Holly Madison: ‘Rainbow’ isn’t a stripper name like ‘Amber, Crystal & Jessica’

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In 2013, Holly Madison gave birth to her first child, a baby girl she named Rainbow Aurora. Many people snarked on the name, but Holly always defended her choice and swore up and down that she had loved the name Rainbow since she was a kid and one of her classmates was named Rainbow. It did feel like some of the snark was mean-spirited, especially since the name had special significance to Holly. I get the feeling that she had planned to name her daughter that for many, many years. Well, Holly gave a wonderful and funny interview to Yahoo about baby names, stripper names, Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy and much more. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

The criticism she received for naming her daughter Rainbow: “Oh, yeah. I got flooded with stupid commentary on social media. It’s definitely a unique name. I like unique names and I wouldn’t have picked it if were common. But, growing up, there was a girl in my class named Rainbow. I grew up in Oregon, where a lot of hippies went to start families. There was a girl at school named Rainbow, and I was so jealous and I wanted it to be my name. So it’s definitely unusual, but it’s a name. It’s not like I called her Coffee Table. People love to say, “That’s a stripper name.” But I’ve spent a lot of time in Vegas and strippers aren’t named Rainbow. They’re named Amber, Crystal and Jessica.”

On Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy: “Honestly, I think the judgment comes from people who are jealous. Everyone would love to have Kim Kardashian’s wardrobe, so if you see her in something ill-fitting once in her life, people feel the need to throw stones. Everyone should just calm down. Bodies change throughout our lives, not just in pregnancy.”

Whether Hugh Hefner is still in her life or Rainbow’s life: “Absolutely not. When I left the mansion we were cordial for a while but eventually I opened my eyes to what kind of person he was and we haven’t talked for years. [Parenting is] not something he would be involved in. There are others who have brought their babies to the mansions after they were born, but it’s not something I would do.”

Whether she would want Rainbow to ever be a Playboy bunny: “I would not be OK with it. When she is an adult, she will be able to do what she wants, but from Day One I’ve tried to raise her to know she has value, her body parts have value, and she doesn’t have to do something cheap or tawdry to get attention. If she wanted to do — and God forbid she did — I would tell her my whole experience with it and I’d be honest that it wasn’t what I thought it would be.

[Yahoo Parenting]

She also talks at length – and quite eloquently – about what she learned in the long-run about posing nude and how that changed people’s perceptions of her and how differently she’s treated because of being in Playboy. She said in part: “A woman’s body is her own, a man’s is his own, and when we feel okay being naked is different for everybody. Some might feel okay in a locker room but not in public, or in Playboy but not a different publication. It’s a choice and everyone is entitled to the choice. I feel like once you’ve posed nude, suddenly people assume your body is always fair game.” That’s very true, and I’m guilty of that too. I always assume that once a person has posed nude, the jig is up and what’s the big deal about doing it over and over?

As for the stripper name stuff…the #1 stripper name is Crystal, according to a completely unofficial listicle, which you can see here. They put Tiffany at #2, then Amber, then Brandy/Brandi. What else… Lola, Angel, Ginger, Candy, Charity and Anastasia. I personally don’t think Jessica is a stripper name, but yes, I do sort of think of Amber, Angel, Candy and Crystal as stripper names.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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187 Responses to “Holly Madison: ‘Rainbow’ isn’t a stripper name like ‘Amber, Crystal & Jessica’”

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  1. daisyfly says:

    Here the Hawaiian word for rainbow, ‘Anuenue, is a common name. I think it’s far better than, say, a fruit or occupation (side eye to Gwyneth and Jason), but the majority of crap a kid is gonna get for their name is from their own peers and if they all have names like Bunting, Tulle, and Overall Jones, then the kids that’ll get teased for their names will be the Charlottes, Jonathans, and Melonies on the playground.

    • Delta Juliet says:

      I just love this comment 🙂

      “Overall Jones” LOL!

    • Chaskaroxy says:

      Would anybody expect anything less than a name like RAINBOW from a bimbo like Holly Madison? She is the former prostitute of her pimp Huge Hefner so you can see where her mindset is. People as dizzy and stupid as the likes of Holly Madison should NOT be reproducing it is NOT fair to the poor offspring. Hopefully this child will legally change her name when she is 18 years old. What is her middle name UNICORN?

  2. InvaderTak says:

    uh……mmm. Right. Jessica is a stripper name? Really? Interesting world she lives in.

    • J-G says:

      That’s my name. Apparently I missed my career calling.

      • Jess says:

        It’s my name too and I thought whoa now!! I’ve never heard it associated with strippers, Rainbow however…..she’s delusional, lol.

      • Jess says:

        My name is Jessica and back when I was a cashier I actually had a customer ask me if I striped. I told one of my coworkers what happened and she said it was because I had on hoop earrings.

      • mytbean says:

        Well it’s good to know that there are clear indicators of who is a stripper and who is not. I’ll be sure to buy the lady at my local hair salon who’s name is Jessica and likes hoop earrings a brand new set of blingy, tasseled pasties for Christmas so she knows I care. 😀

    • KB says:

      lmao I was like Jessica?!

      • Donna says:

        I absolutely LOATHE the name Jessica. Holly is right, it sure is a white trash stripper’s name!!!!!

      • KB says:

        I’m curious to know the ages of everyone calling it a trashy name. I’m in my late 20s and Jessica was a very common name like Lauren, Amy, or Katie. I’ve never considered it a stripper name.

    • kimbers says:

      I cant wait until the McKennas saturate the stripper world and all the other Mc names join the pole force

    • Tudom says:

      Jessica is a trashy name, no escaping that.

      • J-G says:

        While that is my name… And I am not a huge fan of it… I politely disagree.

        It’s just really, really common. Every class I had there was always another Jessica… Through college.

        Even now at work I am called by my last name due to the number if Jessica’s.

        You may know “trashy” people with that name… I don’t believe there is an association.

      • Green Girl says:

        J-G, I feel compelled to chime in and say that every Jessica I have ever met has been absolutely lovely and friendly. Jessicas are always the fun ones in the group, too!

      • Other Kitty says:

        Jessica is absolutely not a “white trash, stripper” name. It is a lovely, somewhat common name. I am 45 and I know a lot of Jessicas near my age. I also know a lot of Heathers and Jennifers. All lovely names that were popular at the time.

        How rude to say it’s a trashy name! It is not!!!

        Ps my name is Kate.

      • PennyLane says:

        Maybe it says more about where you grew up? I am from an upper-middle-class Jewish suburb (Newton, MA) and when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s the name Jessica was, to put it mildly, extremely common. Almost all of the people I know named Jessica have master’s degrees.

        Yes I was puzzled when I saw that name on the list; apparently however, judging from the other comments, there are some major regional differences in who gets that name.

    • ScrewStewRat19 says:

      Glad to know I’m a white trash stripper thanks to my name! LOL

    • JenniferJustice says:

      How is Jessica a white trash name? If a stripper gives herself the stage name “Jessica” its because she wishes she really was named Jessica, not becuase it’s a stripper name, let alone a go-to stripper name. What’s next? Mary? Kathy? Heather?

