Author Archives: Will Hagle

Folktale— Korean

Nationality: American. Self-Identified Ethnicity: Korean
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/25/11
Primary Language: English
Language: Korean

The tale as told by Soojin:  “Alright so once upon a time, there was a little frog who never listened to anything his mother asked him to do.  So if his mom asked him not to jump, he would jump.  If she asked him not to eat candy before dinner, he would eat a bunch. If she told him to wash his face before going to bed, he would roll around in the mud and stuff.  Basically, he was a pretty bad son.

So the frog’s mom had always wanted to be buried in the mountains when she died because if she was buried by the beach, her body would be washed away.  But knowing that her son would never listen to her, she purposely told him that when she died, she wanted to be buried by the sea.

Okay so, one day, his mother got really sick and was on her death bed and told him again that she wanted to be buried by the sea.  The son frog, who was, um, feeling really guilty after his mom’s death, decided that he would honor her last wish and bury her by the sea, which was the opposite of what she truly wanted.

So he buried her by the sea and it started to rain. He ran to where he buried her and started to cry, which for frogs is croaking, and he realized what he had done and felt awful about disobeying his mom and the fact that her body might be washed away.

This is why frogs croak when it rains.”

Soojin told me that his mother told this story to him and his brother when they were both younger.  He said he doesn’t know if it’s a popular story in Korea, but he assumes that it is because other Koreans he has met are familiar with a version of the story.  Soojin also said that he never knew why they were frogs aside from the ending, because the explanation of why they croak when it rains doesn’t really seem to be the true point of the story.

Instead, Soojin told me that the true point of the story is to convince children to obey their parents.  He also said the story is also about building trust.

Because Soojin’s mother told him this story, it makes sense that the story would be about obeying your parents and building trust.  For the most part, Soojin’s analysis seems correct.

I also think the story is simply a way to explain an otherwise inexplicable phenomenon to children.  Even though Soojin said he didn’t know why the characters were frogs, the final line of the tale is definitely in there for a reason.  It probably seems strange to hear the sounds of frogs croaking when it starts raining, so this story provides an entertaining explanation for the phenomenon.  When children hear frogs croaking, they might be reminded of the story… and subsequently reminded of its moral— to obey one’s parents.

Neptune Day

Nationality: American. Self-Identified Ethnicity: Caucasian
Age: 24
Occupation: Graduate Student
Residence: Costa Mesa, CA
Performance Date: 4/23/11
Primary Language: English

Sarah told me that “Neptune Day” is a traditional seafaring holiday that occurs when a boat passes through the equator.  She learned of this tradition while on “Semester at Sea”— a study abroad program in which students from different colleges take classes on a ship that travels to different countries throughout the world.  When the ship crossed the equator, many passengers both male and female shaved their heads.

Although Sarah did not participate in the head-shaving activity specifically, she did participate in the ritual of having fish guts dumped on top of her head.  She said that this is an initiation ritual for those that have never crossed the equator by sea before, and it is done to please King Neptune.  If you haven’t crossed the equator and gone through the tradition, you are considered a “pollywog.”  After the ceremony, you are considered a “Shellback.”  Sarah didn’t remember exactly what these terms meant, but she remembers them being used.

Sarah told me that after the fish guts are dumped on your head, you must then swim through a pool filled with more fish guts and ultimately kiss a dead fish.  Sarah told me that she learned this tradition from her professors on the ship, and that there was a huge celebration on Neptune Day.

Sarah thought that at one point in history, this tradition was likely taken seriously.  People probably felt superstitious enough to shave their heads and kiss dead fish in order to please King Neptune.  However, she didn’t really remember much of the history behind the tradition.

In Sarah’s case, it seems as if the ceremonial tradition is simply like a holiday for the passengers on the boat.  It’s a way to teach the students about seafaring traditions while giving them a memorable, unique experience.

Furthermore, it’s a more informal initiation ritual.  After becoming “Shellbacks,” the students can like they truly accomplished something.  They feel as if they’ve participated in a unique, global tradition even if they don’t really believe in the superstition of pleasing King Neptune.

