One thing people don’t think about often enough is how strange it would be to be friends with a movie star.  We usually say “Salma Hayek” this and “Salma Hayek” that...I think it would be odd to walk up to someone and say “Hey, Salma.”

Try it out for yourself: imagine saying “Check out my new galoshes, Salma.” Or “Salma, let’s go shopping at IKEA.” Or “Salma, I feel as though you’re not as emotionally giving to me as you used to be.”

See?  Strange.

(I also think that Salma’s friends know not to walk up to her and say ”Salaam Salma!” And that Salma would punch anyone in the nose who did.  And I wouldn’t blame her.)

The issue of strange first names could result in some awkward social situations.  For example, let’s say you’re at a party at Salma’s house and you’re telling your friend how much you hate seafood.  Just as she walks by, you exclaim “I hate salmon most of all.”

She looks at you, mortified.  And you freeze.  You can’t get the words out to explain.  Because this is just like that time last month when you were at a party at Winona Ryder’s, and the hostess walked by just as you were saying that on your next vacation, you really wanted to “do Wyoming.”