To say that Marcel Duchamp was a strange fellow is just scratching the surface. The man behind the Dada movement, he once signed a urinal and proclaimed it art. That piece, "The Fountain", is now considered a major landmark. So maybe Duchamp knew what he was doing.
So, sometime in the early 1920s, Duchamp decided that he needed a new identity. Apparently, being known as the guy who signs urinals wasn't enough. So what did he do? Well, let him explain the process:
"I wanted to change my identity, and the first idea that came to me was to take a Jewish name. I was Catholic, and it was a change to go from one religion to another!"
Well, isn't that terrific! We would welcome Duchamp with open arms, of course. Who but us Jews to appreciate such an eccentric genius!
Sadly, there was an obstacle:
"I didn't find a Jewish name that I especially liked, or that tempted me, and suddenly I had an idea: why not change sex?"
See, we can understand Duchamp a bit here. We've spoken numerous times of how hideous Jewish names tend to be... Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait! Change sex? Huh?
Oh, apparently Duchamp started dressing up as a woman, under the pseudonym Rrose Selavy. That's as far as the sex change went. Huh.
Rrose Selavy? He couldn't find a Jewish name, yet he was happy with that?