What’s in a name? Dick Assman from Regina gained notoriety, thanks to the David Letterman show.
The U.S.-based late-night talk show received a newspaper ad Assman had run two years ago about his Petro-Canada station. Letterman for more than two weeks made Assman the subject of a running joke because of his name. Regina and Saskatchewan also garnered guffaws from the audience.
The gas station attracted attention. More than 700 automobiles a day suddenly appeared. People wanted Assman’s autograph. Petro-Canada stations proudly displayed T-shirts that said “Home of Dick Assman.” An American woman offered to marry him. He politely declined the proposal.
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No matter what the name is, everyone is sensitive about the media getting the name right. But sometimes it isn’t easy.
For example, take the name of the SaskPower president.
A glance through our files shows it’s either Jack or John Messer. Jack was the provincial agriculture minister in the early 1970s. While Jack was on the royal commission studying Canada’s future economic prospects in 1983, John was the member of the Macdonald Royal Commission regarding free trade in 1988.
In the 1994 annual report of SaskPower, the president signed John; press releases in 1995 also identify him as John. However, recently he introduced himself at a dinner in Regina as Jack.
The media are split on whether to call him Jack or John.
So which is correct?
According to his staff, to close friends he’s Jack, but in the corporate world – and the SaskPower office – he’s John.
This shifts the responsibility to the media: Jack or John? Will the choice between the proper John and the nickname Jack reveal the journalist doesn’t know the real Mr. Messer?
When farmers will be asked to pay more for their electricity bills, they can decide which name to use.
