked on to that disastrous moniker!
Maybe some sane person in his family (grandaddy perhaps) will just call him 'Alan', if he's lucky.
Posted by: linZie | 05/06/2012 at 01:36 AM
An acquaintance has the family of Astles (pronunciation - castles). Seems she got called "Ass-less" all through school.
Now I know why I'm singing "A Boy Named Sue" to myself. Hope little Astala grows up tough too.
Posted by: Tarquin Archibald | 05/06/2012 at 01:40 AM
Actually I love the name, pretty and different....for a GIRL.
Posted by: Pirjo | 05/06/2012 at 02:51 PM