Author Archives: Mark Thomas

Proverb: Better Late than Never

White/Native American

University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Southern California

International Relations

Accountant for Make a Wish

English, Russian

Scottsdale, Arizona

25 April 2011

Proverb- “better late than never”

“So I turned in a paper 2 days late to my teacher last week. As I handed her the paper, I said something to the effect ‘I’m sorry it’s late.” She looked at me and then responded, ‘Well…better late than never.” RA explains, that to him, this proverb meant basically what it says. That its better to turn in something late than not at all.

Looking at this, I tend to agree. For major projects an school work, its better to turn in a more polished copy late, than a half-assed one on time, and more so than not doing it at all. However, when thinking about this statement, I find that I can identify specific times/instances when this is not the case. If it’s a short homework assignment that a teacher is grading that either you did it or you didn’t turn it in on time, than there is no reason to put in the effort if you can’t get partial credit. On the whole, this proverb is a good advice that wouldn’t hurt, maybe only some time and effort, and has the possibility of getting some recognition/credit for doing it at all.

Superstition: Sports Luck

White/Hispanic

California State University Fullerton

Illustration

Colorist for Cartoon Network’s Regular Show

English, Spanish

20 April 2011

Sports luck- Kicking the base of the flag pole.

“I’m a huge SC football fan. I’ve been going to football games with my family since before I can even remember. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve kicked the base of one of the flagpoles off Trousdale on the way to the Coliseum. I think I learned it from my father, he has been an SC football fan since he started going to the games when he was a Freshman. I don’t really know why I do it, I guess for luck and because that’s what my family always does. It’s a pretty common thing; you can hear people kicking the metal base plate long before you ever reach the flagpoles. The bases of the poles are scuffed and are so loose because of the thousands of people who kick it every game. It’s really funny when you get new fans that don’t realize how hard you have to kick the base to make a loud noise.  They’ll just tap it and it doesn’t make a noise. When this happens, it’s not uncommon to boo the person, unless they’re a kid or something.”

Looking at the act of kicking the flagpole, I agree with my informant. This act is an example of sport’s luck. People have thousands of different little things that they do prior to and during games to ensure there team the best chance of wining. If your team wins its because they are the better team, however if they lose, and you failed to adhere to your pre-game ritual, then its all your fault. The act of kicking the flagpole, in my opinion, is also a simple gesture to ward off possible calamity and for luck. It’s a superstition akin to knocking on wood after saying something is going really good. The act of kicking the pole can also be seen as a way for people to recognize the real fans that have stayed with the team for years. AT recalls a time when barely 15, 000 people would attend SC football games. In her own words, “Man we (the team) were bad back in the mid 90’s. Some fans started calling it the Dark Ages. The Coliseum was practically empty, you were a real fan if you stuck with the team back then. Now, we win all the time, which is awesome. But because of this, we get a bunch of bandwagoners that don’t know anything about the traditions.”

Food Ways: Colombian Tamales

White/Hispanic

California State University Fullerton

Illustration

Colorist for Cartoon Network’s Regular Show

English, Spanish

20 April 2011

Food ways- Colombian Tamales

“So something that my family does every year is that for Christmas we make tamales. It’s a pretty involved process that takes a couple days if done correctly. A couple days before Christmas, my mother and grandmother go out shopping for the ingredients. When everything is gathered together, all the ingredients are placed at stations around the kitchen. Then, my mom, grandmother, my aunts and myself all stand at a station. Basically, we make an assembly line. One person chops, another puts the maize in the leaf, another puts in the garlic, etc. It takes almost a day because we usually make around 50.  While were working, we listen to Colombian and Spanish music. We principally speak Spanish while were working, and we catch up on news in the family and such. Its something I look forward to every year.” AT explains that the tamales they are making are specifically from Colombian. She explains that Colombian tamales are made with finer maize, almost like a paste, and wrapped in banana leaves. Banana leaves are key, as most other tamales are made from being wrapped in cornhusks. She  explains that Colombian Tamales are better because, they have “more than just boring meat in them.” She states that the whole process is an important step in performing her Colombian tradition. She mentions this is especially important for her family, because her generation is the first generation born in America.

