Monthly Archives: March 2011

Contemporary Legend

Nationality: Lebanese-American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Oak Park, CA
Performance Date: March 5, 2008
Primary Language: English

“A girl named Karin is babysitting for a family while the parents are away for the weekend.  The first day she is at the house she notices a clown statue that the children are playing with in the living room.  Karin is terrified of clowns so she moves it into a room where the children don’t go.  The next day she sees that the clown statue is back in the living room and assumes the children moved it back in there.  So Karin calls the parents and asks if she can move their clown statue out in the back yard.  The parents tell Karin to grab the children and go in their bedroom, lock the door, and call the police because they don’t have a clown statue and it must be a real person.  Karin does so and the police arrive to find out that the clown statue was an escaped criminal who has a sleeping disease where he falls asleep randomly while standing and does not move.”

Ariella heard this legend when she was fifteen, around the time when she was beginning to baby-sit for several families.  “I originally heard the story from my other Lebanese friend, and the story was told to her in English not Lebanese.  I was about to leave my friend’s house, the night after I baby-sat, when my friend told me the story.  When I heard the story I did not baby-sit for another three weeks because it frightened me so much.”  Ariella claimed that she heard that story a second time from her Asian friend, which can mean that this is not specifically a Lebanese urban legend.  Ariella believes that the story is meant to scare young girls from watching children and that it encourages young girls to work at “actual” jobs.

Through paradigmatic analysis, this urban legend appears to send a message warning to young girls to be careful when baby-sitting and watching other children.  The clown represents an exaggerating version of the troubles that can go wrong through baby-sitting, and the urban legend emphasizes that there is a responsibility that goes into baby-sitting, in this case the protection of the children.  The fact that Karin is scared of clowns poses the idea that Karin herself is still a child, and can present the case that adults should not rely as heavily on baby-sitters to watch their own children, and instead, should take upon the responsibility themselves.  Watching other children is a major task to offer to young girls, and it is possible that this urban legend’s intent is that maybe it is too great of a task to offer.

Folk Joke – Chicago, Illinois

Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Residence: Chicago, Il
Performance Date: March 26, 2008
Primary Language: English

“That’s what she said”

Derek claimed that he first heard this joke from another friend of his while in middle school in Chicago, Illinois.  He said that the joke is used after someone makes a comment that can be turned into a sexual innuendo by saying “that’s what she said”.  Derek gave me two examples:

Example 1

Subject 1: “You finished your homework already?”

Subject 2: “Yeah I finished ten minutes ago”

Subject 1: “Wow you’re quick”

Subject 2: “That’s what she said”.

Example 2

Subject 1: “Are you going to keep practicing for basketball all night?”

Subject 2: “Of course.  I’m going to work until it hurts.”

Subject 1: “That’s what she said.”

Derek is not sure where the term originated from but has heard his cousins from New Orleans and Tennessee use the joke as well.  “Usually the context of this joke is in an informal environment amongst young adults.  When the joke is used in a more formal setting, with adults present, none of the adults understand the joke at all.”

My own take on this joke is that it had to have originated amongst younger boys, and clearly not girls because the joke consists of “she” and not “he”.  It also has an adolescent masculine tone of humor to it, further supporting this theory.  I also find it a unique and different form of folk joke than classic jokes because of the fact that in order for it to be fully utilized as comical, there needs to be something said that cooperates with the phrase beforehand.  This is a fairly untraditional form of a joke but also creates flexibility when using the joke and keeps it original with different pre-comments that lead to the phrase “that’s what she said”.

Annotation:

This folk joke can be seen in the hit NBC show The Office.

“The Benihana Christmas.” The Office. NBC. New York. 14 Dec. 2006.

Proverb – Brooklyn, New York

Nationality: American
Age: 49
Occupation: Chief Engineer
Residence: Oak Park, CA
Performance Date: February 1, 2008
Primary Language: English

The walk of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

“I learned this proverb as a kid growing up in Brooklyn.  My father used to use it all the time, especially when I would be anxious or nervous over anything.  To me this proverb means that the best way to approach any big obstacle or task in life, you must take that first step.  Essentially, one of the most challenging aspects of completing or overcoming any task or hardship in life is to begin: begin to work or begin to recover.  I believe it might be an Asian proverb but I’m not sure exactly.  I use it at work with my colleagues when we have to attack a huge task or project.  I’ve also passed it down to both my kids whenever they have come to me with anxiety over school work.”