      Side Note: I only know one woman who is a stripper and her stage name is….wait for it….Crystal! LOL.

    • lunchcoma says:

      I’m wondering if her comment might come from a more innocent place when I see her exact phrasing. Jessica isn’t stereotyped as a stripper name, but there probably are many named Jessica because there are many women in their 30s in every profession named Jessica. I’d suspect there are also lots named Ashley and that younger ones are more likely to be called Emily than a stereotypical name.

      • lisa says:

        yes this is what i thought she meant and it makes sense

        besides, no one would associate jessica fletcher w anything sordid!

    • Marianne says:

      Jessica was like the number 1 baby name for several years in the 90s. So while I would really associate the name with strippers, it probably is a name found on a lot of strippers simply because it just such a popular name.

      • coolkidsneverhavethetime says:

        I totally see it. Even though it’s not a stripper name per se. It’s like all those names: Lexi, Karli, Amber, Tiffany, Jessica, Crystal… They’re kind of mid 90s Long Beach names. Stripperish. To me Destiny for example, is full on stripper… but those names are still close enough and definitely not in the Audrey or Caroline category, IMO.

      • NothahdayNothahDollah says:

        I love her book because Hugh Hefner claims to be a feminist. Someone had to douse that smoke and throw a rock at the playboy mirror.

  3. Elisabeth says:

    I like how she scorns the life that made her famous and the only reason anyone is listening to her in the first place

    • lurker says:

      That’s a criticism that’s often used against famous women. It’s completely unfair and unreasonable. Especially considering the fact that, since white men are the class with power, women often attain fame doing things that they wouldn’t have done if they’d been afforded the same choices/degree of agency as men.

      Anyways, in this case, she lived and learned, and now she’s using the fame she was granted through that living to speak out on what she learned. It’s a shame that anyone, especially another woman, would have the attitude that you do about this.

      Personally, I loooaathe Hugh Hefner, and so I think Holly speaking out against him is glorious!

      • Kitten says:

        ITA 100%. Didn’t know anything about this woman but I appreciated what she had to say about the Playboy Mansion.

      • Wren says:

        Agree. She appears to regret that life and wishes she could have done things differently (or perhaps been allowed to do things differently). Everything she’s said on that time of her life has been eloquent and well thought out, hardly “scorn”. Just sadness and lessons learned, really.

      • Luca76 says:

        Exactly lurker. She’s being honest and reflective about the choices she’s made she gets zero shade from me.

      • lucy2 says:

        I agree – my first instinct was to be dismissive of her for that, but then reading what she wants to teach her daughter about self worth, it just made me sad for her that she never had anyone teach her that when she was young herself.
        It really does sound like she’s learned from that experience and wants better for her kid.

      • Meaghan says:

        I’m not going to lie, I bought her book and loved it. It was a fresh take from the other bunnies who spilled the beans and did nothing but flatter Hugh. I hate him and think he is disgusting.

        And do judge her on her comments is messed up. Everyone has made mistakes and learned from it. I’ve made some horrible mistakes, but they have brought me to where I am today and m life I am now and although they have brought me here is doesn’t mean I have to be happy and proud about some of the shittiest times of my life.

        I didn’t like Holly much when she was on Girls Next Door, but the new Holly I really respect and appreciate her telling her side of the story, despite the horrible backlash she has gotten for it.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        On the one hand, yes, she became a celebrity by being one of Heffner’s “Girls Next Door” and yes, she probably lives a more financially stable life than some jane doe who wasn’t on that show or in Hugh’s life, but her reflection on that time in her life and what she did to get there is sad and regretful, so I don’t have anything but compassion for her at this point. In fact, I admire her honesty and willingness to share her feeling on that subject. I watched some of that show back in the day and I distinctly remember how insecure she was – physically obvious – facial twitches, blanching, strange looks on her face that she wasn’t even aware of. I kind of felt sorry for her then and I grew to loathe Heffner more than I already did because it was obvious she was vulnerable and nearly disfunctional in her insecurity. He is definitely a wolf that preys on women with low self-esteem. The episode where Barbi Benton came to visit Hugh was especially telling. Holly looked as if she wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Her insecurity around that woman and how it manifested in her posture, facial expressions, tics, was something I’ve never seen before and here’s Holly, 20 years her junior, pretty, hard body and all, but ready to cry because she couldn’t handle being around her. I realized that Holly really loved Heffner – I have no idea why – but she did and it might have been a warped love, but she certainly thought she loved him and was overcome with fear when Benton was there. I felt really sorry for her. She had accepted his other “girls” in the house, but Barbi Benton was too much for her? I dont’ quite understand it, but it was truly painful to watch.

        I would much rather hear Holly being regretful and honest than say, Jenna Jamison, who blathered on and on about how the porn industry empowered her and she was a producer now and she wouldn’t have a problem with her daughter doing the same, just to end up having a mental melt down, drugging out, horrible relationships and bringing two innocent baby boys into it, trashing places, and the cops getting called regularly to intervene in whatever domestic violence incident was happening. That’s what lying to yourself and the world can do to you, so good on Holly for being truthful and sharing.

      • Bridget says:

        @jenniferJustice: Barbi Benton was a huge figure in Hugh Hefner’s life, and it while it was still young-ish. She was considered the great love of his life (of course, that didn’t stop him from cheating on her so much that she finally just walked away). Holly may have been the “main girlfriend” during her time at the mansion, but she was clearly just taking whatever scraps she could get from him. It was no wonder that she was so utterly intimidated and insecure around Benton. Everything about Holly Madison during the Girls Next Door years was sad, because you’re right – she was so painfully insecure. But it’s not like someone emotionally healthy would really go “all in” on a relationship like that, which such a clear and bizarre power imbalance. Not just the group relationship dynamics (if all parties are consenting and happy then it’s not my business if an untraditional relationship is what works for someone) but the weird role of Hef as boyfriend/boss/father figure/landlord – don’t forget that there were all those weird rules and curfews when you live at the Playboy Mansion. Kendra and Bridget at least had other motives for being there, but Holly really seemed to envision her and Hef getting married and settling down.

      • MND says:

        “since white men are the class with power”

        Wealth is a bigger indicator of power than race or gender. If you want to look at who’s in power look at their wealth.

      • ctkat1 says:

        @Bridget: “Kendra and Bridget at least had other motives for being there, but Holly really seemed to envision her and Hef getting married and settling down.”

        Yes, that was what made Holly so tragic- Bridget was there because she so desperately, beseechingly wanted to get in the magazine (which made her tragic in other ways, but not hard to watch on the show because she seemed pragmatic about the financial benefits of living in the mansion and being on the show), and Kendra was there because she was very, very young and thought it would be a fun adventure, but Holly was there because she genuinely thought she was in love with him, wanted to marry Hefner and have his babies. She was so desperate for the crumbs he dispensed, and tried so hard to make it seem like his general indifference to her meant so much more than it did, that she was really hard to watch.
        Good on her for growing from that experience and doing a lot of self-reflection about how and why she got into it and what she should learn from it.

    • LT says:

      I think that gives her more credibility. She’s BTDT and can speak from experience why it’s not a good thing for her daughter to pursue.