Folktale

Nationality: Turkish. Self-Identified Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/20/11
Primary Language: Turkish
Language: English

The tale as told by Ahmet:   “Nasrettin Hoca goes to his neighbor’s house to ask to borrow a pan.  A week later when he returns it, he returns it along with a smaller pan.  His neighbor says, ‘What is this other smaller pan?  This isn’t mine.’  Nasrettin Hoca says, ‘Your pan had a baby.’  The neighbor’s quite confused but, whatever, he takes both the pans.  Time passes and Nasrettin Hoca goes back to borrow the pan from his neighbor again.  When he returns it, the same thing happens again, he returns it with a smaller pan.  His neighbor asks, ‘What is this other smaller pan?’  Nasrettin Hoca says, ‘Oh, your pan had another baby.’  So, uh, the neighbor takes both pans.  Again, Nasrettin Hoca comes back to borrow the pan and this time a few weeks pass and he doesn’t bring it back.  So the neighbor goes to Nasrettin Hoca and asks, ‘Hey, where’s my pan?’  And Nasrettin Hoca says, ‘I’m really sorry, but your pan passed away.’  The neighbor says, ‘That’s ridiculous, pans don’t die.‘  Nasrettin Hoca says, ‘What do you mean?  You believed me when I said your pan had a baby.’”

Ahmet informed me that Nasrettin Hoca (pronounced “hoe ra”) is a common character in Turkey that is used to tell stories that teach some sort of lesson.  He said that there are several different stories that involve the character, and all of them have some obvious moral purpose.  He said that these stories are typically told to children, and that this one was always his favorite because it’s slightly ridiculous and funny.

Ahmet said that he learned this story from his parents when he was younger and living in Turkey.  He doesn’t exactly remember how, when or why he heard the story, but he knows that it has stuck with him since he’s been a child.

Ahmet said that he thinks this particular Nasrettin Hoca story means that people sometimes tend to believe certain things only if they benefit them.  This story is supposed to teach people consistency.  The neighbor believes that his pan had a baby which is absurd and ridiculous, but since he’s getting an extra pan he doesn’t say much about it.  But when the time comes and his pan is missing and he hears the absurd excuse that his pan died, then he’s angry because he obviously lost something.

I think Ahmet pretty much nailed the reason behind the story’s existence, as it seems to be teaching the lesson that people should be consistent and that they should not accept wrongful or unusual occurrences only when those occurrences benefit them.

Also, I think Nasrettin Hoca probably shows up in many different stories that each teach a different moral message because he’s a likable character that kids can trust.  Because kids already know Nasrettin Hoca from other stories, they’re more likely listen to the moral messages delivered by the character in future stories.  This is a clever device used by parents and adults to teach children specific lessons.

Ghost Riding The Whip

Nationality: American. Self-Identified Ethnicity: Blend of Japanese, Caucasian and Mexican
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/26/11
Primary Language: English

Video Examples:  http://vimeo.com/22972127

Drew told me that ghost riding the whip is when you blast hyphy music in your car (“whip” is slang for “car”), open up the doors and dance along the car, on the hood, or on top of the car while the vehicle rolls forward slowly in drive or neutral.  Drew described “Hyphy” music as mid-tempo hip hop with unusual slang and goofy lyrics commonly found in the Bay Area.    The type of music encourages its listeners to “go dumb” and have fun with themselves rather than having any serious political philosophy or emotional relevance.  Drew explained that the style was popularized by artists like Mac Dre, E-40 and Too $hort.  People often ghost ride the whip in areas like Oakland at events called “sideshows,” in which large groups of people get together, play loud music, and basically have huge parties in the middle of the street.

Drew learned how to ghost ride the whip from the juniors and seniors in his high school when he was a freshman or sophomore.  He said he and his friends performed the activity a few times throughout high school, usually late at night on abandoned streets.  He said that he also did it once in his high school parking lot.  He claimed that people mostly did it just because it was funny and because they had seen Bay Area rappers doing it in videos.

Drew said he thinks people ghost ride because the act is funny and a part of hyphy culture.  If you want to feel like a part of the hyphy movement, you’ll ghost ride the whip at some point in your life.  Also, it’s fun.

