If the shoe fits then wear it you might say. But then the thought comes that maybe making it cute is a way to diminish her and her role – make it seem a small, sort of fluffy but harmless aberration.
It could be seen as patronising. Like giving her a jolly little pat on the head as you would a child in a condescending way when in fact she is a woman of considerable intellect and determination who has been elected the political leader of a nation.
This may seem a minor matter. There are far bigger issues to be tackling right now but the misuse of her name is as sure a way to try and minimise her influence as it is to say that being Prime Minister is not a job for a woman, especially one expecting a baby. This argument can be answered in her own words; "I am pregnant – not incapacitated".
The conservative right in politics has often used naming things in a particular way to give immediate sway towards their point of view. Remember the vote to repeal the section 59 of the Crimes Act (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill? This removed the defence of discipline as reason for assault on a child.
This was labelled the anti-smacking bill by those opposed to the change in the law and for a time the media fell for this line before waking up to the misrepresentation and started giving it the correct title. By that time the anti-smacking tag had stuck so successfully that many people actually believed that this was some massive invasion of their personal rights to bring up children. The catcalls of 'nanny state' were loud and often quite aggressive. It was very difficult to dislodge this view.
By 'renaming' the repeal in this way the right had captured the higher ground. To their credit, the government of the time, across all the parties understood the implications of the repeal and voted for it do be done and changed that section of the law.
It may seem a big stretch to align this story with that of calling the Prime Minister 'Cinda' but the power play at work is very similar. Throughout history the ability to name things has been a way to own them. The right-wing bloggers and commentators who rename Jacinda Ardern as 'Cinda' might be just having a bit of fun by making her sound cute and perhaps a bit fluffy but that is unlikely. They are very serious people who cling to the lifeboats of conservatism ideology while the world passes then by. Any outrage about having a woman leading the country should have died from lack of support a long time ago. The Prime Minister name is her own - it is Jacinda not 'Cinda.
NB: At times I shorten my name to Tel that's true but I have chosen to do that – it has not been foisted on me.
Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is a writer, musician and Social Worker.
Feedback always welcomed: tgs@inspire.net.nz