The process for making tamales is an important act of acting out a part of her heritage. It is saved for a special occasion, when a large portion of her family will be there. It’s a tradition that has gone on in her family since before she was born. The food itself is important, as it separates herself from other Hispanic heritages. The ingredients are bought from a Colombian store, which her grandmother verified before purchasing the ingredients. While the food is important, the process and annual performance of it are what makes this truly Folk food ways. Though the tamales are made in a specific way, no written recipe exists. Its memorized and passed down through the action of making them and verbal directions. The process of making the tamales, also serves as a connection between 3 generations of her family. No males are present for two reasons, one is that there are no males on her Colombian side except for a cousin and her brother. The second reason was they were both banished from the process is because they had a tendency to eat all the ingredients while they were being made.

Folklore 2.0: Charlie Sheen Auto Tune

White/Hispanic

California State University Fullerton

Illustration

Colorist for Cartoon Network’s Regular Show

English, Spanish, Japanese

Los Angeles, CA

20 April 2011

Folklore 2.0 -Auto tune of Charlie Sheen

http://youtu.be/9QS0q3mGPGg

“I’m sure you’ve seen the auto tune of Charlie Sheen. It’s pretty funny. A friend sent it to me through Facebook. The premise of the whole auto tune thing I that you take a song or someone speaking, and you run it through an auto tune program. By adding a beat, splicing clips, and slowing down or speeding up the words, you can make sorta a rap song. The only reason it’s gone really viral is the fact that the makers actually did a pretty good job and the whole controversy with Charlie Sheen right now in the media. The people who made it, also like to auto tune the news a lot.” AT mentioned that the explosion of auto tuning is really an evolution of media and the Internet. As she explains, the sheer amount of information and the ease of accessibility allow people to really play around with the notion of music. Now anyone can make music using a program, or alter another person’s work and post it on the Internet. When asked about the right of copyrights, AT gave a pretty liberal answer. “I mean its not like the person is making definite money off of it. Mostly people are just doing it for entertainment purposes and the chance to create things given a skill set. Now people don’t have to be artists or singers, they can work with programs that do most of the work for them.” She goes on to mention that she still considers auto tuning a creative process and is largely benign.”

Considering that AT works for Cartoon Network, a well-known television network and studio, her answers are pretty telling. She has mentioned that she doesn’t feel cheated when people post the show she works on onto the Internet. If anything she’s happy that people without cable or television can enjoy things she helped create. The whole auto tuning process that has appeared on the Internet in the last couple years is an example of folklore 2.0. It has multiplicity and variation; as people often auto tune the same things differently. It is also very unofficial, to the point that it borders on copyright infringement. The Internet has allowed people to share vast quantities of information that is as diverse as any form of language. The Charlie Sheen video is also interesting because it brings up the notion of “Win.” Win is an idea that started out on the Internet that has crossed over to everyday speech. Now, because of the Charlie Sheen auto tune, I have heard individuals use the term “Wining” in speech. It’s used to imply that something is awesome or going good for you. I.e., ” my parents bought me a brand new car. Winning!”

Superstition: Running a Yellow Light

White/Jewish

Fordham University/University of Southern California

Army ROTC, EMT, Social Worker

Military Social Work

English

Connecticut

24 April 2011

Superstition- touching car roof

“Here’s something I can tell you. About a month ago I got a ticket in the mail for running a red light. You know, one of those automated deals were they show you the picture of it and everything. It’s really funny ’cause in the picture you can clearly see my left hand touching the inside roof of my car. Basically, when your driving through a yellow…you kiss the tips of your fingers and then place them against the roof of your car.” HS explained that the reason she did this was for luck and to ward off accidents. She stated that she started doing it because it she saw her older brother do it all the time when she was in the car with him. She said she also did it because while an EMT in New York she saw many horrific traffic accidents, and she didn’t want that to happen to her.

From my perspective, touching the roof of your car as you drive through a yellow light is a simple gesture to ward off possible calamity and for luck. It’s a superstition akin to knocking on wood after saying something is going really good.  Looking at the gesture, I would say that it’s functions within a liminal space for three reasons. The first is that the vehicle is actually occupying a space where cars can cross from any direction; it’s in between the beginning and end of the intersection. The second reason is that it is a place that can be dangerous, if people are not paying attention. The third reason is that, when driving, going through a yellow light is kind of a grey area. As a driver you not supposed to really do it, but all drivers do at some point. I personally have never done it,and the reason I probably don’t is because no one in my family does it. In this sense, the touching of the roof can be a gesture learned from friends or family.