Many people are huge Harry Potter fans, and it's not that uncommon to meet someone with some mugs or decor in their home, or even a pet or a plant named after a favorite character.
But naming children after the franchise hasn't become quite so common yet, pointed out the "Am I the A**hole?" (AITA) subReddit.
When Redditor Creative_Chance_5077 was called out for the name she had potentially chosen for her baby, she was surprised it came from someone who had also taken inspiration from a fandom.
But when she pointed out this irony, the Original Poster (OP) was scolded for being harsh.
She asked the sub:
"AITA for calling my coworker a hypocrite for giving her baby a 'nerdy' name?"
The OP was contemplating a name for her baby.
"I (32 Female) am pregnant with a baby girl. My husband and I haven't locked down a name we like until she is born."
"We're leaning towards Minerva. My husband is a mythology buff, I like 'Harry Potter,' and we first met and bonded over our shared love of 'Adventure Time.' It's a win/win/win."
"Again, we haven't fully decided on a name. But Minerva is the current front-runner."
A coworker criticized her choice of the name Minerva.
"Well, my coworkers and I were talking about my upcoming maternity leave when it got to names. I said we hadn't decided but like Minerva."
"It should be noted that it is a well-known fact in my office that I am a huge 'Harry Potter' fan."
"Well, there's this coworker of mine named Gwen (23 Female). Gwen started interrupting me and telling me that I shouldn't 'force my fandom' on my baby by giving her a 'Harry Potter' name."
"I get what she means, but then I said, 'Okay, but you named your daughter after Harley Quinn, right? Isn't that the same thing?'"
"Gwen is a big comics girl and often compares her and her boyfriend to Harley Quinn and Joker."
"I don't know what she's like at home, but naming your baby after a comics character is no better than if it's from another fandom?"
"Gwen stormed off and has been giving me the cold shoulder since then."
This encounter led to a series of debates.
"While everyone else agrees that she had no right to criticize my name since it's not her baby, I shouldn't have embarrassed her in front of everyone else."
"I say different. If you name your baby after a fictional character, then you shouldn't criticize others for doing the same thing. Even if you hate the other fandom."
"I brought this up later to some other family. Everyone is split on the matter, with my own brother saying that Gwen is right and I shouldn't force my fandom on my daughter."
"Things are starting to repeat itself when I reminded him that he named his own son Ben (like Ben Kenobi) and took him to 'Galaxy's Edge' for his first birthday."
"AITA?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some pondered the coworker's and brother's hypocrisy.
"OP, a question tho, why are the people who literally named their children after fandoms calling you out????? First, it was Gwen and now your brother??" - Altruistic_Usual_855
"It seems likely the coworker and brother think 'DC'/'Star Wars' are 'cool' but 'Harry Potter' is 'lame.'"
"If they had brought up criticism about JK Rowling or something, they would have a tiny bit of justification, but still be out of line."
"Definitely feels more like, 'When we did it, it was okay because it's a cool fandom for grownups, but when you did it, it's not okay because your fandom is for a dumb kids' book.'"
"The same thing happens with the Batman fanboys talking crap about people who enjoy the MCU. Or dudes in 20 Fantasy Football leagues talking crap about their coworker who plays Dungeon and Dragons"
"They're fine to like X because X is cool, but other people are lame for liking Y in the exact same way because Y is lame." - anndor
"Naming your child Harley is not just forcing your fandom on the kid, that is stuffing their car seat in a clown car full of craziness and mental instability."
"Who would want to associate their child (or their own relationship with their significant other as Gwen does) with that abusive storyline? I admit I know nothing of HP, but, OP, I am down with some quirky traditional names, and Minerva is bada**!" - Such_Application_691
"I mean... if you want to get super technical, her name is actually Harleen Quinzel. She became Harley Quinn when Joker pushed her into a vat of chemicals and she went insane. This just slams home the point that your coworker and her man comparing themselves to Harley and Mr. J is just bat s**t crazy."
