Whats in a name, Mrs. Portia DeGeneres?
Just when you thought feminism and gender theory issues in Hollywood America were relegated to broken record lectures toward the shrinking dignity of young starlets, LiLo’s lesbianage, and the Olsen twins body image (which is better suited for a litter of whippets), we are given some true, thought-provoking discourse. Thank you, Portia Lee James DeGeneres. I heard the story via Twitter on September 23 when TheEllenShow declared, “I just got some amazing news. The court has granted Portia’s name change. She’s now officially Portia Winfrey.” (Leave it to Ellen to lighten up the big O.) According to TMZ, a judge granted Portia’s name change petition on Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court. While a woman taking the last name of her husband upon marriage is a ye old debate, a woman taking the last name of her famous wife is quite another. Out go the irrelevant claims of patriarchal tradition when You (born Amanda Lee Rogers) choose to replace your father’s family name with the name you re
