In a community where half the people I know consistently go by their "Playa name" or performer name and/or it is totally acceptable to call them, think of them, and have that name BE them just as much as their birth name of John, Joe or Mary. Although I have been going by "Xtina" since just about freshman year of high school, I have had the freaking hardest time trying to come up with a burlesque stage name and have it 1) not sound stupid, 2) be unique, and 3) have some relevance to me, my life, my self, my characters, and who I actually am. Xtina can't be my burlesque name, it's my everything else name. It's just me. So I'm testing out Coco XO - my official "porn star" name (meaning, the formula - first pet as your first name and street you grew up on as your surname) is what inspired it, which is pretty good but I am hesitant to use a formula name - is Coco Obispo, which I've been proud of since I realized it was actually kind of sexy. I like Coco - the two C's are reminiscent of my initials, which partially inspired by moon tattoos on my upper back - and it just also happens to be the name of my first pet, a little white parakeet named Coco that was the first pet that was actually mine. And then the cat (who was not mine) ate him/her. Poor thing.
I know some people have been trying to think of their stage/playa name for years without any success. Can you imagine? No one can even come up with one for you in all this time, you have to make it up. And this, ladies and gentlemen, makes me shake my head and laugh. It's kinda sad. You can't just make up your own nickname. Right?
I guess it doesn't matter. If you introduce yourself as that to anyone else besides a hipster/burner/open minded individual, they're going to look at you like you have three heads regardless.
Look at these wacko motherfuckers. Just kidding, neither of themgo by bizarre names, just look like they should.
