Pretty, tacky, bad taste. The first name Kevin is not very popular in France. Men who wear it are often ridiculed or discriminated against. Is it time for their revenge? Graphic designer and director Kevin Fafournoux wants to dedicate a documentary to this name. And so he launched A crowdfunding campaign Saint Kevin’s Day is celebrated on June 3 in France. €15,031 was raised on Monday 11 July 2022. Collection ends in two days.
Since the media coverage of the documentary project, the director has immersed himself in testimonials. “I think I’ve got 200 and suffer from some stereotypes.”He tells us.
There’s Kevin, a psychologist who hesitates to put his first name on his plaque for fear of losing credibility. Dr. Kevin always thought it was surprising to some that he held this position with such a name. “Two issues emerge: the emotional aspect and discrimination at work. » Some choose pseudonyms on dating apps. “Being called Kevin, they don’t the match. By changing that, yes…” Others listen during job interviews “Kevin’s not talented people”.
Jokes and taunts
Kevin Fafournoux, he vouches for living with philosophy. But that didn’t stop him from getting hurt at a friend’s wedding. “We were at the town hall. The mayor said the groom’s marital status and middle name are Kevin. He didn’t say anything funny but the room started laughing. I felt really bad. »
The documentary will highlight the testimonies collected, but also the often overlooked story of the first name. “I want to go to a village in Ireland where Saint Kevin of Glendalough is said to have appeared”, explains Kevin Fafornoux. Filming will begin by the end of 2022.
Popular among workers and employees
This first name became very popular in the 90s due to television shows or movies from the United States. Dances with Wolves With Kevin Costner or feature film Mom I missed the flight The actor’s name is Kevin McCallister.
13,323 young children born in France in 1991 bear and remember this name Paris. After an innocuous conversation, Kevin Fafournoux’s parents decided to baptize him. “One of my mother’s colleagues called her by her first name like that, she liked the sound. »
Baptiste Coulmont, professor of sociology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, conducted the interview. France Int This first name indicates that it was instead “Given by workers or employees’ parents, very rarely by executive parents or Parisian aristocracy”. Shame on the Kevins will come “Intellectual bourgeoisie who find this first name to be in bad taste”. Kevin Fafournoux’s parents were civil servants in the Clermont-Ferrand region. Until very recently, they were unaware of the bad image associated with this name.
Struck sketches
In addition to bourgeois influence, comedians were also subversive. Elie Semoun with her character Kevina and a recent sketch of Inez Reg dropped the first name. “Me, I take it with a lot of humor and second degree”, assures Kevin Fafournoux. But others believe the joke has gone too far. “In a testimonial, an angry man told me: ‘We took 20 more years with Inez Reg’. »
In popular imagery, Kevin could not have occupied a position as an executive, researcher or politician. However, two RN representatives with this name entered the National Assembly after the last legislative election, underlined L Express or Obs. “The media talked about it, but it shows that a Kevin deputy is not in the order of thingsCondemns the graphic designer in Paris. In the movies, Kevins are always dumb, awkward, and red-necked. »
He was even ridiculed abroad
The fight will continue as stereotypes have even crossed borders. In Belgium, Switzerland, and even Quebec, kevins are especially noteworthy. Even more surprisingly, the Germans and Austrians did not carry this name in their hearts. “In Germany, there was an application called Kvinometer that lets you know if the first part of your name is the wrong part. There is a phenomenon called Kevinism, which means a real or strange first name. Disparagingly said. »
However, the Kevins haven’t had the last word. In 2020, 77 boys were so named. “One sociologist said that the first name will be back in fashion in 150 years. It’s cyclical.”, concludes Kevin Fafournoux, who dreams that a major distributor will be interested in his future documentary. Anyway, the movie will appear on streaming. The release date is scheduled for 2023.
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