      • Green Girl says:

        Agreed. I read her memoir and it was such an interesting take on what it was like to live in the mansion. I have nothing but respect for her.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I don’t have a problem with that. She tried it, she found it was more harmful than helpful, and she stopped doing it. In the interim, she became semi-famous and made some money. She wouldn’t advise using Playboy as a career path.

      She seems like one of those incredibly naive women who think they will achieve some kind of lasting “fame” by posing in Playboy. They think it’s glamorous. Limousines, the mansion, men drinking champagne in bathrobes! I’ve made it! I’m famous! Now let’s just wait for those other doors to open! Still waiting…waiting…uh oh, I’m 25…waiting…That’s what HH sells them and they are young and silly enough to buy it. She was one of the lucky ones. But she finally sees it for what it is – exploitation. She sees Hefner for the cold user he is. Why shouldn’t she say so?

      • Shambles says:

        Totally agree. If we weren’t allowed to use our life experiences to form a different perspective on things, we’d be in trouble. It would be different if she was needlessly trash-talking her first job at a great company that treated her well. But she’s talking about a business that runs solely on bleached blonde hair, boobs, and exploiting women.

      • Kitten says:

        Yes exactly, GNAT and Shambz.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        They think going into it and I’m sure Heffner helps the line of thinking, that it’s glamorous and enviable. They’ll be rich, live in a mansion, be driven by chauffuers, adorned in jewelry, and have every man begging to just be near them. They don’t know and he doesn’t tell them, that it’s not worth the emotional sacrifice and actually only makes a young woman already lacking self-worth, hate herself even more. Not to mention how society views you once you enter that type of profession…..Super thick smoke screen.

        And at least she hasn’t take the Kendra route – continuously shopping for reality shows, using her personal/intimate relationships for fodder on said shows, and again, bringing innocent kids into it….all for the almight dollar. Kendra is sickeningly addicted to not working, using anything and anybody to get ahead, and the need for attention is off the scales.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        We are the sum of our choices and experiences, not every individual choice and experience. She is who she is because of everything she chose and experienced. And the negative goes with it. She has learned and grown from the negative and is putting it in its place: “negative crap I went through, some due to my choices and some due to my circumstances, that I no longer need or want to define me.” The Mansion years are part of Holly, and it sounds like it’s a part of Holly that she’s well done with. She should not be defined because of it.

    • Betsy says:

      I dislike how this criticism is used against her every time there’s a post about her. She experienced personal growth. I don’t expect bubble gum singers to keep singing that tripe into their forties.

      • snarky mcsnark says:

        @She may have experienced personal growth, but she bit the hand that fed her and I’m not down with that. Being with Hef is the only reason anyone knows her name, the only reason she has money, the only reason she has the face she wasn’t born with, the only reason she has any type of entertainment career…. I could go on and on. She was naked in Peep Show after she left Hef? She’s not saying she regrets any of that? Things just don’t ring true with her in my opinion, she just wants to sell books.

      • Wren says:

        What if the hand that feeds you also exploits you? What then? Yes, she became famous for being one of Hef’s girls, but that life isn’t exactly all roses and sunshine. Why shouldn’t she be allowed to discuss it? She doesn’t just slam Hef and scoff at her old life unthinkingly. She’s spoken mostly from her own perspective (what she felt, what she did, what it meant to her) without going into hyperbolic rants about anyone. Her goal has been to share her experience, not to make others look bad. And not even that bad, really, everyone kinda shrugged and went, “yeah, he’s the Playboy dude, he’s old and gross now, so what?”

      • JenniferJustice says:

        You said it Wren. Heffner toys with vulnerable women who have low self-esteem. He preys on that. She actually loved that disgusting curmudgeon because she viewed him as somehone saving her and lifting her up form whatever/wherever she came from. It took a while, but she learned the hard way that he didn’t love her back, but only used her for his own gain. Trying to keep her happy through it was just a means to an end for him. And I’ll bet that although she continued for a brief time, exploiting herself, she wouldn’t do it again. She strikes me as exceedingly niaive and maybe even a bit sorry, but dumb. That’s not her fault and it’s not her fault it took her longer to see the obvious than it might take you or I. Makes me wonder where she comes from.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        She didn’t bite the hand that feeds her. She discovered that the hand was attached to an exploitative, selfish, disgusting man and she’s calling him on it.

      • PennyLane says:

        You are allowed to bite the hand that feeds you if that hand is also exploiting and taking advantage of you.

    • Bridget says:

      I don’t agree with her life choices, but that doesn’t mean that she has no right to be critical of her choices and situations in hindsight. And if she was only positive then we’d jump on her for that, because it’s not like we don’t know that the Playboy Mansion is a nasty place.

      • snarky mcsnark says:

        @wren – sorry but she chose exploited herself. It wasn’t like she didn’t know what Playboy was all about before she got there and then was held prisoner there! She wasn’t abducted or forced to be there. She had no problem being 1 of 7 girlfriends in the beginning! She pushed everyone out except the other two so that she could be Hef’s main girl!. You guys should take a look at the book Bunny Tails, written by one of Hef’s previous girlfriends who was part of the 7. It’s an interesting read!

      • Bridget says:

        I know she was a willing participant. And I don’t agree with her choices. But that doesn’t mean that she’s not allowed to learn from her spectacularly bad decisions. Because there is no question that her time as “main girlfriend” was not extremely screwed up. Yes, she clearly got something out of the deal – fame and a little money – but it was an incredibly exploitative situation where she was by far the loser. Would you prefer that she say that it was a wonderful period in her life and that nothing with f-ed up about it? That everything was peachy?

        I mean, how little does someone value themselves to settle for being “main girlfriend” of an 80 year old?

      • Goodnight says:

        That’s the thing, though, Holly DIDN’T know what she was getting herself into. She did think Playboy was glamorous and exciting and that Hef was a sweet man who was offering her the world.

        I’ve read Izabella’s book and she clearly states she has no love for Holly, so I take what she says about Holly’s “scheming” with a grain of salt. That’s what she thought about a girl she didn’t like. I don’t doubt Holly is guilty of more than she admits to in her book (although I never felt she was candy coating her behaviour), but she was so insecure and lonely there that I doubt she could have focused on fucking with the other girls full time the way Izabella suggests.

        It was pretty enlightening to read a part of Izabella’s book where she recounts Holly being a mess because she was so jealous of the other girls, only to read Holly’s version of the same story and hear she was just terrified and intimidated by everyone. That does often read as coldness and bitchiness and Holly admits as much in the book.

      • Fluff says:

        One of Hef’s girlfriends was 17 and a homeless underage sex worker who’d already been forcibly commited to a mental care facility and battled drug addiction. I don’t care what anyone says, being a sex worker while underage makes you a victim, period. That Hef thinks it’s okay to pay a deeply troubled teenage girl for sex says a lot about him. Yet it’s always the women who are blamed. Like a teenage kid with no family support, a history of abuse and mental illness is supposed to be able to make good choices?

    • waitwhat says:

      She stated that she regrets her choices and doesn’t want to be associated with them any longer. It’s called growing up and evolving.

    • chelsea says:

      She’s also scorning a lifestyle that was well known long before she was born. Holly can’t pretend she didn’t know what he was like. The whole world has known for 50 years.

