Author Archives: kalu@usc.edu

Step on a Crack, Break Your Mother’s Back.

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student.
Residence: Flemington, New Jersey.
Performance Date: 4/22/18.
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Michael Gordon, a junior studying Pop Music at the University of Southern California, who hails from Flemington, New Jersey, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

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

Folk Performance: Step on a Crack, Break Your Mother’s Back.

Folk Type: Proverb.

“Got any proverbs? I don’t think I have enough proverbs. There was an emphasis on variety in the description of this project.” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: I feel like this is a popular one, “step on a crack, break your mother’s back.”

Background Information: The origin of the common, uniquely American superstition ranges back to the late 19th and early 20th century and was originally “Step on a crack and your mother’s baby will be black” or “Step on a crack and your mother will turn black.” A clear reference to the white supremacist perspective is common in the American psyche.

Michael learned the proverb on the playground and his attachment to it comes from the proverbs ubiquity and it’s tie to his early development.

Context of Performance: Michael performed this saying within his room but has not used the term in years. It is, as aforementioned, a playground saying and therefore is performed within that context.

Thoughts: It’s interesting that this has deep, racist roots that have been largely ignored as it’s been passed down through history. This seems to be a direct link the, to paraphrase of Alan Dundes, the “future orientation” of the American psyche. This nation continues to ignore it’s racist past, so it makes sense that this would occur within their proverbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proctor Valley (A Ghost Story).

Nationality: American.
Age: 23
Occupation: Photographer.
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: Proctor Valley (A Ghost Story).

Folk Type: Legend.

“So Ethan, tell me about this Ghost” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: It’s not a Ghost. It’s a haunted road called Proctor Valley. Proctor Valley road in Chula Vista. You’re not supposed to drive down that road at night because cars disappear and people disappear. It’s this like dirt road, it’s a great shortcut from one side of town to another but no one goes that way because there is no infrastructure. Like no light, so if your headlights go out you’re essentially driving in the dark. I guess, not really that haunted more like sketchy but there are legends around it.

Background information: Proctor Valley was originally a farm-scape with a livestock mutilation problem. The mutilation incidents led the inhabitants of the area to believe that a monster roamed the area. An 18-inch cast of its footprints, currently preserved at the Bonita Museum in Chula Vista, confirmed its existence.

The haunted area took on new life, however, in the 1960’s in line with the normalization of automobiles. Teens would go to Proctor Valley to have premarital coitus and, eventually, became known as a place where teenagers would disappear.

Ethan learned about this story from living in Chula Vista and having both his parents and friends warn him about the haunted area. It is an important to him because it is apart of his local identity.

Context of Performance: This is a local legend, but the context of performance comes in the form of a warning, particularly when someone wants to take said shortcut from one side of town to another.

Thoughts: My interest in this piece of folklore lies in its historical multiplicity and the real life impact of folklore. It appears, at least to me, that the area maintains it’s haunted status despite a multitude of changes within the community simply because it’s haunted status has been established. This, I posit, has led to the under development of the area which explains Ethan’s “sketchy” comment.

 

 

 

 

 

Breaking Wishbones.

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Flemington, New Jersey.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Michael Gordon, a junior studying Pop Music at the University of Southern California, who hails from Flemington, New Jersey, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

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

Folk Performance: Breaking Wishbones.

Folk Type: Folk-Practice.

“Are there any like really random practices? Like stuff you’d do unconsciously but, like, have no real context of?”

STORY: Yeah, the whole wishbone thing I’ve always thought was kinda confusing. You have a bone, right? And then you have the little joint in the middle and it’s like, it makes a V and two people pull the V and whoever gets the joint…do they make a wish? Wait, so before you break it both of the pulling parties make a wish and whoever gets the longest part will have their wish come true. Yeah.

Background information: The ritual of breaking a wishbone has its ties in Medieval Europe. The Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilization, believed geese had prophetic powers residing within their bones.

Michael learned the proverb on the playground and his attachment to it comes from the proverbs ubiquity and it’s tie to his early development.

Context of Performance: The appropriate context of this folk practice is described within the story.

Michael learned this act on the playground, from friends. It’s importance to him

Thoughts: Throughout this project, I’ve noticed that much of the folklore that one remembers is learned in early childhood. I suppose this occurs because as we grow, our views become more solidified. When we are children, we are at our most malleable and, therefore, seem to take in the most information.

 

 

 

Beer Pong Rules (Common underage drinking game).

Nationality: American.
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Flemington, New Jersey.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Michael Gordon, a junior studying Pop Music at the University of Southern California, who hails from Flemington, New Jersey, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

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

Folk Performance: Beer Pong Rules (Common underage drinking game).

Folk Type: Folk-Practice.

“How do you play pong where you’re from?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: Oh My God, everyone plays it so different. The thing that’s different, I remember…like if you shoot the shot and you or your partner makes it. The other team is supposed to take the cup away, like immediately. If they don’t and you or your partner sinks another shot in the same cup then its game over cause the other team didn’t take their drink. How people play here is if you get the ball into the cup, the other team will just leave it there until your partner takes his shot.

Background Information: Michael enjoys this piece because the drinking culture on the east coast is particularly strong. He learned of it in high-school while drinking with his friends.   

Context of Performance: The context was illustrated in the story section.

Thoughts: I’ve never understood drinking games. Why not just drink? Why go through such a process for the same effect? seems inefficient.

Eye contact during toasts (A common drinking gesture)

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Flemington, New Jersey.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Michael Gordon, a Junior studying Pop Music at the University of Southern California, who hails from Flemington, New Jersey, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

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

Folk Type: Folk-Speech.

Folk Performance: Eye contact during toasts (A common drinking gesture).

“Any drinking rituals out on the east coast?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: Story-time, Mike again, if you do a cheers or a toast you gotta clink glasses and if you do, you need to make eye contact with each person that you’re about to toast with and when you take your drink you need to be making eye-contact with one of the other people and if you don’t it’s bad like and the cheers is forfeit.

Background Information: Michael enjoys this piece because the drinking culture on the east coast is particularly strong. He learned of it in high-school while drinking with his friends.   

Context of Performance: The context was illustrated in the story section.

Thoughts: There are theories that this practice stemmed from the frequent poisonings that would happen in European Court culture but i’m not sure how that applies to looking into people’s eyes. I wasn’t able to find any concrete reasons why this practice exists. So my current thought is frustration.