The unhinged side of the blogosphere is having a hissy fit because I jovially highlighted Teresa Heinz (Kerry)’s quote revealing that she only uses the name of her husband, failed presidential candidate John Kerry, “for politics.”

To show that I am a hypocrite, they point to the fact that my books are copyrighted under my maiden/legal name, Michelle Maglalang. A tipster sent me some of the reactions posted over at Atrios:

Maglalangadingdong? Attaturk

That is really hilarious, and so very much like Ms. Malkin-Maglalang. I guess she is just one big ball of self-hatred. I still think she’s pretty though, as would all the others in the internment camp, I’m sure. joshowitz

Well, Tony Bennett is really Benedetto (that’s how he signs his paintings, btw), most of the classic Jewish comedians changed their names — entertainers don’t want to sound too foreign, you know. I mean, she is basically in show business. cervantes

“MA-GA-LANG! (Ma-ga-lang!) DE-DING-DONG DING! (Ding ding dong!) BOM… BOM… BOM… I’ve got a girl named… Ma-ga-lang-a-mang-a-lang-a-ding donggg…” The Edsels

if her husband’s name is Malkin, then she is doing exactly what THK does, which makes her even a bigger hypocrite (if that is possible). Spinoza

Unlike Teresa Heinz/Teresa Heinz Kerry, I permanently changed my professional name immediately after my wedding 11 sweet years ago. I did so not “for politics”–in the P.C. world of media, the expedient thing to do would have been to continue writing under my Filipino maiden name–but to show my love for my husband. This is the opposite of Teresa Heinz (Kerry)’s grudging, belated, and self-admittedly, politically motivated gesture.

As for my legal name, I just never bothered to submit the bureaucratic paperwork required to change it. Simple as that.

These leftist Atrios wackos provide us with another revealing “teachable moment” about liberal hatred of minority conservatives. A comment from Atrios’s site inadvertently sums things up quite well:

maybe she hates her ethnic heritage and wanted to Americanize her name. um – well it’s not a maybe, its self-evident. it’s the hypocracy, stupid! xegar

Yeah, it’s the “hypocracy.” Stupid.

Of course, the allegation that I am a self-hating Asian-American is nothing new. I do find it interesting, however, that my critics are simultaneously accusing me of playing up my ethnic heritage and trying to conceal it. Atrios, on the other hand, has acknowledged that it is my critics–not me–who have an unhealthy preoccupation with my race.

Despite the puerile ridiculing by people like Atrios’s readers, I love the name “Maglalang.” It is a beautiful, melodic, Filipino family name.

Finally, to the person who wrote: “Maglalangadingdong.” Do I know you? Because I think my brother beat you up in third grade when you used the same dumb taunt.

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