      • Betsy says:

        I have a bare sketch of facts about that place. It’s not a widely known thing, at least not in the circles I move in.

    • Sammy_dog says:

      Yes, extremely hypocritical and shallow.

  4. Shambles says:

    Though it may be kind of sweet that she’s held that special name in her heart since her 5th grade art class (*bangs tambourine*), that doesn’t automatically make the name less silly. I’m sorry, but that’s kind of a selfish and short-sighted thing to do to a child. It’s all well and good that your childhood self always wanted to be named Rainbow, but have you envisioned your daughter sitting for an interview in 20 years?

    • lurker says:

      Yeah… at least it can be shortened to Rain though?

    • Kitten says:

      I like the name but I adore unusual names.
      I would have been totally cool with the name Rainbow actually.

    • Miss E says:

      In a job interview she will look just like Apple and Cosmo Jet Fighter. She might stand out from the Olivia’s, Emma’s and Ava’s of her generation. As a child of the 70’s I went to school and now work with a few Sunshine’s, Leif’s and a Cinnamon (how’s that for a stipper name! but was actually named after the Neil Young song.). I’m sure she’ll do just fine. I’m surprised the hippy names haven’t made their come back yet.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        There is an attorney in my state named Cinnamon Rice. Boy have we had fun with possible other family names – The crazy cousin is Wild Rice; The tan one is Brown Rice, etc. We’re easily amused around here.

    • Wren says:

      Thing is, the people interviewing her in 20 years probably won’t think anything of it. We’ve all grown up with these weird celebrity baby names, and with the internet we hear about all the other crazy baby names other people choose. Think of all the Edwards and Bellas growing up now, when they apply for jobs errrrrybody gonna know who they were named after. Same with the Christians and Anastasias. The weird hippy names, I’d argue, are better than that. When we see odd names we’re just going to shrug and say “lol their parents sucked”. At that point they’re probably not going to seem all that odd.

      • Fluff says:

        Well, yeah. In a few years kids named, like, Susan or Bill will probably be bullied for being the only ones in their class not named after a place or a fruit.

  5. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    She seems very sweet and very dumb. Just the kind of woman that smear of slime in a bathrobe likes. So poor Rainbow (excuse me, I just gagged a little) won’t have a relationship with her father. What am I saying? So, lucky Rainbow (excuse me, I just gagged a little) won’t have a relationship with her father.

    And yes, every negative comment about Kim Kardashian stems from jealousy of her wardrobe.

    • Camellia says:

      You do realise Hefner is not Rainbow’s father?

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        I’m sorry, I thought when she said “parenting is not something he would be involved in” she meant he wasn’t the baby’s father. Sorry I don’t have the life history of every Playboy TV show subject memorized.

      • Bridget says:

        She very famously wanted Hef to settle down and have kids with him. It was a pretty constant theme on The Girls Next Door, and obviously a blessing in disguise for her that it didn’t happen.

        Hefner did end up marrying the “main girlfriend” after Holly, Crystal. But it’s pretty obvious that Crystal is mainly a caregiver to that doddering old fool who occasionally has to have sex with a man who is half in the grave. Holly really dodged a bullet.

        ETA: I just scrolled down. How on earth are people so offended that you didn’t realize she moved on? Sheesh.

    • Kylie says:

      Huh? Holly is currently married to Rainbow’s father.

    • Detriotgirl says:

      Hef isn’t related to that baby at all. She’s married to the baby’s father. Also, she left the mansion at least two or three years before Rainbow was even a glimmer in her eye. I know you want to assume the worst about this woman, but you’re barking up the wrong tree here.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Why do you think I want to assume the worst about her? I think she seems sweet. Dumb, but she can’t help that. She said she didn’t take her baby to the mansion because HH wasn’t interested in parenting. I assumed she meant he was the baby’s father. Sue me for not watching the fifty thousandth reality show on TV. I have better things to do.

    • Jess says:

      I’m no fan of Holly but I think she sounds more eloquent and thoughtful than you do, GoodNamesAllTaken.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Brilliant, Jess. But I know personal attacks on posters with whom you disagree are your stock in trade, so I’ll go on being me and you go on being the unpleasant person you are.

      • Kitten says:

        Holly said you have the name of a stripper, Jess.

        ….don’t tell me you’re gonna take that laying down?

    • meme says:

      You couldn’t pay me to wear the fug clothes Kimbocile wears.

      And Rainbow sounds like a stripper name to me. Jessica? NOT a stripper name.

    • Twink says:

      Commenting on an article about her and then saying you don’t care if you know that Hef isn’t her child’s father is contradicting. We all care a little about this kind of stuff, that’s why we’re here.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        I said I didn’t watch the show.

      • Pedro45 says:

        I don’t think this pile-on is fair. If you just read the excerpt above and didn’t know anything else, it would be fair to assume that Holly was referring to Hef as a parent. You know, because she used the word parenting.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Thank you, Pedro45. I appreciate that.

      • Twink says:

        Lol, so replying to someone’s comment to disagree with it is a pile-on? Got it. I’ll make sure to reply “ITA ILU!!!1” to everyone from now on.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        @Twink
        I think Pedro was responding to all of the negative comments combined. I wasn’t offended by your remark.

      • Pedro45 says:

        Twink, I wasn’t specifically referring to your comment.

      • Twink says:

        Got it! 😉 I thought it was as it was under my comment.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        This pile-on is ludicrous. Make an error and everyone goes on the attack. GNAT didn’t know, the comment Holly made would be confusing to someone who didn’t know everything about Holly Madison. I had to look up who Rainbow’s father was because I wasn’t sure after her comment about Hugh Hefner not being into parenting.

      • Fluff says:

        What show? None of what the article talks about has been covered on any TV show. Holly’s reality show was years before she had her daughter.

    • Kitten says:

      Wow. Harsh times here on C/B huh?

      ^^What Pedro above said.^^

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Seriously. Sorry I dared to make an error, and relieved these lovely people don’t know where I live. Apparently none of them have ever made a mistake.

      • Aussie girl says:

        Wowsa! @ GNAT made a simple mistake, let’s keep it cool kids.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Thank you!
        *runs through avalanche of rotten tomatoes to hug Aussie girl*

      • Bridget says:

        Good lord. Who’d think everyone would get their nose bent out of shape for you not knowing who Holly Madison had a kid with?

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        I guess I forgot to get my Girls Next Door PhD before commenting. Lol

      • Bridget says:

        Who’d have thought that your mistake would be more controversial a statement than ‘Jessica is a stripper name’? Serves you right for not remembering a reality show from almost a decade ago.

      • Katy says:

        This is cracking me up! Poor GNAT!!! And so early in the freaking morning for this crap. But anyway GNAT, if you come back later and read this I want to tell you (and only you) a little secret…..I read part of this interview yesterday somewhere and I thought the EXACT same thing you did. I was like GIVE ME A BARF BAG, QUICK!!! I have never watched a reality show (they make my head hurt), but I went back and re-read the article and then thought…ok – this kid is 2 so maybe I’m just reading this wrong, because from gossip I was pretty sure she’s been out of that situation for a while now. But, I swear, the way this is worded that is the first thing that came to my mind. I love your posts GNAT and if I knew your address, I would send you flowers, or a bottle of wine, or some really good herbs!!

