Author Archives: dmonk@usc.edu

Coconut butter lotion

Nationality: American
Age: 38
Occupation: Stay-at-home mother
Residence: Burlington, Vermont
Performance Date: 4/11/18
Primary Language: English

Main piece:

Out on the trail I saw plenty of bears. And there’s all kinds of advice now where you’re supposed to hoist your bag up in a tree, or spray stuff to mask your smell, piss in a ring? You name it.

I slept with my food in my tent every night. And I knew a ton of folks who did the same! People’d say it was crazy now, but we did it. And the whole time, believe it or not, not a single bear in a tent.

The only guy I ever knew to get bit by a bear was in his tent, sleeping. And the bear bit him straight through the tent! We found out later he was a segment hiker – just in for one night. Not doing the whole trail, and he wasn’t sleeping with his food! But he was slathered in coconut shea-butter lotion. Must’ve smelled pretty tasty.

Context:

Maggie hiked the Appalachian Trail (The AT) in Spring to Fall of 2004. She took the South-to-North Route, passing over 2,200 miles of wilderness trail.

Background:

Bears are a nuisance along the AT, as they are attracted to human activity because of the prospect of food. They are dramatically overpopulated along the trail, especially in the Smoky Mountain region.

Analysis:

This is a cute story which emphasizes an important reminder – that proper food storage, which contains smell, will prevent bear attraction. However, use of scented cosmetic products is just as bad, and can lead to hikers being bitten or attacked!

In that sense, this is is a warning tale!

Cinder swallow

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Decatur, IL
Performance Date: 03/16/18
Primary Language: English

Main piece:

If you run track in Southern Illinois, then you’ve been on a cinder track. Unlike rubber tracks, they’re hard, uneven, and they hurt so badly to fall on. Cinders cut easily, and get caught up in runners’ scrapes when they fall.

Track athletes are very superstitious, right? So this trend caught on – and I really don’t know where it started, of runners swallowing a cinder right before their race. The saying went that “the cinder would keep it all down!”, meaning that a runner wouldn’t cramp up or vomit following their run.

It was also supposed to protect you from falling, but that definitely isn’t real because I fell or dove at like half of my four hundreds and it still hurt.

Context:

Ritual described by Bree Tschosik, born and raised in Decatur, IL.

Background:

Cinder tracks are a common fixture in the rural Midwest due to their economical nature and durability. They never need to be covered or protected. Typically, they are found at public schools and facilities. Better funded, private schools typically have “all-weather” or rubber tracks.

Analysis:

This ritual is unique in that it only need be performed at meets held on a cinder track. Few athletic superstitions are performed inconsistently or with regards for the nature of the field of play.

The Nazi Tree

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Construction Engineer
Residence: Pasadena, CA
Performance Date: 04/23/18
Primary Language: English

Main piece:

The legend goes that VKC (who was a Nazi and a eugenicist in addition to being President of the University [of Southern California]) got a donation of a tree from the Nazi party that’s still on campus today.

Some people think that it’s the Fig tree by Moreton Fig, but that’s definitely not right. If you dig around it’s supposed to be an oak tree behind Bovard.

Now, a ton of people deny this – including administrators. But I am pretty sure that it’s the one on the back corner of Bovard – closest to the old Annenburg building. I’m sure that if more people knew, they’d want to cut it down or something. But for now, we’ve got a Nazi tree on campus.

Context:

Drew is a sixth generation Trojan, and is a Trojan Knight. He is intimately familiar with USC’s history and culture.

Background:

Recently, USC’s former president Rufus B. Von KleinSmid has come under fire for his Nazi affiliations. The Nazi tree story plays into this contemporary controversy.

Analysis:

Trees are inherently monumental. That a progressive and diverse college campus like USC could have a flagrant and distasteful symbol on campus as a Nazi tree is entertaining in a sick way. It’s also a little mysterious that there is uncertainty about which tree is the Nazi tree. It adds to the drama of the story, and causes more mental nagging on the part of USC students who hear the story. Any tree could be the Nazi tree.

Hooks

Nationality: American
Age: 38
Occupation: Stay-at-home mother
Residence: Burlington, Vermont
Performance Date: 04/11/18
Primary Language: English

Main piece:

People used to say that on the part of the trail, right after you cross into North Carolina, there were a lot of locals who weren’t crazy about having so many outsiders pass through the backcountry. So they’d hang hooks from the trees on fishing line, to catch the eyes of passersthru.

It freaked me out a lot passing through there. I heard gunshots, and it was foggy a lot of mornings. There was a feeling on that part of the trail that I never got anywhere else.

I never really understood why, but that’s where most hikers would disappear too… and you could see the nerves on everyone else’s face as well. Now, they were also just getting started. The adrenaline had worn off by then, and we were really feeling rough for the first time.

It still freaks me out to think about looking up some time to get a hook straight in my eyes or my mouth. Or to catch one on my ear. No warning. And then you’re stuck til you can cut it out.

Context:

Maggie hiked the Appalachian Trail (The AT) in Spring to Fall of 2004. She took the South-to-North Route, passing over 2,200 miles of wilderness trail.

Background:

I think that it reflects the morale of AT hikers that the Georgia-NC border is considered to be a dangerous area. It’s topographically unremarkable, but is probably the first point at which the adrenaline of starting the trail wears off.

Analysis:

This is a warning tale unique to the AT in that it is about people rather than about natural threats to AT hikers. The AT is so remote, it’s very infrequent that hikers are set upon or threatened by other people. Typically, bears pose a much greater threat. This threat is passive – a trap set by a maniacal and unknown adversary who is long gone by the time hikers are hurt.

Broken down bikers, bad Samaritans

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Aerospace Manufacturing Engineer
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Performance Date: 04/24/18
Primary Language: English

Main piece:

So, I’ve had my ass saved probably like three different times on the side of the road. Broken off luggage, flat tire, you name it. Another biker is gonna stop to help you 100% of the time.

So, there’s this thing, right? Where it’s part of the culture to stop. But also if you don’t, you’re low key kinda fucked. It’s gonna be you on the side of the road.

Especially when you’re on a bike. Doesn’t matter that drivers are gonna have more tools, more room for a ride – you’re almost safer there. If you’re a guy who rides and you’re driving? That’s fine, fair enough. You can probably get away with not stopping.

But if you’re another rider, on your bike, and you don’t stop? Wicked bad luck, wicked dumb move. That’s gonna be you out there the next time.

Swear to God, don’t think I’ve ever been passed by a biker when I’m on the shoulder. I’ve never passed one myself. People take it seriously out there. When you’re up on two wheels, ya gotta have eachothers’ backs.

Context:

Chris has been riding motorcycles since the age of nineteen. He and his beloved FJR1300 are leaving for a cross-country ride to Boston by way of Canada from Los Angeles in two weeks.

Background:

This practice/standard of expectation is common to all North American bikers known by the author.

Analysis:

This is a Good Samaritan concept, probably taken from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Helping a traveler on the side of the road, or “today, you – tomorrow, me” mentality is a fairly common trope in folklore. What makes the biker example so interesting is that it is militantly well-followed. In a sense, it is even enforced by biker culture.