- I know like three woman that have kept their last name.
Beyonce, is Beyonce Knowles-Carter now.
She's not Beyonce Carter,
so I think the trend is already starting to change.
(upbeat music)
- I think there is a power dynamic that exists
when one person takes on the other person's name.
- For you to take someone else's last name
shows a huge commitment to that person.
- I'm a traditionalist.
I would take my husband's last name.
- The prospect of coming up with a name together
is really cool.
It's creating an identity together is really neat.
- I like hyphenating, I know it's like weird.
- I love my last.
If I were to marry a man or a woman,
I would keep my last name.
(upbeat music)
- Please imagine the following.
- You have been invited by an old friend
to an outdoor potluck picnic in the park.
- When you arrive you say hello to your friend.
- Add the doughnuts you brought
to the large array of food.
- And then settle down on a big blanket
to eat and hang out.
- As soon as you sit down,
you meet a couple who is sitting next to you.
(upbeat music)
- Michael Robertson and his wife Carla Robertson.
- Michael Robertson and his wife Carla Williams,
she kept her last name when they got married.
(upbeat music)
- They've been together for three years
and married for one.
- As you chat with them you learn more about their lives.
- Michael tells you about the epic honeymoon they took.
- Carla shows you pictures of their two dogs.
- Michael explains his job to you.
- Carla shares stories from their experience
volunteering for local events.
(Upbeat music)
- So Carla Robertson, caring I gave her a six.
- Intelligent, four.
Ambitious, three.
- Caring, I put five.
Carla was the one that showed pictures of their dogs.
To me it came off more like she was the caring one.
- Assertive, I put three.
- Independent, three.
- Quiet, four.
(upbeat music)
- List three jobs you think Carla Robertson might have.
I originally put down unemployed,
because she talked about volunteer work.
- The first thing I said was a nurse,
because I said over her that she was really caring.
- HR, receptionist.
- And then interior design.
I don't know, she seemed artistic, maybe, too.
- How much money would you estimate
Carla Robertson makes per year?
$0 to $40K per year.
- I put $70,000.
- $55,000.
(upbeat music)
- Carla Williams intelligent, six.
Ambitious, six.
- Ambitious, five.
- Ambitious, six.
- Assertive, six.
Independent, six.
- Confident, six.
Independent, six.
You got to be pretty confident and independant
to want to keep her name,
so go in the face of societal norm that way.
- Independent, six.
Quiet, one.
- List three jobs you think Carla Williams might have.
- I feel like they're a professional couple.
- I said CEO.
She just seems like she's just about her business,
but yet she's still a loving wife,
and you can have both worlds.
- Business woman, politics, or professor.
- Engineer.
- Involved in advertising.
- Or an accountant.
- Or a professor.
- How much money would you estimate Carla Williams
makes per year.
$70K.
- $80,000 per year.
- $75,000, $75K.
(upbeat music)
- Like our subconscious perception of things
are so crazy and we don't even realize
that we're making these judgments on people.
- Whenever I hear of the wife taking the husband's name,
or the wife keeping her name,
or the husband taking the wife's name,
I do instantly make assumptions as to who
would be wearing the pants in the relationship.
- So the fact that these two characters
kept their last name was really cool,
because the marriage didn't define them.
They were still their own individuals,
they were just in it together.
- I think it's cool, if my wife wanted to
keep her last name.
I think it would be awesome.
- If my sister were to keep her last name,
I'd be like, "You go girl."
- When I meet a woman who's kept her last name,
I just assume that she's just a boss.
- I like to think of myself as
like a strong independent lady.
And I'm not taking anybody's last name but my own.
- I don't think you should be judged
by if you change your last name
to someone else's last name.
- It's not your life.
It's somebody else's life
If you just be your baddass selves,
and it's okay if you're Mr. Robertson
or a Mrs. Jones, whoever.
You do you.