"That being said... I, personally, don't care for the name Minerva. But I've heard exponentially worse names (Abcde...springs to mind). At least Minerva is a name with a meaning behind it and not just something made up for attention."
"You're NTA here, OP. You called your coworker on her bullshit and she didn't like it. That's on her... not you." - GingerSnapNV
"NTA."
"You didn't criticize Gwen for naming her kid a "nerdy" name. You criticized Gwen for being a hypocrite."
"Also, I don't know how much of a fan of comics Gwen actually is, given that the relationship between HQ and Joker is pretty gross and toxic." - TahiniInMyVeins
Others didn't see the problem with the name just as a name.
"For Ben, I wouldn't really think of the connection with a fandom, and for Harley, I'd think the bikes, and for Minerva, I guess the Greek goddess. Especially as Harry Potter is falling out of relevance lately."
"It's not like the GoT ('Game of Thrones') names that are a lot more obvious in where they are from." - meneldal2
"You said, 'Gwen is a big comics girl and often compares her and her boyfriend to Harley Quinn and the Joker.'"
"Dang, are they okay? Couples that compare themselves to Harley/Joker are pretty cringe. I mean, Joker was abusive AF. Anyways, moving on."
"You're NTA. It's an actual name. It was a name before 'Harry Potter' came along. It's also super hypocritical for them to call you out when they literally named their kids after their fandoms." - Fritemare
"The Roman goddess Minerva is essentially the Greek goddess Athena."
"Minerva is a great name because any child being named after the goddess of wisdom hopefully lives up to her name." - maedocc
"It's not like Minerva has this immediate connection with 'Harry Potter.' If it was a boy named Sirius, I would see the coworker's point, but there's a lot of Minervas out there that have nothing to do with HP..." - izzynk3003
"There's a world of difference between choosing a name you love from media you love for your child and forcing the child to be a diehard fan of your fandom. OP may choose Minerva and if their daughter doesn't like HP, they don't have to."
"My son is named for a character in Firefly, middle name for a Batman character. If he grows up to like neither of those, oh well."
"Currently, he's huge into Star Wars. More power to him. I got to pick his names because that's one perk of being a parent. I picked names I like." - coatisabrownishcolor
A few also side-eyed the coworker's relationship comparison to Harley Quinn and Joker.
"I've never trusted people who want to be like them (Harley and Joker). Like okay, so you want a homicidal criminal boyfriend with mental illness so bad that Batman doesn't wanna deal with him... and you want (checks notes)... Stockholm Syndrome." - cheechie64
"HQ (Harley Quinn) straight-up has Stockholm Syndrome towards Joker. Having a relationship like that is not the flex she thinks it is." - NaviHo
"Also, it's funny that OP's coworker compares herself to Harley and Joker. Those two have the most toxic relationship in the comic universe."
"I was super happy when Harley got over Joker and decided to become good. Even Batman asked her to join the Bat-Family and officially gave her guidance. She has a freaking apartment now and is doing part-time Therapist!!" - DaokoXD
"Not to mention the fact that Harley and Joker are villains! It's not like OP is wanting to name their baby Voldemort." - Wendillintheweird
"Harley-Joker is not a relationship goal at all. He is a manipulative psychopath who just uses her and she can be beaten to death by him and still believe it's her fault and he's adorable."
"Funny that she criticizes your nerdy stuff but she compares herself with the most toxic 'relationship.'" - I-cant-hug-every-cat
While the OP was hearing negative feedback from several people in her life for the name she had chosen, the subReddit decided she was not in the wrong. Not only was the name she chose representative of her and her husband's likes, but she also had not insulted the other people's name choices, but instead their hypocrisy.
Woman Asks If It's Wrong To Hold Grudge After Mom Told Her When She 8 Years Old That She Wished She'd Aborted Her
While some people view having and raising children as the greatest blessing, some parents hold their children's existence against them for their entire lives.
And when they feel that way about their children, they're unfortunately typically pretty honest about it, cringed the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor heavelymango knew from the time she was young that her mother did not really like her and significantly favored her sister.