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Katy, thank you! That is so sweet. It was sort of terrible at first, but then it started to be funny. I wish we could all get together and share some wine and maybe herbs! Thank you all for making me feel less insane. I did read it too fast. Believe me I’ll be more careful! Lol

    • Cas says:

      If you read the whole article she actually seems very thoughtful and smart, I think at least

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        I think she seemed thoughtful, and dumb was too strong and not very nice. I got the impression she wasn’t too bright because of her comments about Kim K. But I shouldn’t have been so judgmental based on one thing she said. I’m happy for her that she got away from Hugh H and that HE IS NOT THE FATHER OF RAINBOW. See, I’m a quick learner.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      Yeah. I know all my negative thoughts about Kim are because I’m so freakin’ jealous of those stretch garbage bag pants she wore a while back – the latex ones that had us all in stitches coming up with similarities to weather balloons and such. Yeah those ones. They did me in – totally green with envy over here!

  6. Fluff says:

    She always came across as pretty intelligent, albeit emotionally troubled. Hef is such an asshole. It’s weird how people overlook the dreadful things he’s done just because he’s a man.

  7. Kylie says:

    Jessica is definitely not a stripper name. It is far too common of a real name. Anastasia surprises me though, it seems a bit long for a stripper name.

    • Brittney B. says:

      Those two surprised me too. But then again, my exact name — first and middle — was used as a “stripper name”/”white trash name” joke in Ted, so I’m a little put off by cliche stereotypes like this. The most common baby names of the 80’s were the most common stripper names of the 00’s… because, duh, we objectify women in their 20s. Then we (as a culture) find even more ways to minimize them as human beings. Ugh.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      Pretty sure the name Anastasia came into play about the time 50 Shades made it our way.

    • StumpyCorgi says:

      MY name is Jess. Whyyyyy oh why did I go to law school? I need some lucite heels and a thong, STAT!

  8. Marigold says:

    I would hardly call liking a name and knowing someone from grade school with it significant. If you told me that was her great grandmother’s name, I might cut her some slack but right now, I still think it’s silly. And I also hate the attitude of “I have to name my kid something ridiculous because common names are for losers.” It permeates celebrity culture and doesn’t make one kid better than any other kid.

    • Brittney B. says:

      Eh, I’ve had a name picked out for my future daughter since I was about 10… it belonged to another ice skater at my rink. Years later I lived in New York and realized one of my NY friends actually knew the girl too (one of those “oh you lived in that state? you must have known…” things, and it turned out I actually did).

      Anyway… I don’t think we get to decide whether it’s significant or not. For me, it’s not a family name or even the name of a particularly close friend, but I was jealous of it as a kid, loved it, and still love it. Sometimes it’s about hanging onto a piece of that innocent time in our lives, and Holly (of all people!) has every right to want to do that.

      Also, sometimes “unusual” names aren’t about being better than other people; they’re about being creative. And forging a unique identity for your child. When your first name is shared by half the girls in your school for most of your life (as mine was), you don’t want to risk giving your kid a name that’s about to explode in popularity.

      • Marigold says:

        I’m never going to be a fan of names being a defining feature for people. It’s too much pressure on it and often backfires when it’s time to put it on a resume. You think names mean more and that’s fine but I don’t. And as someone who was the ONLY person in my entire childhood with the name my parents gave me, I have a different perspective than you. You can’t win either way. And please don’t tell me that Kim Kardashain didn’t name her child North because of the attention it garnered. Like I said, the unique name concept permeates celebrity culture. Holly, whether that name is significant to her or not, has not escaped this phenomenon.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        Your name isn’t really Marigold is it? Just kidding.

      • PennyLane says:

        There’s a big difference between avoiding naming your daughter Ava for example and naming her Mooneagle (the actual name of a woman I went to college with). One is not giving her the name everyone has; the other is creating a lifetime of headaches for the poor thing since she will have to spell out and/or explain the meaning of her name to every single person she meets for the rest of her entire life. It’s. a. drag.

        (Can you tell that I have a weird name and am totally sick of it?)

    • Wren says:

      I don’t begrudge her that. Holding on to something dear to you from childhood IS significant. I have a weird name and hated it growing up (don’t many kids?) but now it’s nice to be the only one of me. There are no naming rules, and while some people make unfortunate choices, that’s not really our business. At some point the kid will choose their own name (nickname, abbreviated name, whatever) to it hardly matters.

  9. Turkey says:

    Heh. My stripper name was Cher. So not sexy and definitely not the norm. This was 20 years ago. Live and learn. I relate in some ways. I will definitely share with any young woman the same things she’s saying. I don’t regret it. I own it. But I do wish I had valued myself more. I do now and for that, I’m finally proud. But I’ll never be that skinny again. 🙂

    • Shambles says:

      Thanks for sharing, Turkey. High fives to you for your confidence and genuineness. It seems like you’re in a really great place.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      For what it’s worth, I think we all, or most of us, have to learn to value ourselves. I married a man I met at twenty-two, and allowed him to treat me like crap for ten years because I thought I’d made my bed and would now have to lie in it. I finally grew enough that I left, and I’m not proud of being divorced but I proud that I got out of a situation that wasn’t good for me, and you should be, too. A lot of things about getting older suck, but learning to love and value yourself is a beautiful thing. I’m happy for us both.

      • StumpyCorgi says:

        Wise words from you and Turkey. It takes a lot of courage to look at your life objectively, be honest with yourself, and make tough decisions. I’m in the midst of some major life changes myself. Thank you both for sharing!

    • JenniferJustice says:

      I wasn’t a stripper or a playboy bunny, but I definitely had a few horrible relationships when I was in my late teens and early 20s because I didn’t have much self-worth. I know other women who still have low self-esteem, even at our age (mid40s) and I feel bad for them. I’m not going to judge anybody for what they did decades ago. Most of it stems from feeling like you’re not worth any better and that’s just sad, nothing to be mad about or lash out at.

      • StumpyCorgi says:

        I hear you. I had so many bad relationships from my late teens through 20’s. I allowed things I didn’t want to happen because I didn’t value myself. I’m certainly in no position to criticize anyone else’s mistakes. Now that I’m in my 30’s, I’ve just stopped dating, full stop. May I ask how you strengthened your self-esteem? I’d like to work on that. (No obligation of course; I know it’s a personal question.)

  10. Birdix says:

    sigh… Crystal is my great grandmother’s name, and her grandmother’s name. My niece has it, which spared me having to use it for my kid. Dynasty ruined the name.

  11. Tifygodess says:

    I really dislike when people throw the word jealousy out anytime criticism comes into play. It’s such a juvenile response – oh their just jealous. God forbid anyone look at themselves for their behavior or choices. I often find people claim that to try and absolve themselves from having to do any self reflection. Not everyone is “jealous or a hater”- (another word I loathe), and criticism often time is deserved. Kim dresses like an a$$hole -that’s why people comment , not because we want that dirty wash rag colored wardrobe. It is possible to dislike someone without being jealous – wow what a thought !

