"Max Factor" sure sounds like a cool brand name. Max Factor! It's edgy! It's hip! And it's perfect for the world of cosmetics; one wonders how many hours in front of focus groups were spent to come up with a name that fits so well.

One small problem. Max Factor is not a name made up by focus groups. It's a person, as in Max Factor. Well, Max Faktorowicz. A Polish Jewish cosmetologist who was lured by the bright lights of Hollywood a century ago. And did Hollywood ever need cosmetics! It was a perfect match.

So perfect that after Max passed away, his son, Frank, renamed himself as Max Factor, Jr. If only all Jewish names were as edgy and hip...

Paging Moishe Maybelline?