Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about and descriptions of the early 20th century African American originated social dance called the "Texas Tommy". The Texas Tommy is considered to be the first swing dance.

Two film clips of "The Texas Tommy" are also showcased in this post.

This post also includes a film clip of the early Lindy Hop as shown in the 1929 movie "After Seben". That film clip is included because a summary of one of the Texas Tommmy videos indicates that its apparent from the dance sequences shown in "After Seben" film that the Texas Tommy is one source of the early Lindy Hop.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these film clips and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these film clips on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE "TEXAS TOMMY"
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Excerpt #1
From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3tex1.htm
"The Texas Tommy... is said by many to be the first swing dance. The main reason being is that during this period(1909), all the couples dances were done in "closed position," while the Texas Tommy was supposedly the first modern couples dance of the time to include the "break-away" step(energetically dancing from closed to open position and back) while using the basic 8 count rhythm of swing dance.

...Many dance bands of the day would travel the "band circuit" from San Francisco thru Mississippi to Kentucky, New Orleans etc., and end in New York and then start back again. The first written record was in San Francisco, California in1909. Many dance bands or composers of the day would write dance music that had the directions for doing the dance in the verses, such as the Maxixe, Texas Tommy, Bunny Hug, Grizzly Bear, Turkey Trot etc. At the time, many Composer / Musicians would look for a new dance to write a song about.

...Tommy by the way was a slang term for a "Trench or Foot Soldier" in the 1890-1910's, which the song title could be saying Texas Soldier. A 'Texas' Tommy is said to be a female prostitute who also worked the trenches and/ or walked the streets in the early 1900s.

The Texas Tommy may go all the way back to the Civil War... however unlikely; There was a famous black dancer named "Tom from Palestine, " Texas, that was known for "putting a glass of water on his head and making his feet go like trip-hammers and sounding something like a snare drum," he would "whirl around and such" while all his movements were from the "waist down, without spilling a drop of water." He was known as "The Jigginest fellow ever was" (sounds like Juba .) Although this does not sound like a swing dance and obviously more directly a Tap/Clog/Jig dancer because he danced by himself, and was probably doing a form of Jig or Buck dancing, he may have later had something to do with the rhythms and such but doubtful. Another may have been in east Texas, by a well known Blues Pioneer "Ragtime Texas Henry" Thomas who in the late 1800's played at many "Juke Joints" along the way to his fame.”...

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Example #2:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Tommy_(dance)
"The Texas Tommy is a vigorous social dance for couples that originated in San Francisco in the early twentieth century.[1]

...Description
Some social dance historians have argued that the Texas Tommy was the first swing dance. The argument is that it was the first social dance using the basic 8-count rhythm of swing dance to include a breakaway step from the closed position of other couple dances of the time.[9] Ethel Williams, who helped to popularize the dance in New York in 1913, described it as a "kick and a hop three times on each foot followed by a slide." The basic steps are followed by a breakaway, an open position that allowed for acrobatics, antics, improvisations, and showing off. Working from an old film of the dance, she also described it as having a basic pattern of "a loose step, hop-kick, step, hop-kick, run, run, run, run" and identified a "useful variation" of four step-kicks that "agrees with the open and improvisational manner that the Texas Tommy was described to have in many of the written references."[10]....

Original sheet music
The "Texas Tommy Swing" was composed by Sid Brown, with lyrics by Val Harris, and was published by the World's Fair Publishing Company in San Francisco in January or February 1911. The sheet music cover was designed in the form of the front page of a newspaper, with the headline reading "The Dance That Makes the Whole World Stare." The faux newspaper included reprints of three articles from the San Francisco Examiner, headlined "Pavlowa Endorsed Texas Tommy Swing,""Mrs. Oelriches Liked Texas Tommy Swing," and "The Story of the Dance," which is transcribed here:

A breath from the cotton fields - the grizzly bear, the loving hug, the walk-back and the turkey-trot all blend in Texas Tommy Swing.

The Texas Tommy Swing invades the north and east like a dainty zephyr from the perfumed cotton fields of the sunny South. The rhythm of the Grizzy Bear, the inspiration of the Loving Hug, the grace of the Walk-Back and the abandon of the Turkey-Trot all belend in the harmony of the Texas Tommy Swing, which was really the parent of all the others.

The dance originated more than forty years ago among the negroes of the old Southern plantations. Every little movement has a meaning all its own to the heart truly in tune with nature. The graceful harmonies of the song and dance reflect the joyous spirit of the negro race, the care-free actions of the Dinahs and the Sams who gathered outside the cabin doors on moonlit nights and to the twang of the banjo or the scrape of the fiddle, vented the rhapsodies of mind and body in a purely natural way.

