Joyce Summers

[Weredog]

Just a random thought that came across my mind:

Why does Joyce still use her ex-husband's surname? Not only are her medical documents (cf. season 5) identified to be as Summers, but her gravestone says so as well.

Why haven't the writers ever revealed/used her maiden name?

I just always thought that was strange......

[tangent]

To be honest i've never gioven it a second thought. Not all women would revert to their maiden names after a divorce although i would assume a lot if not most do. It may depend on what type of split they had and what her maiden name was. It might have been something she'd always hated and couldn't wait to change.

[holypotatoes]

Well I would assume that even if you get divorced a lot of the time you end up keeping his name. Plus think how much of a hassle it would be to have to change everything back over to her maiden name. I mean all her documents would have to be changed over. It's probably easier to leave it as is. Or she just got so accustomed to being called Ms. Summers that she decided to leave it that way.

[Weredog]

But to have her gravestone say "Summers"? I'm sorry, but do any ex-married women want their graves to be marked under their ex-husband's family name as opposed to their own?

I would've at least settled for her gravestone to be marked "Joyce _____ Summers".

Hmm.

[holypotatoes]

But to have her gravestone say "Summers"? I'm sorry, but do any ex-married women want their graves to be marked under their ex-husband's family name as opposed to their own?

I would've at least settled for her gravestone to be marked "Joyce _____ Summers".

Hmm.

It is odd to have it say that but then again I don't think I've seen anyone's grave who has gotten divorced so I don't really have any insight to that. Although I agree with having the maiden name in the middle of her first and ex hubby's name on the grave stone. Maybe the writer's thought it would be too confusing to change her last name to not match Buffy's. People new to the show may not know it's her mother if they didn't have the same last name.

[Veverka]

But to have her gravestone say "Summers"? I'm sorry, but do any ex-married women want their graves to be marked under their ex-husband's family name as opposed to their own?

I would've at least settled for her gravestone to be marked "Joyce _____ Summers".

Hmm.

I do agree with you Weredog, but in reality, many women, post divorce do not change their names back. I know many cases like this, and they're not necessarily all old, either. My boyfriend's last name is the name of his mother's ex-husband, who is not his father, so that's how screwed up the whole thing can be!

I mean, I don't know why women change their names when they first get married, honestly! That's a whole different discussion, and we had it a while ago, when Sarah Michelle Gellar took her husband's last name. I can't find the thread though...

[ciderdrinker]

I'm just weighing to add my agreement with the above. I have been divorced for 14 years and never reverted to my maiden name. I didn't like my previous surname much but that wasn't the reason I didn't revert. It is a lot of hassle to change everything and you've got used to your new name by then usually.

With regard to the headstone thing - I've never considered the fact that it would be weird to have my ex-husband's surname on my headstone, like it would be a slight on my original family name, but then if I was still married I wouldn't consider having my maiden name on my headstone so why change it just because I am no longer married?

I don't for one moment think my family would see it as strange for my married name to be on my headstone. I haven't been that name for a long time, but that doesn't mean I'm not still considered as much a part of the family as I ever was. I just don't see the name as much of a difference!

I know many cases like this, and they're not necessarily all old, either.

I'm not that old either!! Definately younger than Joyce Summers!!

[buffyholic]

I honestly never thought of that. Maybe she liked that surname and decided to keep it or maybe for the sake of her daughter. Have no idea.

[Cinderela]

Well I would assume that even if you get divorced a lot of the time you end up keeping his name. Plus think how much of a hassle it would be to have to change everything back over to her maiden name. I mean all her documents would have to be changed over. It's probably easier to leave it as is. Or she just got so accustomed to being called Ms. Summers that she decided to leave it that way.

In the US, it's a HUGE hassle to change your name. And if your marriage is a long one, you come to think of youself as that name. It's who you are.

But to have her gravestone say "Summers"? I'm sorry, but do any ex-married women want their graves to be marked under their ex-husband's family name as opposed to their own?

I would've at least settled for her gravestone to be marked "Joyce _____ Summers".

Hmm.

I know women who went back to their maiden name and women who didn't.

I'm just weighing to add my agreement with the above. I have been divorced for 14 years and never reverted to my maiden name. I didn't like my previous surname much but that wasn't the reason I didn't revert. It is a lot of hassle to change everything and you've got used to your new name by then usually.

With regard to the headstone thing - I've never considered the fact that it would be weird to have my ex-husband's surname on my headstone, like it would be a slight on my original family name, but then if I was still married I wouldn't consider having my maiden name on my headstone so why change it just because I am no longer married?

I don't for one moment think my family would see it as strange for my married name to be on my headstone. I haven't been that name for a long time, but that doesn't mean I'm not still considered as much a part of the family as I ever was. I just don't see the name as much of a difference!



I'm not that old either!! Definately younger than Joyce Summers!!

Neither do I and I was divorced for many years. In my case, it was because of my children. It was just easier to have the same name as they did. My name is my name, it's who I am. Period. It has no relationship to my ex.