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      Totally agree. I think people know that’s not the real reason, too. They just don’t want to admit there’s ever any validity to the criticism.

    • Josefa says:

      I agree but I think a lot of the time jealousy might as well be the case. Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch are (were, in Bendy’s case) the most popular hunks in this forums. Their girlfriends, Alicia Vikander and Sophie Hunter, got over a hundred comments of vitriol and hate because “they look so smug!”, even though practically nothing was known about them. I’d say the same for Amal Clooney, though George isn’t that popular. People had this strong hate-on for this woman when we had never even heard her speak.

      Idk. Maybe it’s a crazy, far-fetched idea, but maybe, JUST maybe, the women in this forums are jealous these women are f*cking these men and living a luxurious lifestyle while daring to not be smiling all the time.

      • Tifygodess says:

        @josefa Seriously? I can guarantee most women in this forum or any forum aren’t jealous and running to make comments because they are not having sex with some semi attractive celebrity ( sorry but those two are far from drop dead gorgeous ) not to mention what are we five years old? Grown women don’t live their lives around crushing on men and hating on their women. You’re funny. For example There are plenty of low income women (and men) who don’t have squat that people don’t like so what’s that excuse , jealousy too? Lmao! We are on a blog about celebrities of course we are going to make all types of comments that have no motivation what so ever other than making them.

        Oh and btw most MATURE adults have no problem admitting when they are envious of others, but disliking someone and jealousy are two very different things.

      • Josefa says:

        @Tifygodess

        Yeah, it must be just a coincidence that those 3 women had 200+ negative comments written about them when all we knew was what they were wearing and who they were dating. Total coincidence. Generally when that happens it’s because a far better known celebrity said something truly horrible. I stand corrected. Jealousy doesn’t exist. All women over 30 are mature and loving and accepting of their envy.

        Just for the record: the most commented post in the history of this site was Bendy’s wedding announcement. Most comments were very, very negative towards Sophie. Total coincidence. Random occurence.

      • Neah23 says:

        Is that jealously though? it like people who be come supper fans of Amal Clooney when they never even heard her speak because she not a model.

        Co-sign everything Tifygodess said. Some times people just rub you the wrong it not about jealously.

      • Jsilly1 says:

        Thank you. I agree wholeheartedly Josefa. I stopped reading those posts featuring their girlfriends/wives. There was definite vitriol thrown at those women that dare date a handsome celebrity. And the comments on other posts about feminism and cyber bullying had me in complete confusion. I don’t understand the need to rip people apart because they date someone you admire. Be happy for them. I know this site has b!tchy in the title but sometimes it’s taken to a whole new level. And again, don’t go to a post about cyber bullying and say how awful people are when you’re doing the same thing. Now I’m off to rest because I’m sick so I won’t see any replies. Good day ladies and gentlemen.

      • Wren says:

        It seems odd to me too. These women just happen to rub everyone the wrong way? I’ve never really understood why they get so much hate. Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it’s that people feel their idols could do better. Maybe it’s something else, but it seems quite overblown for how much we know about these people. You know half the “who they’re wearing” and whatnot crap comes from publicists, not them. Blah blah they could put a stop to it, but honestly why would they? Enjoying attention is not a crime. What exactly is so bad about them? I’ve yet to figure out.

      • Tifygodess says:

        @josefa I never said people don’t get jealous , grow up. My point was that no- not everything is jealousy. I stated that pretty clearly. I have made plenty of comments in my lifetime that came from a place of DISLIKE not jealousy. And I’m damn sure others have as well. And there are plenty of articles on here were the men are equally torn apart. But please let’s just ignore that to try and prove your point. I have found that people who want to claim all people are jealous/haters are also the same ones who can’t handle criticism. Not trying burst anyone bubble though.

        And just an FYI I wasn’t just referring to women over the age of 30 as being mature- that was your hang up. I said mature adults . Last I knew anyone over 18 was considered an adult. Also pretty sure most of the people who comment on here don’t appreciate being generalized in a negative way either but please go on tell us how we are.

      • Bridget says:

        @Josefa: I don’t think that what you’re referencing is rooted in jealousy, though. Fandom is an odd thing – I’d wager that all of those women commenting absolutely know that Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender will never be their boyfriend, but I think there’s a level of possessiveness and protectiveness even in their vitriol. Their heartthrob has to find someone that they deem WORTHY of him. Someone that they like constantly seeing pictured next to him.

      • Andrea says:

        The Cumberbatch/Fassbender/Hiddleston posts on here remind me of a girlfriend from way back when who always makes comments when a super hot guy is with a less than attractive (by her standards) woman. I think that partly is in play here. I remember an ex of mine dated a girl named Bessy (she had an issue with the name too)before me and me and the girlfriend saw her from a distance a few times and my girlfriend would see her on occasion after that too and she always went on and on, on how ugly she looked and how she couldn’t believe that my boyfriend dated her. I could care less, but my friend always made a huge deal about it like whoa, how could he date someone like that? I always would tell her clearly looks aren’t everything, but she was horrified that some men weren’t as selective, in particular attractive men. It’s kind-of like if he isn’t so selective, then why isn’t he with me?

      • Otaku fairy says:

        I do think the jealous hater cards are overused, and it often gets used to dismiss something that isn’t mean, arbitrary, or petty, but sometimes it does apply, and that few adults would want to admit to being jealous of a public figure because it’s a feeling that’s seen as shameful, childish, and unprogressive. (although I have heard one person admit to jealousy of Rihanna and a classmate from 2006 admitted to jealousy of Paris Hilton). A person can also not immediately realize that they’re jealous of someone, which is something I experienced. It’s also possible for someones dislike of a person over something else to mix with jealousy over something else (“She did this thing I don’t like AND she’s rich, attractive, celebrated, or with a guy I think is above her!”)

  12. Aussie girl says:

    Confession time…. I actually read her book and it wasn’t that bad. Many moons ago on a long heat wave, I watch a Girls next door marathon and I must say to this day I still have a soft spot for holly and Bridget, but it Kendra. Not sure why but we just didn’t gel..lol

    • Josefa says:

      I loved TGND, all 3 of them. Reading stories about them always makes me smile. I have such a soft spot for them, idk why.

    • someone says:

      I read her book too and I enjoyed it. Holly is definitely not as dumb as people want to make her out to be.

  13. LAK says:

    ‘Rainbow’ teleports ‘hippy’ to me.

    • Giddy says:

      Yes. It’s hard to picture Rainbow as an executive isn’t it? As a commenter above said, she can at least shorten it to Rain.

  14. Cinderella says:

    I would think she is no longer welcome at the Playboy Mansion, considering her never-ending sour-grapes slamming of Hef. As much as I don’t agree with his treatment of women, is it really her place to speak on how involved he is as a parent? She didn’t have any of his kids, so how would she know. His actual children would probably prefer that she shut up.

    • Kylie says:

      She lived with him long enough to know how much time he spent with his kids during those years.

    • Bridget says:

      By that logic, is it really your place to speak on what topics Holly Madison is and isn’t allowed to have an opinion on?

      Though for reference, you do realize she lived with him for something like 7 or 8 years, while he still had 2 adolescent sons that lived with their mom? Exactly how much time do you think they spent at the Playboy Mansion?