But when her mother told her at the age of eight that she wished she had aborted her, the Original Poster (OP) held on to that grudge for years after the fact.
She asked the sub:
The OP had a grudge against her mother.
"I (22 Female) have been holding onto a grudge due to something my mom told me when I was roughly eight or nine years old."
"Growing up, I was a rebellious kid and always felt as if my mom favored my older sister. My sister would always get whatever she wanted."
"I know she was born with Down syndrome and always needed more attention and care, but if my sister wanted my tablet, for example, she would have it for the whole day while mine was limited to 30 minutes so she could have it."
"As a kid, I lashed out more because of this. She could take all of my things, but I could never use hers."
During a heated moment, the OP's mother said something unforgivable.
"Eventually, this led to an argument with my mom. I don't recall the whole thing, but it was related to my sister and how I felt my mom didn't care about me or give me the same amount of attention."
"The fight got heated, and I probably told my mom that I hated my sister and her."
"I remember she said back, 'I never wanted you from the start. I knew I should've aborted you when I had the chance.'"
" I didn't know what aborted meant at the time, and I remember I looked it up, and it made me cry. I never forgot it, and it lingers in my mind whenever I am home."
The OP's mother pressured her to "let it go" and move on.
"Even growing up, I still brought it up, and she would get mad, saying I need to let it go and how I'm stubborn for not just forgetting what she said."
"There was even a time in high school when she took me to a therapist, and she complained about how I never dropped what she said."
"She says I need to move on from it because it has affected my relationship with her, and she wants to fix it."
"I know I'm older now and it was so long ago, but it still hurts, and I feel like it's made me not want to have her in my life in the future, and I have told this to her."
"How I don't want her in my life once I move out, get married, or have my own kids."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that this sounded like a core memory more than a grudge.
"The axe forgets. The tree remembers."
"It sounds less like you're holding a grudge and more that this is a formative, core memory for you."
"It won't stop being a core memory (unless maybe with the help of a lot of therapy). Has your mom ever apologized for saying that? Because you don't have to forget to forgive, but if she's not remorseful for saying that terrible thing to her young child (not just remorseful that you remember it), then she probably needs therapy (or is a narcissist/sociopath/similar)."
"You are certainly not obligated to 'get over it.'" - Hot-Can3615
"This is not a 'grudge'; it is pain that is still felt to such a degree. If she said it, then she was thinking it. She'll probably never apologize, but that doesn't mean your pain is or was invalid." - Fast_Register_9480
"NOR. This kind of thing needs a real apology. Like she needs to acknowledge the damage and genuinely care about it. Brushing it off won’t make it go away." - TentacleWolverine
"NOR. Did she really want to fix things? She basically just told you to get over it from the start instead of giving you a sincere apology."
"That isn't working on anything. She wants you to get over it so she can pretend that she never said it, so she doesn't have to feel bad about what she did. It doesn't sound like she cares much about how you feel."
"She just doesn't want to deal with it. For that reason, I would still have issues with what she said." - Chemical-Ad6809
"If your relationship with your mother is being affected by the actions of your mother, your mother is responsible for fixing it."
"You should know you probably aren't ever going to get closure, but you don't have to swallow it down. It helps to be the person you needed when you were younger out loud to yourself, but especially to others."
"For example: My name is Liz, and my mom told me to go ahead and do it already and save us all the heartache when I finally had the courage to tell her about how much I've been struggling with self-harm and suicidal ideation. I'm never going to forgive her for that, and we have never been close as a result of her actions."
"You aren't holding onto a grudge; you have a core memory of your mother distilling her feelings into a world-shattering sentence."
"You did not have a secure attachment before and can't have one now because of the deep trauma. You do not apologize for being stabbed."
"Find another therapist. I mean it. Someone who cares about your well-being wouldn't force you to apologize for being verbally abused as a child. I'm 29 now, and I lived through it. I still struggle with suicidal ideation daily, but once I stopped relying on my mom and unstable sources for support, my life got better immediately."
