Meta: Tuckerizations and Character Names

[Martin Phipps]

Tom Russell wrote:

> I think both of you should stop responding to this thread, and to each
> other in private email.  If you can't have a reasoned discussion and
> concede _something_ to the other person, than there's no point in even
> having the conversation.

Thing is Tom, I don't see the difference between me using the name
Willey for a throwaway villain and Jaelle using the name Phipps for
Appallingly Tasteless Man.  Or you using the name Martin for Martin
Rock.  I was certain that Martin and Ray were based on me and wReam but
if you say that no analogy was implied then I accept that.  Real
writers use the names of people they know that's a fact: otherwise
they'd be picking names out of the phonebook.  Picking good sounding
names is important because if all your charcters are named Smith, Jones
and Williams then it sounds too generic.  And no matter whose names you
use, say for example if I had a charcter named Clinton or a charcter
named Afflcek, there's the chance that ignorant people are going to say
it's a Tuckerism.  ("Ha.  Ha.  Ben Affleck is a rapist and murderer."
"Um, no, it was JACK Affleck.  Geez.")  Is Jesse a rapist and murderer?
 As far as I know, he isn't.  So why would he accuse me of "basing"
Jack Willey on him?  Did I make a mistake when I took the name Willy
and changed it to the known family name Willey?  Apparently.  Was I in
the wrong for doing so?  Hell no!  And I strongly resent the suggestion
that I was.  As far as I am concerned the ball is in Jesse's court.  He
needs to get a clue.  Period.

Martin