  15. Josefa says:

    I feel like people exaggerate school bullying to such a crazy degree. If her kid is not mocked for being named Rainbow, she’ll be mocked for having a big nose, or being fat, or whatever kids come up with. Her mother posed for Playboy and her boy classmates will all be perfectly capable of seeing her naked by just googling her name. I’m sure she’ll get a lot more shit for that than for her name. Is Holly selfish for bringing a child into this world, knowing her daughter will be mocked for her public mistakes in the past?

    I got a lot of shit in middle school for being one of the shortest girls in class and used braces. It was very sad. Then I grew up. Now I get along pretty well with all the kids that bullied me. You make it sound like a quirky name is a form of child abuse or something.

    I personally would’ve loved to have a more unique and crazy name. There’s a lot of Josefinas in my college and I absolutely HATE it.

    • Brittney B. says:

      I agree that a NAME isn’t automatically a guarantee that the kid will be scarred by mocking.

      However, I think people actually *minimize* school bullying to a crazy degree. “Kids will be kids”, “I survived it”, etc. I’m pretty sure my grade school & middle school teachers took the exact same stance that you did… they assumed I’d get over it, they didn’t scold the other kids for doing it, never interfered, etc. I still hate them for that. The other kids were cruel and horrible during some very, very formative years, and the adults were the ones who should have stepped in. We form the foundations of our identities at school, and they learned it was okay to hurt others; I learned I wasn’t worth protecting.

      As a kid with depression and anxiety, I was extra sensitive to all of it. If just one adult had the foresight to step in and stand up for me, it wouldn’t have taken me a decade to understand that I had value beyond what my peers thought of me.

      Again, I agree that names aren’t necessarily an indicator of anything. Cruel kids will find something to hate or pick on; there were kids with unusual foreign names at my school, and they got teased for them, but I shared a name with many kids… and they found way worse things to target. They moved on from the names pretty quickly.

      Please don’t minimize the long-lasting effects of some school bullies. You never know what one kid is going through when adults’ backs are turned, or what issues are being exacerbated by bullying.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        That made me cry, Brittney. I hate your teachers, too. How could the let other kids be so cruel to you? I think bullying is heartbreaking. I was a sensitive child and I was fortunate that I went to a really small school, so no one was bullied, but I know it would have hurt so much. I wish I could hug that little girl you were and tell her she is beautiful and special and then make the bullies leave her alone. It should be taken seriously. It can have very serious consequences, even suicide.

      • Josefa says:

        Im sorry if my comment came across as insensitive. I do feel like teachers have to take charge of this situation and call off those kids. My teachers did, in my case, and we had courses about acceptance and differences and all of that. Bullying still happened, but I think it softened the wounds.

        I didn’t mean to say bullying wasn’t an issue at all, more that it’s something natural and inevitable in school enviroments with kids and teenagers. The adults have to step in and do something, of course, but we can’t expect bullying to simply stop happening.

        Obviously there’s far more extreme cases than others, and I feel in those cases professional help from more especialized workers might be needed.

      • Wren says:

        Yeah, if it isn’t your name it’ll be something else that gets mocked. I was extremely tall AND had a weird name. That sucked. Add in the fact that I was shy and quiet, school was not fun times for me. The boys mostly liked me, the girls were insanely cruel. I spent my elementary school years with very few friends and many bullies.

        I learned to cope with it, but it has left permanent scars and issues I still deal with today. I don’t really blame anyone (except those awful kids), I’m not exactly sure what the teachers or other adults could really have done. If I ever have kids I’ll help them out as much as I can, but at the end of the day you can’t control the actions of others and trying to do so only ends in tears. You have to find the strength and worth within yourself, cliche as that sounds.

      • Brittney B. says:

        @GNAT

        Thank you, that’s so sweet. My mom still kicks herself for not realizing how bad it was; I always said I hated school, but it wasn’t until I switched schools and really rebelled as a teenager that she realized I needed professional help. I spent most of my college years seeking validation from all the wrong places… sigh.

        And I hated the kids for a long time, and I still don’t want to associate with them as adults (when they add me on FB, I have to laugh). But I finally realized that the staff should have been more accountable. I agree, Wren, that you can’t change other people’s actions… but only to a point. If teachers can’t shape the way kids treat each other, who can?!

        If I have kids and they have a PE teacher who lets the most popular kids “pick teams” every day… or a science teacher who pairs up the two “outcasts” to further alienate them, I swear I’m switching schools. There’s no reason for the adult teachers to reinforce the kids’ hierarchies, but that’s exactly what they did for years. It probably didn’t help that it was a tiny private school and I was the only one without super-rich parents. They sucked up to the kids and their families… instead of educating and treating all of us equally.

      • Wren says:

        What I experienced wasn’t really the kind of thing teachers could do much about, aside from straight out separate me from the bullies at all times, and since my school was small this wasn’t really an option. Most of it for me was playground stuff and situations where we weren’t directly supervised so unless I wanted to be a tattletale I was pretty much on my own. I loved being IN class because the teachers were right there, but recess and such were hell. I never could really get away.

        That was actually the biggest lesson I learned as a adult. You can leave. As a kid you pretty much have to be where you’re told, but as an adult you get to decide.

      • Bridget says:

        Confession: I didn’t make a single friend at my high school. With what is very likely undiagnosed Asperger’s, I sincerely didn’t know how to connect with people and came across as weird and annoying, and certainly no adult every stepped in (my mom was well meaning, but not exactly helpful). It’s only been as an adult and having to help my children learn social skills and navigate the world that I’ve been able to really identify and work on my weaknesses – needless to say, I’ve learned some very painful lessons along the way, but some that have also helped me to really identify traits in people that I’d like to see (or not see) in myself. I’ve also long thought it doesn’t help that I’m a woman and we are far more critical to how women speak and behave, in ways that a man wouldn’t have to think twice about.

    • meme says:

      Josefa says: October 8, 2015 at 9:00 am “I feel like people exaggerate school bullying to such a crazy degree.”

      THANK YOU! Seems like every celeb was bullied and suffered so as a kid. I’m sure some were but most weren’t.

    • PennyLane says:

      Be careful what you wish for – my name is so uncommon that if you type my name and the name of the city of 5 million people where I now live, I am the only person that gets pulled up. The only one. I have no online anonymity.

      When I was single and dating, I used to have to lie about my name because it was so identifiable! I was concerned that if the person turned out to be a weirdo it would be really easy to stalk me.

      Now that I am doing a bit of part-time work in a totally unrelated field (my fiance has his own business and I am helping out), I am having to lie about my name again (!) because it would be really awkward if people looked me up and saw that a researcher with a PhD was also working in sales. I would have to explain the whole situation to a stranger and who wants to deal with that? So I use a fake name that sort of sounds like my real name instead.

      Sigh. If only my parents had named me Elizabeth…

  16. Morse0412 says:

    As an Anastasia I am so pissed its suddenly a stripper name. I hate hate hate 50 shades of gray. That book has impacted my life (in a bad way for my name only) more than I ever thought.