In the videos included at the beginning of the post, Drew and his friend Gordy (also from the Bay Area) demonstrate common dances associated with ghost riding the whip.  However, they told me that you can pretty much dance however you want.  The only rule is that the car has to be moving by itself and blasting hyphy music.

I agree with Drew’s analysis that people ghost ride the whip mostly because it’s fun and funny.  I also would ghost ride the whip with my friends a few times in high school, simply because we felt as if we were doing something funny that we had seen rappers from Oakland do in videos online.

Also, ghost riding has an element of danger attached to it, as there’s always the fear that your car might get out of control and crash.  This makes the practice especially exciting for kids who have just learned how to drive and are rebellious and willing to test their limits.  The fact that Drew did this in his high school parking lot demonstrates that the practice is associated with youthful rebelliousness.

Also, ghost riding and the other aspects of “hyphy” are largely linked to Oakland and the greater Bay Area.  Even though the action is performed by people throughout the country, it’s most commonly found in Oakland.  Thus, ghost riding gives people a sense of identity and community.  It also distinguishes the hip hop scene from other hip hop scenes found throughout the country.

This practice can be found in the film Ghostride The Whip: The Hyphy Movement, a documentary by Peter Sprier released in 2008.  The documentary depicts examples of members of Oakland’s hip hop scene participating in sideshows, ghost riding the whip and doing other tricks with cars.  It highlights the danger surrounding the practice, but also explains how hyphy is a movement that shapes Bay Area identity and youth culture.  Popular Bay Area rappers like Keek Da Sneek appear in the film and explain the ghost riding phenomenon.

The practice has also been written about in several news publications, such as this article in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122600994_pf.html

References to ghost riding the whip can also be found in songs such as “Ghost Ride It” by Mistah FAB, featured on the album Da Yellow Bus Rydah.

Joke— India

Nationality: American. Ethnicity: Indian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/21/11
Primary Language: English

The joke as performed by Anish:  “Okay, so, one Sardar was tanning on the beach in England.  A lady asked him, ‘Are you relaxing?’  Sardar answered, ‘No, I am Banta Singh.’  And then another guy came by and asked the same question.  Sardar answered the same way, ‘No, I’m Banta Singh.’  And then, uh, a third person came by and asked the same question again, so Sardar got mad and decided to move positions on the beach.  While he was walking he saw another Sardar and asked him, ‘Are you relaxing?’  The other Sardar was much smarter and responded, ‘Yes, I am relaxing.’  So the Sardar slapped him on the face and yelled at him, saying, ‘You idiot, how can you be just sitting here while everyone’s out looking for you?”

Anish informed me that the Sardar joke is a popular joke type in India, comparable to the “dumb blonde” joke in the United States.  He said that most Indian people should be familiar with at least one Sardar joke, as even Indian people that have lived in the U.S. their entire lives know the joke type.  He learned this particular joke and several other similar jokes at school from his friends in India when he was a young teenager.  He said that he always considered this joke cheesy, but it was also one of the funniest of its type.

Anish also explained that “Sardar” is a title for members of the Sikh class, a group of aristocrats and warriors in India.  In this particular joke, the point is that “relaxing” sounds like “Relax Singh,” and most members of the Sikh class have the last name “Singh.”  Although the Sikh class is an upper class in India, its members are stereotypically stupid and unaware of what’s going on.

In the U.S., “dumb blonde” jokes seem to be a way of pointing out faults in an otherwise rich, popular and attractive type of person.  The Sardar joke functions in a very similar way.  Although the Sikh class is higher and more respected, these jokes offer a way for the lower classes to expose their faults in an acceptable manner.  For the most part, the jokes are lighthearted and not truly offensive.  Thus, the jokes offer a way for lower classes to be rebellious against their superiors but in a humorous and inoffensive manner.

Anish performed this joke in a room with two white people and one other person who identified his ethnicity as Indian, although he explained that he was born in Michigan.  Only Anish and the other Indian person laughed at the joke because it is linked so specifically with India and the caste system.