COMICSANDS
percolately
georgetakei
secondnexus
george's picks
A BBC reporter is getting a lot of unanticipated attention for his name after he covered an aggressively apropos news story about a petrol shortage in the UK.
Phil McCann, the reporter, stressed that the fuel shortage was because of the shortage of drivers to distribute petrol to the proper locations, not because of a shortage of petrol itself.
However, the finer details were lost on some folks across the internet due to Phil McCann being a homophone for "Fill My Can."
If ever there was a roving reporter that could cover a fuel shortage… https://t.co/cMukaZfnON— Graeme (@Graeme) 1632553218.0
The correspondent the BBC sent to cover the petrol shortage this morning is called Phil McCann https://t.co/t64piutcg6— Talia Shadwell (@Talia Shadwell) 1632554180.0
Who did it best? Rob Banks or Phil McCann? #PetrolShortages #panicbuying https://t.co/tD4rDYETrp— Paul Benson (@Paul Benson) 1632556139.0
It’s like being back in year 9! #nominativedeterminism https://t.co/nAPXDDj4Og— Phil McCann (@Phil McCann) 1632555125.0
Phil McCann isn't the only BBC reporting person with an unfortunately appropriate name in the history of the network.
An Avon & Somerset police officer named "Rob Banks" made headlines after several people noted the unfortunate homograph of his name, and questioned his future as a police officer.
Sure everyone is losing it over Phil McCann reporting from the petrol station in the UK. But it pales in comparison… https://t.co/bJN9MW36Aq— Andrew Brown (@Andrew Brown) 1632636088.0
One of my best mates, Phil McCann, is the No. 1 trend in the UK this morning. I’ve been laughing about his name s… https://t.co/cWZqLHUCgw— Adam Widdrington (@Adam Widdrington) 1632557575.0
Well played @BBCBreakfast Sending Phil McCann to cover the petrol panic buying. Genius level choice of reporter! https://t.co/5NskpDq6k3— Dr Amanda Dolan (@Dr Amanda Dolan) 1632553986.0
I know there is a lot going on this weekend but Phil McCann covering the fuel story on #BBCBreakfast is going to ta… https://t.co/jGbdvJ4347— Dan Walker (@Dan Walker) 1632571978.0
McCann was pleasantly surprised to find his name trending on Twitter, saying that "there [were] worse reasons" to do so.
He laughed along with the rest of Twitter, saying he felt like he was back in year nine and that he, too, was a victim of "Nominative determinism."
Nominative determinism is the hypothesis that people tend to work in areas of work that reflect their names. This idea was first put into the collective unconscious in 1994 by New Scientist, and visual evidence continues to show up to suggest nominative determinism isn't completely bonkers.
@blissfulfiction This chap was advocating fewer Covid restrictions in clubs recently #NominativeDeterminism https://t.co/lDSN9SXsBc— Scrubs Upwell (@Scrubs Upwell) 1632611651.0
My geography teacher was Miss Map before she got married - & my sadistic PE teacher Miss Fear #NominativeDeterminism https://t.co/mwpzXxTzYm— Jennifer Ingleheart (@Jennifer Ingleheart) 1632593774.0
My golf teacher’s surname is Irons. This pleases me.— Elizabeth Ammon (@Elizabeth Ammon) 1632743615.0
We've noticed so many of these names over the years, Jonah Fisher following Greenpeace and reporting on Whaling, Sa… https://t.co/eXby1TRgw0— Dr Susan O'Shea (@Dr Susan O'Shea) 1632747961.0
I grew up with a wonderful, kind dentist whose name was Dr. Fang. #NominativeDeterminism— Mike Walsh (@Mike Walsh) 1632781212.0
McCann, however, said his name was not appropriate--at least, not in terms of how he, himself, would act in the fuel shortage.
"I would never fill a can in the back of my car with petrol, as apparently some people have been doing. That's not the kind of thing I would do. Panic buying very much discouraged, but of course it hasn't made a difference to places like this."
BBC correspondents, as well as British lawmakers, remain frustrated with the public as panic-buying has caused a visible petrol shortage, rather than what the government said would have been largely "invisible at the point of sale." The panic buying has not shown any signs of relenting.