    • Brittney B. says:

      Don’t worry, I was taken aback when I saw that name on the list too. I’ve always associated Anastasia with royalty and beauty, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen it associated with strippers and the like.

      Also, I had no idea that was her name in 50 Shades. I know Christian Grey, but don’t worry… the protagonist’s name isn’t in the zeitgeist like his.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I don’t know where she got That. I think Anastasia is an old, noble, very pretty name.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        By “old” I meant early queens and princesses, not like old ladies. Just wanted to clarify.

    • Josefa says:

      Strippers (and drag queens) pick names like that to sound more classy and distance themselves from the others, so don’t feel bad! I personally LOVE your name and it’s one of my first picks if I ever have a daughter. I think it sounds so feminine and elegant.

  17. Sally J. Freedman says:

    It’s funny that Hef’s current wife’s name is Crystal. Haha!

  18. Peggy says:

    Sleeping with a man old enough to be your grandfather, for money and throwing shade at someone who is earning a buck by working for it, instead of letting an old man droll on you, holly needs to sit down.

  19. Castor & Pollux says:

    As a total aside, when I was young I told my mother I liked the name Ashley Phoebe for a little girl. My mother said that child would get mercilessly teased and called “Ashley Pee.” It stuck with me. Now, I recognize that this is anecdotal evidence, but I taught grade school for 7 years – kindergarten, 2nd grade, plus clubs for 3rd thru 5th grade, while also mentoring junior high kids. In my personal experience, I never ever came across a child being teased because of their name, or children making up taunting variations of their name (see the Ashley Pee moniker above that kept my mother awake at night). Perhaps that’s kind of a thing of the past? There are so many uniquely named children and such variety, unusual is almost becoming commonplace. So in conclusion, I say: you go Rainbow, go on with your bad self! And Holly, too! Also, it is absolutely no one else’s business or right to comment on what you name your child. Sure, you might mentally roll your eyes at Apple and Pilot Inspektor, but they’re not our kids. And it’s all relative anyway. Just my two cents 🙂

    • Wren says:

      No, it isn’t. I was teased mercilessly for my name as were other classmates. It wasn’t something done in front of authority figures and definitely not something you wanted to admit to said authority figures when it happened to you. Human nature doesn’t change much so I doubt it’s a thing of the past.

      • Giddy says:

        When we named our sons I made sure that their initials didn’t spell a word that could be used for bullying. One kid I went to school with had the initials ASS, another was BAG. Their full names were fine, but their initials gave bullies ammunition and made their lives miserable. Kids can be so cruel, and they look for any weakness.

  20. feebee says:

    She’s entitled to name her child whatever she wants. It may be prejudicial, it may be one too many American cop shows but I’d think Rainbow was a stripper or hooker before I thought Jessica was.

  21. FingerBinger says:

    Rainbow Aurora could be the name of a medical marijuana dispensary.

  22. Nancy says:

    I liked her much better than Hugh’s other playmate at the time, the loud mouthed idiot girl Kendra Wilkinson. However, she must not be getting much attention to feel the need to justify her kids name, in doing so she just insulted every Amber, Crystal and Jessica around. She’s definitely somewhere over the Rainbow.

  23. sassy says:

    Ha! Ha! Brandi is my sister’s name! Tramp. Just kidding!!

  24. L says:

    Holly, for next time around, here are some non-stripper names:
    Elizabeth
    Ann
    Catherine
    Mmmmmk?

  25. Andrea says:

    I always thought Holly was super annoying and sappy on Girls Next Door (I hated how she called Hef “Puffin” and seemed like a total Stepford Wife). Someone got me her book as a gift and I actually read it in like two days, lol. I found her perspective really interesting and admire her for having the guts to speak out about how all these young girls are exploited.

    She is the first one to admit she desperately wanted to marry Hef and have his babies, but in hindsight realizes she only really “wanted” that because she (and all the other girlfriends) were essentially in an abusive relationship and didn’t have enough confidence or self esteem to expect anything more out of life.

    It says a lot about our society that Hugh Hefner has built an empire on the exploitation of young women, and that he is idolized by most men for “dating” a harem of girls young enough to be his grandchildren. It’s really quite disturbing.

  26. parissucksliterally says:

    Um, yes it is Holly. It is 900x more “strippery” than Jessica.

    Gah, what a low class moron.

  27. themummy says:

    Jessica is a stripper name?? Someone tell that to my PhD.

    What a dolt.

  28. lile says:

    Wow. Just…..Wow. Is she really this stupid or was this an attempt at humor?

  29. Andrea says:

    I am surprised Lacey, Laci, Misti, and Misty aren’t on the list (my apologies to anyone with that name).

  30. OTHER RENEE says:

    Motherhood wakes you up. She does not want her daughter sharing a bed with half a dozen other women servicing a man old enough to be her grandfather. Big surprise. (And good for her speaking her mind.)

  31. MND says:

    Heard a great song title yesterday “Looking at a Rainbow Through a Dirty Window”

    Personally I’m not into strippers. I don’t really see the point. But I don’t see any reason to talk down about them.

  32. LilyLaFosse says:

    I worked in the sex industry from 18 till 21 (i’m still 21 though been out of it for nearly a year) and I’ve heard a lot of funny names. Mine was Bambi haha. Though there are plenty names like Candy, Crystal, Ashley, Kitty.. And yes Jessica 😉

    I’ve always loved Holly out of the girls in the playboy mansion and really agree with most of the things she has said about her past.

  33. lakawak says:

    So, she doesn’t have a stripper’s name…just a stripper mom.

  34. Whatever gurl says:

    I used to be much more judgmental regarding Kendra and Holly.

    But I empathize with Kendra’s dysfunctional childhood. Her mother and her brother turned on her viciously for reconnecting with her father. The emotional blackmail, parental alienation and triangulation that Kendra endured. I can see how that led Kendra straight to Hef.

    Holly is entitled to change her mind and regret her decision to be in Playboy. How many times does Hef brag that Marilyn Monroe was in Playboy? I can see how an insecure woman can think Hef would save her. It takes an extremely reflective and courageous person to leave an abusive relationship. I wouldn’t throw shade on her. No woman deserves that.

    I hope in a few years Anna Duggar will write a book on how she escaped her abusive relationship.

    • jwoolman says:

      Hef never mentions that he just bought the pictures of Marilyn Monroe. She didn’t pose for Playboy. Back when she wasn’t famous and close to being evicted, she posed for a photographer who sold the pics to Hef years later after she became famous. She decided to just tell people the truth about the circumstances rather than try to cover it up the way the panicked studio wanted. Her career was at risk, Playboy was hardly what she wanted to be known for. But Hef keeps spreading his version of the event, especially when convincing people it’s ok to pose for his magazine.

  35. raincoaster says:

    So a has-been stripper is throwing shade at strippers? Typical.

    • jwoolman says:

      I don’t think she was throwing shade at strippers. She was responding to people who were saying her daughter had a stripper name. The names she gave virtually certainly were names of real strippers she has known. She’s just never known a stripper who took the name Rainbow, and she explains how she first encountered the name and how she felt about it.

  36. JJ says:

    Yep, I’m a whitetrash stripper with an Ivy League degree who moonlights as a corporate executive. lol, ridiculous!