My biggest pet peeve is when people don't take the time to learn how to pronounce other people's names, which is why I appreciated a recent segment on the Ellen DeGeneres Show from comedian Hasan Minhaj.
Just a few seconds in, DeGeneres mispronounces his name, and Minhaj corrects her — making the audience laugh along the way. The moment teaches viewers why it's so important to spend the time and effort to avoid mispronunciations.
"If you can pronounce Ansel Elgort, you can pronounce Hasan Minhaj," he says.
Later on, he jokes that he uses the name Timothée Chalamet for his Starbucks orders.
The moment was a big deal for Minhaj, whose parents were sitting in the audience. But it's also major for any kid out there, who like Minhaj, has been told to change their name to be more successful, or have felt like their name is too difficult to pronounce. In reality, people just need to make a better effort to learn others' names.
Take that, Higsby Withherthrottle III.
