My father was a GP. His practice, to the amusement of many, included three other physicians.
Doctor Payne. Doctor Burns. Doctor Boyle.
Really.
And, in case you’re wondering, no, Doctor Boyle’s first name was not Lance.
Medico’s make for some memorable monikers. And I like the way we’re quick to ascribe honorary doctorates upon others for the sake of drama and/or cadence.
Dr Death, for instance.
Mortality, on its own, induces considerable anxiety. But what could be more scary than Death that has gone to university for eight years and learnt all sorts of bio-medical ways to get under your skin?
To my knowledge there have been 16 Doctor Deaths – ranging from Nazi war criminals, to advocates of euthanasia, serial killers, Thai forensic pathologists, Canadian defensive lineman and an Oakland Raiders Quarterback.
Ditto, then, Dr Doom. Although there’s only two that spring to mind.
The Nemesis of the Fantastic Four, and Hong Kong’s very own Marc Faber. The latter is actually a doctor. Although his PhD is in Economics, so no point asking him about that rash should you encounter him socially. Infamous for his Nostradamian predictions regarding the financial world, I’m sure the nom de guerre was bestowed on him by others. Nonetheless, I’m equally sure he is quite proud of it. He was also a member of the Swiss National Ski Team, but Doctor Downhill doesn’t sound anywhere near as cool, does it?
Hong Kong has a few other pseudo doctors too. Of dubious qualification.
Dr Face. And Dr Reborn.
Both sound more like villains in an HP Lovecraft re-imagining or Romero remake, than heroines of the beauty business. Judging by some of the marketing materials for Dr Face, maybe they are.
My favorite at the moment is Dr Bust (not her real name). Josephine Bust & Slimming has a fantastic USP – implanted, naturally, with medical augmentations.
3D Bust Medicare.
The insight at work here must be as powerful as the technology behind it. The woman in the poster (the titular Josephine, I wonderbra?) has been forced to stop reading her book on Vertical Market Strategies (yes, I checked) to ponder what her life would be like with 3D Bust Medicare.
BTW, biologically speaking, does “3D Bust” mean DDD cups, or a bust that will leap of your chest like an angry Na’vi.
I’m quite fondle of Le Rivoli’s “Age Show Off” campaign too. Because of the talent. And her puppies.
I know I’m probably not the target market, however, as much as I admire the woman, I don’t really aspire to be her. I’d be useless as a woman. I mean, to paraphrase Steve Martin, if I was her, I’d just stay home and play with my puppies all day.
Indepedent's Day