Here and there a raucous discord like the squaking voice of a chicken in distress breaks in upon the frivolous melody of the theme or a plaintive note brings a reminder of the tear always so close to the laugh in the negro nature.

Southern darkies brought the dance and a suggestion of the melody to San Francisco several years ago, and there upon the Barbary Coast it was rounded into perfect harmony. It took the place by storm. Eastern people interested in dancing took it up. Stage favorites seized upon its absorbing rhapsodies.
Society men and women accepted and adopted it. Pavlowa, the Czar's favorite dancer, went into raptures over it and incorporated it in her repertoire. Leaders of the four hundred all over the country regard it as one of the sights of San Francisco and endorse it to their friends on their return.

In tangible and concrete form this inspiring, historic and dramatic song and dance is now presented to the public for the first time, in Texas Tommy Swing.

-snip-
Notes and references [for the book that contained the passage given in blockquotes]
Albert and Josephine Butler, "Texas Tommy," in The Encyclopedia of Social Dance (New York: Albert Butler Ballroom Dance Service, 1971)."

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: A 1914 film showing black people dancing in a dance hall - Great dance moves. Getting jiggy with it!



ricsil2037, Published on Jul 21, 2012

...This is a 1914 film showing black people dancing on a dance floor. They are getting jiggy with it. Interior of a Black dance hall with band and dancers.

DISCLAIMER: This video is part of the Prelinger Archives with the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0 license. This video is in the Public Domain.
-snip-
Some commenters in that "video's" discussion thread indicated that one of the dances that the dancers were doing was the "Texas Tommy".

Here are links to two other YouTube examples of this film clip with added sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpEVCiAG70c
American dancers in 1914, jazz dance in a black club with Kid Ory's 'Ballin' the Jack'

**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOk4oArl3Tk Dancing (1914)

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Example #2: The original Texas Tommy



Richard Powers, Published on Jan 11, 2015

An amateur film shot in San Francisco around 1910, showing the one-step in a dance hall, then the Texas Tommy in the street, then another couple doing the Texas Tommy in an indoor dance hall. The Texas Tommy was the earliest version of swing dancing. Two of the African American Texas Tommy dancers - Ethel Williams and Johnny Peters - traveled to New York (Harlem) in 1911, where the transplanted Texas Tommy became popular, mostly as a vaudeville act, then evolved into an easier social dance version at the Savoy Ballroom (1926), which then became the Lindy hop by 1928. Watch Shorty George Snowden and his Savoy Ballroom dancers dance the 1929 version in "After Seben" and the roots of the Texas Tommy are apparent.
-snip-
African American dancers are shown in this film clip beginning at .015

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ADDENDUM -"After Seben" Film Clip
(that is mentioned in the summary to the "video" given as Example #2 above)

After Seben (1929)



Swungover, Published on Oct 2, 2013

This clip from 1929 is by most accounts the birth of Lindy Hop on film.
-snip-
*"After Seben" = "After Seven" (meaning, in the evening; at night)

Here's the summary of another YouTube video of this same film clip ("Early Savoy Lindy Hop", posted by Richard Powers, Published on Jan 11, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9E4Aq4K_p8
""Shorty" George Snowden and his dancers from the Savoy Ballroom, dancing to music by Chick Webb And His Orchestra, in the 1929 film "After Seben." Note that each couple not only has a different style, but also a different timing. Couple #1 dances it QQ-S, rock-step first, and includes 6-count timing at the end. Couple #2 is clearly S-QQ, side-step first, as is couple #3, Shorty Snowden. Over the next five years the music changed to a swung rhythm, and the slow step of the QQ-S timing was replaced with a triple step."

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part series about stereotypical images in the 1937 "A Day At The Races" movie's Lindy Hop dance scene.

Part I presents information about the American movie "A Day At The Races" and showcases three film clips (videos) from that 1937 movie.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/black-stereotypes-in-1937-movie-day-at_9.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides an excerpt of a 2011 thesocietypages.org/socimages.com blog post entitled "Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes" as well as selected comments from that article's discussion thread. With the exception of two comments, the comments that are quoted in that post were written by me.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these film clips. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these film clips on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOVIE "A DAY AT THE RACES"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Day_at_the_Races_(film)
"A Day at the Races (1937) is the seventh film starring the three Marx Brothers, with Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones, and Maureen O'Sullivan. Like their previous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature A Night at the Opera, this film was a major hit.[1]

Plot
Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx) is a veterinarian who is hired as chief of staff for the Standish Sanitarium, owned by Judy Standish (Maureen O'Sullivan), at the insistence of her most important patient, the wealthy Mrs. Emily Upjohn, (Margaret Dumont), who insists on being treated only by Dr. Hackenbush. The Sanitarium has fallen on hard times, and banker J.D. Morgan (Douglas Dumbrille) is attempting to gain control of the sanitarium in order to convert the building into a casino...

Meanwhile, Judy's beau, singer Gil Stewart (Allan Jones), who performs in Morgan's nightclub, has spent his life's savings on a racehorse named Hi-Hat. His hope is that the horse, which he purchased from Morgan, will win a big race and the money will allow Judy to save the sanitarium. Unfortunately, he now has no money to pay for the horse's feed, and he and Tony (Chico Marx), who works for the sanitarium, and Stuffy (Harpo Marx), Hi-Hat's jockey, have to resort to trickery to fend off the Sheriff (Robert Middlemass)....

Music
The songs in the film, by Bronislaw Kaper, Walter Jurmann, and Gus Kahn, are "On Blue Venetian Waters", "Tomorrow Is Another Day," and "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" (which features Ivie Anderson from Duke Ellington's orchestra)....

The film also features a lindy hop dance sequence set to the tune of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm", and featuring Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, including Willamae Ricker, Snookie Beasley, Ella Gibson, George Greenidge, Dot Miller, Johnny Innis, Norma Miller and Leon James.[9] The dance sequence was nominated for the short-lived Academy Award for Best Dance Direction."...

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: A day at the races 1



Ugacchio, Published on Jul 17, 2013

Se ami il lindy-hop, questo ti piacerà !
Vero antiquariato (1937)

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Example #2: Lindy Hop - Marx Brothers Day at the Races 1937



Savoy Hop Published on Jan 30, 2014

A Day at the Races (1937) is the seventh film starring the three Marx Brothers, with Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones, and Maureen O'Sullivan.The film also features a lindy hop dance sequence set to the tune of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm", and featuring the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, including Willamae Ricker, Snookie Beasley, Ella Gibson, George Greenidge, Dot Miller, Johnny Innis, Norma Miller and Leon James.[8] The dance sequence was nominated for the short-lived Academy Award for Best Dance Direction
-snip-
Note: This film clip is the Lindy Hop dance scene that is also included in the video given as Example #1. I'm including this video in part because of its summary statement.

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Example #3: Who Dat Man? Why It's Gabriel! (A Day at the Races)



TurkleTone94, Published on Mar 25, 2015

Harpo Marx and friends in the iconic 1937 film A Day at the Races
-snip-
Here's a summary of this scene that I wrote in 2011*
"The scene begins with a White pied piper figure [one of the Marx brothers who were stars of the movie] playing his flute for a White couple who ignore him. He then moves on to the barnyard where he interrupts Black girls jumping rope, and Black children otherwise at play-the longest focus is of boys engaged in the lower class pastime of shooting dice. The children ask "Who dat man?" and answer "It's Gabriel!' (as in the Biblical archangel) singing a Gospel tinged song and following behind the pied piper.

Unlike the White couple who brush the pied piper off, the Black children and adults quickly drop what they are doing, form a circle and dance for the pied piper, and supposedly for themselves."
-snip-
*This summary is part of the excerpted comments that are featured in Part II of this series.

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This concludes Part I of this two part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part series about stereotypical images in the 1937 "A Day At The Races" movie's Lindy Hop dance scene.

Part II provides an excerpt of a 2011 thesocietypages.org/socimages.com blog post entitled "Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes" as well as selected comments from that article's discussion thread. With the exception of two comments, the comments that are quoted in that post were written by me.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/black-stereotypes-in-1937-movie-day-at.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents information about the American movie "A Day At The Races" and showcases three film clips (videos) from that 1937 movie.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, sociological, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks also to the Lisa Wade, the editor/moderator of the socimages blog post that is quoted here, and thanks to all others (besides myself) who are quoted in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR COMMENTS
As mentioned above, this post provides excerpts of a sociological blog post entitled "Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes". The post showcases the "All God's Chillum As Rhythm" film clip from the 1937 "A Day At The Races" movie. That post also showcases two 2011 Lindy Hop videos of White dancers from the European Swing Dance Championships (ESDC), as well as several other YouTube videos that are unrelated to Lindy Hop dancing. Unfortunately, (with the exception of the "A Day At The Races" film clip), the titles for those other videos aren't given in that blog post and those embedded videos can no longer be seen in that post.