"You want things for comfort and familiarity. Don't let your mom or your therapist gaslight you into crossing a boundary."
"It might help to ask for a written five-part apology from your mom. 1. Acknowledge what you did 2. Say why it was wrong 3. Promise not to do it again 4. Ask how to make amends. 5. Share your feelings at this time if there's anything you'd like to say."
"My mom can be a good person and a bad mom and role model. Being in your own company is so much better than poor company." - PotLuckyPodcast
Others hoped the OP would go no contact with her mother sooner rather than later.
"NOR. It’s emotional abuse. And you do not owe her closeness after that, especially as she refuses to be accountable for that and try to make it up to you."
"She knows you have her number, and she can’t forgive you for knowing what a colloidal b***h she is."
"It’s unlikely that will change; it will at least be turned back on you with her the victim."
"Stop expecting her to apologize. If she doesn’t pay your bills, ghost her." - SnooCheesecakes2723
"My mom said something similar. My brother and I were adopted, and when I was a teen, in front of a church lady, she said, 'We didn't even really want you, but the people didn't want to split y'all up, so we just took you, too.'"
"Me and the church lady were shook. When I say my falbbers were ghasted. Like huh? She didn't remember saying that when I brought it up years after the fact."
"I also got grounded two times for two separate nine weeks (for C's on my report card) and a three and a half to four months (for smoking at 16 and getting caught because she liked to just pop up out of nowhere), and we just had a talk about that, and she didn't even remember."
"She said, 'No, I didn't. I never grounded you for that long,' and when I gave my rebuttal, she said, 'Well, if I did, it definitely wasn't for no nine weeks or months,' and this started because she was praising me for reading so much and liking books. I said, 'Well, when you were grounded like me, that's all I could do (no TV, no friends outside of school, no music, nothing but my room and books)."
"There's a reason I only call or answer her calls once or twice every few weeks. And I only call to get food, really..." - ManicalMoe
"‘Fine, I'm sorry’ is not an apology."
"Whilst I’m sure it was said in anger, most things said in anger have a grain of truth. There are also some things that no half-decent parent ever says to their children, no matter how angry they are, and this is one of them! It also sounds like she has made repeated similar comments of not wanting you as her child."
"I understand her eldest had a disability, but this is no excuse for neglecting and emotionally abusing her younger child. Lots of families deal with a child with additional needs whilst still managing to prioritise their other kids. Children with Down syndrome are capable of understanding ‘that’s your sister's, not yours; give it back’ !! It sounds like your mum has mental health issues?"
"Do you have a present father or other family you can turn to?"
"Protect your peace. Your mum has hurt you time and time again, honestly, for no real gain other than momentarily satisfying her anger. You owe this woman nothing." - Background_Term9810
"I went through something similar. When I was a little girl, my mother used to make comments that implied she didn't want me, though it was never that explicit. 'I only had you because your brother wanted a sister,' and 'My figure never recovered after you; after your brother, it did.'"
"Each comment stayed with me, but I never addressed it with her. I tried to move on and leave it in the past. She did a lot of horrible things throughout my life, but her behavior was always ignored because that's the precedent my dad set, where she can do essentially whatever she wants."
"A few months ago, she came to see me because I was desperate for help and sick. Instead of helping, she made my life so much worse. I won't go into details. At one point, I could no longer keep it inside, and I told her that she is a narcissist, to which she responded with, 'It would have been better if I had never had you.'"
"In some ways, it felt really good to hear her come out and say it. It felt good to hear the truth I've always known."
"I don't know what you should do, but I've chosen to not forgive."
"Every time I forgave, I just let her know that she can get away with whatever horrible things she had done. Her apologies were never real apologies. She always found ways to blame me or others for whatever she had done."
"And I'm truly just done with it. As sad as it is to not have a mom, it's sadder to pretend that you have one when in reality you don't... quite the opposite, if anything." - Neos_Mom
"So, OP, what will hurt more: keeping her and the grudge in your life or making a break and going low or no contact with her?"
