Author Archives: kalu@usc.edu

The Legend of Emma Rose

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student/Gemini
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Bella Estrada, a senior studying History at the University of Southern California, who hails from Los Angeles, California, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, amidst dinner and drinks, at the University of Southern California located Greenleaf, a popular post-class bar for many students at the prestigious institution.

Folk Performance: The Legend of Emma Rose.

Folk Type: Legend.

“There’s got to be school-wide folklore, right? I mean we’re a community” – Stanley Kalu

Story: ohhh, I have one! um, so when I was a freshman, there was this one girl who became notorious for adding every single person that was on the class of 2018 Facebook group and she ended up rushing Delta Gamma and she got a bid. But, her little social faux-pas of adding everyone made her the target of such social reprimand that she dropped out. She will go down in history as one of our classes’ craziest figures.

Background Information: Bella remembers this piece of folklore because she was actively against the reprimand of a girl just trying to make friends. She learned of this through the aforementioned Facebook group.

Context Performance: This piece of folklore actually stems from the digital realm and was largely performed over the Internet.

The context of Bella’s rehashing of the tale was done after our “Forms of Folklore” class taught by Tok Thompson because the both of us had a folklore collection project due.

Thoughts: This situation is an act of cyber-bullying, which showcases the darker side of folklore. Folk-Persons, historically, have been paragons of strength and awe—take the Legend of Davy Crockett or the Tales of Tom Sawyer for example—it is interesting then to see it function in an opposite manner.

Don’t Wear White After Labor Day.

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student/Gemini
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/10/18.
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish.

Bella Estrada, a senior studying History at the University of Southern California, who hails from Los Angeles, California, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, amidst dinner and drinks, at the University of Southern California located Greenleaf, a popular post-class bar for many students at the prestigious institution.

Folk Performance: Don’t Wear White After Labor Day.

Folk Type: Proverb.

“You’re pretty into fashion, right? Any folklore related to that?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: So…I’m not sure if this is a nation-wide thing or just specific to California but I was always told growing up to not wear white past labor day. I don’t know what the origins of this social faux-pas/fashion faux pas is but it’s a proverb nonetheless.

Background Information:

The fashion rule came into effect late 1800s and early 1900s. Post Civil War, there was a sudden rise in “new-money” families and the sudden rise in millionaires threated the way of life for the “more respectable, old-money families.” In the 1880’s, the old money women created a bunch of rules designed to exclude the “new-money families.” This folk-practice was one of the many exclusionary rules.

Context Performance: As aforementioned, this was a practice used to exclude “new-money families” from high-society situations. This would include balls, galas, garden parties, and the opera.

The context of Bella’s rehashing of the tale was done after our “Forms of Folklore” class taught by Tok Thompson because the both of us had a folklore collection project due.

Thoughts: This appears to be an inversion of the traditional function of “folklore” as described by Abrahams, in the sense that it is folk that was spread by high-society, which is to say it is top-down, rather than the traditional bottom-up movement.

 

 

 

 

The Chad Meme

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student/Gemini
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Bella Estrada, a senior studying History at the University of Southern California, who hails from Los Angeles, California, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, amidst dinner and drinks, at the University of Southern California located Greenleaf, a popular post-class bar for many students at the prestigious institution.

Folk Performance: The Chad Meme.

Folk Type: Meme.

Story: I think this is more college vernacular, but there’s a proverb that goes “don’t be such a Chad.” and a Chad is essentially the manifestation of douchebag traits like, I don’t know, just being a douche.

Background Information: The Chad Meme became incredibly popular around USC through the local meme page: USC Memes for Spoiled Pre-Teens. The page, more often than not, targets the highly active Greek Life community at the university. the term “Chad” refers a typical frat boy.

Bella likes this term because, as a feminist, she finds Greek Life deplorable. She learned the term from the meme page.

Context of Performance: The context of Bella’s rehashing of the tale was done after our “Forms of Folklore” class taught by Tok Thompson because the both of us had a folklore collection project due.

Thoughts: The term seems to be a reaction against the exclusivity and elitism associated with Greek Life. Those who are outside of it feel marginalized, at times, and battle against that feeling with humor.

 

The Maria Alvarez (A Ghost Story)

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: Student
Residence: Chula Vista, San Diego.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Ethan Newmayer, a free-lance photographer working for Louis Vuitton, who hails from, Chula Vista, San Diego, three pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, in his bedroom, The interview was run, within his studio, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California.

Folk Performance: The Maria Alvarez (A Ghost Story).

Folk Type: Legend.

“Do you have any scary stories? Heard of any, even in passing?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: Maria Alverez’s Ghost Story, um, she got to her apartment the other day and I think her roommate was out of town and when she walked in her record player started playing. It was Ed Sheeran record? Just automatically by itself. Which is just kind of freaky. Especially cause Ed Sheeran.

Background Information: There is a long-standing tradition of ghosts being able to manipulate the physical world without being seen. As such, the concept of objects being moved, without human contact, immediately conjures the image of otherworldly spirits.

Ethan performed this in his bedroom as a retelling of his girlfriend’s experience.

Context of Performance: Ethan remembered this piece of folklore because he is dating the person that experienced the ghost. It is important to him because it is important to the person he cares about.

Thoughts: The Ed Sheeran comment is all I really think about when I interact with this piece of folklore. Never before have I heard of a ghost simply having poor taste.

 

 

White Lighters

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: Photographer
Residence: Chula Vista, San Diego
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

Ethan Newmayer, a free-lance photographer working for Louis Vuitton, who hails from, Chula Vista, San Diego, three pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, in his bedroom, The interview was run, within his studio, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California

Folk Performance: White Lighters.

Folk Type: Folk Belief.

“I feel like there’s a ton of meaning imbued into everyday objects, particularly in the art world—the cigarette, the paintbrush…” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: It’s more of a widespread thing, but the white lighter myth, you know what I mean? It’s part of like the twenty-seven club, um, like famous musicians that died at age twenty-seven supposedly with a white lighter in their pockets. So, if you have a white light, especially if you’re 27, it’s just bad news. You might die. But white lighters in general are seen as bad luck.

Background information: The background of the white lighter curse was described within the story. The legend is primarily based on the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain.

Context of performance: The Marijuana sub-culture adopted this legend as true and, as such, it is a widespread within the state of California.

Ethan learned about this from his peers in high school and likes it because it relates to musicians that he really respects.

Thoughts: This legend has been debunked several times. Kurt Cobain did not have a white lighter. The Bic Company didn’t even produce white lighters when Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison were alive. I suppose it persists, in part, due to cognitive dissonance and because it is lumped together with the true story of great musicians dying at 27.