You're My Sugar Pop Honey Bear

You’re My Sugar Pop Honey Bear

Everyone has been called a cutesy nickname at some point in their life. Whether it was being called “baby”, “sugar”, “honey”, “kiddo”, “sweetie “ or anything of the sort we’ve all heard it.These names make me cringe any time anyone calls me them personally, and it’s not because I have a general dislike of cutesy things. In fact, I’d say for a guy, I have an unnatural appreciation of romantic comedies and Disney movies (even going so far as being able to sing some of the Disney songs in full). 

No, it’s not because they are cutesy. It took me a while to figure out why being called any of the pet names listed above made my skin crawl, but I finally figured it out. It’s because of the context in which they are being used. 

If I am dating a girl, I want to be anything but a baby. Call it an innate desire to be macho if you will, but I seriously just can’t imagine a situation where being called baby doesn’t demean someone. It’s not just guys, but girls too. Being called baby is demeaning because it somehow undermines your intelligence. Maybe it’s just the mental imagery, but something seems wrong about dating a “baby” when you’re over 18.

The same can be said of honey or any other pet names you’re significant other may deem it appropriate to call you. My ex-girlfriend had a thing for calling me “Foofy” a shortened version of Little Bunny Foo Foo. It bothered me to high hell, but I’m a teenage boy and I did what any other teenage boy would have done in my situation: I sucked it up because being with the girl was obviously more important than my own dignity! Certain nicknames I’d be ok with but not ones that make me sound like I’m a cartoon character from a show intended for kids who still make macaroni art.

“Kiddo” bothers me for a slightly different yet similar reason.That’s because “kiddo” isn’t used in a romantic context, but it’s often used by adults to address people of younger generations. The use of “kiddo” similar to the use of “baby” also demeans the intelligence of the person you are directing it at it. It may be ok to call someone who is  sixteen “kiddo”, but I believe once you become a senior in high school you deserve a certain amount of respect. Or at the very least if young adults are allowed to be called “kiddo”, we should have a weapon we could throw back at adults like: “Hey, how are you doing today, oldie?”

Pet names just seem unnecessary, but maybe this is just an aversion on my part to anything that is too cutesy. However, there is a fine line in my opinion between having some cute moments and taking it over the top. Pet names take cutesy way over the top and into orbit around the moon. You should be sweet to your significant other and dote on them occasionally, but do not talk to them the way I talk to my puppy at home.