"Frankly, we've no idea of what she might have been dealing with at the time, but regardless, what she said was said only to cause pain and suffering. 'Sorry' doesn't magic that intent away."
"Me, I think spending time alone or with friends or in therapy away from her might be what you need here. You might come to some sort of acceptance, but if this is something that's just going to keep coming between you, then stop trying to have that relationship." - Tal_Tos_72
After the OP received feedback, she shared a few clarifications from her original post.
"I wanted to clear some things up, take accountability where it's due, and provide some much-needed context from many people commenting the same questions."
"I want to be completely honest. We had many arguments, and I was a rebellious kid. I acted out and argued with my mom."
"I don't want to give off the impression that I was an entirely innocent kid who never did anything wrong and my mom just snapped out of nowhere. We both said hateful and hurtful things to each other during our fights."
"Growing up, the only way she would accept an apology was if I got on my knees and begged her for forgiveness. If I ever asked her to apologize to me, she would say, 'I have nothing to apologize for; you should be the one begging for my forgiveness.'"
The OP had a lot of physical memories, too.
"Things also would turn into physical arguments, not just verbal ones."
"There were times when she would get so angry she would get physical. Like yanking me by my hair, twisting my arms, or throwing things at me (like remotes, a bug spray can, or a radio)."
"When she yanked my hair, I would fight back just to get her to let me go, and she would scream that I was trying to kill her and she would get me arrested. When she twisted my arm, and I begged her to stop because it felt like it was going to break, she would say she hoped it did."
"When she threw objects at me, she would say she wished they would hit my face."
"I remember in middle school, during an argument, she said she wished she could break my face and that she hated it because I look like my dad. I won’t lie, whenever she said things like that, I would say nasty comments about how she chose to have him put us in her."
While the OP wasn't financially ready to move out yet, she hoped to as soon as possible.
"Why haven't I moved out yet? The main reason I haven't been able to move out is financial."
"I wasn't making enough to support myself without worrying about whether I’d end up having to crawl back home."
"Thankfully, I have recently found a better-paying job. My plan is to move out between mid-to-late October, or early November at the latest."
"The only reason I can't leave this exact second is because I have a few legal/administrative things to get cleared up so I’m completely untied from my mom, which will take a few weeks."
The OP also had proof that her mother liked her sister better.
"Has my mom ever admitted to favoring my sister? Yes."
"In arguments, she has explicitly told me that she doesn't see me as her legitimate daughter, and that she adored my sister more and forever will. She has also called me a 'monster,' told me there is a certain type of evil inside of me, and said she was afraid I would be just like my dad and try to harm them."
"She would even tell me that she was telling family and friends these things about me, but then later claim she 'just said it in the moment' and wouldn't be crazy enough to actually tell people that."
"Because I was so confused growing up and didn't know if she was lying or telling the truth, I started avoiding our family when they came over."
"Naturally, that just made things worse because she would get mad at me for avoiding them (even now as an adult), completely ignoring the fact that she was the one who lied about what she told them."
Unfortunately, the OP didn't have support from her father.
"What about my dad? My dad is not in my life."
"He was around sporadically, but never as a stable parent. My parents separated before I was born and divorced when I was two or three."
"Growing up, it was just constant back-and-forth toxicity, with him telling me how toxic my mother was, and her telling me the same about him."
"He would mostly only come over to see my sister, and often used me to care for her if he wanted to take her out to eat. Ultimately, my dad didn't care about anyone else other than my sister (and his drugs)."
"I hope this can clear some questions on the original post. I know I didn't provide many details as I originally should have. I honestly didn't want to post something too long, and I honestly did not expect it to be noticed."
"Thank you all for taking time to talk to me and share your thoughts."
The subReddit fully sided with the OP, pointing out that no matter how heated the moment was, it would never excuse the terrible things the OP's mother had said to her.
If the OP's mother really wanted a relationship with her, she'd drop the defensiveness and demands, offer a genuine apology, and work hard to be better for both of her children.
That takes a very rare kind of person to pull off, and it didn't sound like the OP's mother had that in her.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp