Bennifer, the sequel

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:21 AM -0400 6/17/05, Laurence Horn wrote:
>At 9:34 AM -0400 6/17/05, David Bowie wrote:
>>Automatic digest processor wrote:
>>
>>I may have simply missed this one being discussed, but along with a
>>writeup on the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie movie "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", a
>>photo caption refers to them as "Brangelina".
>>
>>Gobs and tones of Google hits, including an AdFreak article titled "Are
>>we really calling them Brangelina?" at
>>http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2005/06/are_we_really_c.html that
>>discusses it as a relatively new phenomenon, mentioning the
>>non-existence of Humphauren (Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall) and
>>Richabeth (Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor).
>>
>>This leads to the question: Was Bennifer the first of these pop culture
>>show biz first name combinations? I doubt it, but i can't think of any
>>earlier ones offhand.
>>
>>--
>
>Not exactly showbiz, but wasn't "Billary" used for the Clintons early
>on in his (or their) first term?
>
>L

On closer look, it was actually early on during their
presidency-elect.  First Nexis (Major Papers) hit (note also the
somewhat cloudy crystal ball):

The Houston Chronicle
November 8, 1992, Sunday, 2 STAR Edition

  SECTION: OUTLOOK; Viewpoints; Pg. 3
  HEADLINE: Get ready for four-year Clinton tragicomedy

  BYLINE: K.L. WALLIS

  DATELINE: HOUSTON

  Congratulations, America. The election of ""Billary'' Clinton
  and Al ""Greenpeace'' Gore means continued promises.

  Promise: Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., Jesse Jackson, Gov. Ann
  Richards, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, former Texas Railroad
  Commission Chairwoman Lena Guererro and those of their ilk will be
  in Clinton's Cabinet and on the Supreme Court.

  Promise: Increases in the deficit, taxes, inflation rates,
  interest rates, tax-supported social and environmental programs,
  government spending with its attendant waste and fraud,
  unemployment (except government), small-business failures and
  government will be in our lives.

  Promise: Decreases in real (net disposable) personal income,
  housing starts, military strength, American prestige in the world,
  our quality of life and our national sense of well-being (so
  carefully nurtured back to life during the Reagan/Bush
  administrations after the disastrous Carter years) will be a
  reality.

  Promise: There will be four years of a Washington
  tragicomedy.
==================

And there were 86 additional hits by the end of 1993.

Larry