Harold is my father and this is a proverb that will forever remind me of him.  He used it all throughout my childhood as an inspirational saying, because I have always approached him and my mother when I am stressed out about anything in life.  My dad’s father died when my dad was in his twenties, and while Harold mostly uses this proverb for handling tasks or assignments, this proverb applied more than ever to the recovery and grieving process.  I think this proverb can be applied to so many things in the world.  Any world wide problems, such as AIDS in Africa or global warming, are such monumental and challenging tasks, that people don’t believe they will ever see progress made and are afraid to begin the long journey.  But in order to achieve any goals and to solve any problems, big or small, one must take the first step.  After doing some research, the proverb originated in China and can be found in several publications but modified slightly.  The proverb appears in the feature film Coach Carter but in the following form: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”.

Annotation:

Coach Carter. dir. Thomas Carter. Paramount Pictures, 2005.

Folk Medicine – Mexico

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 09, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

To cure a cold sore on one’s lip:

  • Take a green tomato and slice it in half
  • Place baking soda on the opened half of the tomato
  • Then place the tomato directly on the cold sore and hold it for one minute
  • Remove the tomato, and the cold sore should be gone

Daniel, who lived in Mexico for fourteen years of his life, learned this remedy there from his maid, who was also Mexican.  He said that when he first got a cold sore at a young age she followed the above instructions and Daniel’s cold sore was gone.  He said that it is certainly a Mexican remedy, because he had seen other adults show this remedy to their children, while going to school for most of his life in Mexico.  When he came to the United States at the age of fourteen, no one else had ever heard of this remedy.

Being an American, I had never heard of this remedy at all.  I was always told to put Vaseline on a cold sore, but that never instantly cured it.  The fact that a green tomato is used, supports the idea that this originated south of the Untied States, since we don’t use green tomatoes nearly as much as Mexico or South America.  There is most likely a scientific explanation to the baking soda killing the cold sore, but what makes this folk medicine and not actual official medicine is the fact that it has not been scientifically proven yet.

Proverb Parody – Brooklyn New York

Nationality: American
Age: 49
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Oak Park, CA
Performance Date: April 18, 2008
Primary Language: English

Original Proverb:

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”

Proverb Parody:

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit by me”

Betsy learned this proverb parody from her father when she was young living in Brooklyn, New York.  Since then she has always used the phrase with her children who she hopes continue to pass it on.  “I feel that on the surface this proverb parody appears to promote “bad-mouthing” others, but I the true meaning is that one should not bottle up their emotions; instead, they need to let it all out.  I always felt a sentimental vibe to this proverb parody because when I was younger, if I had problems with friends I would go and complain or “bad-mouth” to my father.  Usually these talks with my father would end up productive and help me figure out and settle problems with friends.”  By telling her children this proverb parody, she is reaffirming to her children that she is always there to talk to, even if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone else.

I feel that this proverb parody is extremely relevant in the modern world where we are all emphasized to express our opinions.  In the past, the original proverb served to prevent altercations and any problems, but this parody emphasizes expressing your feelings to one another.  While the original parody attempts to protect friendships by telling one to hold back from “mean” remarks, I believe that there is also a motif of friendship in this parody because it is proclaiming that the people who you are close to are the one’s you can say anything to, and they will listen.  That is a theme of friendship and this proverb parody reaffirms that.

This proverb parody shows up in the film Steel Magnolias, which was created in 1989.  What I find interesting is that Betsy learned this proverb parody growing up in the 1960s, yet the proverb parody survived to the late 80’s and on.  And while Betsy was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the creator of Steel Magnolias was born and raised in Alabama.  Therefore, historic geographic can’t exactly pin point where the parody originated from.

Annotation:

Steel Magnolias. dir. Herbert Ross. Rastar Films, 1989.