The "A Day At The Races" movie and the two contemporary Lindy Hop videos are crucial to the blog post's discussion about race and about cultural appropriation. The "All God's Chillum As Rhythm" film clip is showcased in Part I of this series, but unfortunately, I've not been able to find those two Lindy Hop videos on YouTube.

The comments that are featured in this pancocojams blog post are given "as is" with no editorial changes or spelling corrections. All of these featured comments are from 2011.* These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comment given first. However, these comments aren't in consecutive order.
I've assigned numbers to these selected comments for referencing purposes only.I limited quotes in this blog post to the comments that I wrote (under my no longer active facebook page name "Cocojams Jambalayah") and two other quotes- one from that blog editor and one from another commenter.

I encourage pancocojams readers who are interested in these topics to read this entire discussion. The link for that blog post is found immediately below.

*There are a total of 67 comments in that socimages.com discussion. One comment from that discussion thread that isn't included in this compilation is from 2015. All of the other comments in that discussion are from 2011 and 2012.

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POST EXCERPT AND SELECTED COMMENTS
From https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/07/05/race-appropriation-lindy-hop-how-to-honor-our-heroes/"Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes" by Lisa Wade, PhD on July 5, 2011
"Though lindy hop was invented by African Americans, lindy hoppers today are primarily white. These contemporary dancers look to old movie clips of famous black dancers as inspiration. And this is where things get interesting: The old clips feature profoundly talented black dancers, but the context in which they are dancing is important. Professional black musicians, choreographers, and dancers had to make the same concessions that other black entertainers at the time made. That is, they were required to capitulate to white producers and directors who presented black people to white audiences. These movies portrayed black people in ways that white people were comfortable with: blacks were musical, entertaining, athletic (even animalistic), outrageous (even wild), not-so-smart, happy-go-lucky, etc.

So what we see in the old clips that contemporary lindy hoppers idolize is not a pure manifestation of lindy hop, but a manifestation of the dance infused by racism. While lindy hoppers today look at those old clips with nothing short of reverance, they are mostly naive to the fact that the dancing they are emulating was a product made to confirm white people’s beliefs about black people.

....

So we have a set of (mostly) white dancers who (mostly) naively and (always) wholeheartedly emulate a set of black dancers whose performances, now 70 to 80 years old, were produced for mostly white audiences and adjusted according to the racial ethos of the time. On the one hand, it’s neat that the dance is still alive; it’s wonderful to see it embodied, and with so much enthusiasm, so many years later. And certainly no ill will can be fairly attributed to today’s dancers. On the other hand, it’s troubling that the dance was appropriated then (for white audiences) and that it is that appropriation that lives on (for mostly white dancers). Then again, without those dancers, there would likely be no revival at all. And without those clips, however imperfect, the dance might have remained in obscurity, lost with the bodies of the original dancers....

I leave this as an open question for discussion, and one that extends far beyond lindy hop to jazz, blues, rap, and hip hop music; other forms of dance, like break dancing and pop and locking; and even the American obsession with spectating sports that are currently dominated by black athletes. It also extends far past the relationship between blacks and whites, as Adrienne Keene well illustrates in her blog, Native Appropriations.

How do white people, especially when they’re more or less on their racial own, honor art forms invented by oppressed racial groups without “stealing” them from those that invented them, misrepresenting them, or honoring them in ways that reproduce racism? You tell me… ’cause I’d like to know."

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Comments:
1. Cocojams Jambalayah (Azizi Powell)
"Firstly, as an African American whose maiden name is Manning, I've wish I could claim blood kinship with the great Frankie Manning. But no such kinship has been proven.

Lisa, I'm concerned that racism is so deeply rooted that even people like you who genuinely seem to love a Black cultural product, and genuinely admire those Black people associated with its creation/early years, end up using what I consider to be racist,stereotypical, offensive language to describe that creative product. I'm specifically referring to this quote:

Professional black musicians, choreographers, and dancers had to make the same concessions that other black entertainers at the time made. That is, they were required to capitulate to white producers and directors who presented black people to white audiences. These movies portrayed black people in ways that white people were comfortable with: blacks were musical, entertaining, athletic (even animalistic), outrageous (even wild), not-so-smart, happy-go-lucky, etc.

And this quote from a commenter two years ago which you agreed to:

A couple commenters asked how, exactly, the dance was changed in order to appeal to white audiences. This is actually really difficult to say, since few films of social dancing (black dancers dancing only for other black dancers) exist. But we have some theories. Evan, in the comments, had this suggestion:

For white audiences of the time, Jazz was Hot Black jungle music – Black people were sex crazy hedonists, and you can see it in the moves, the exaggerated body undulation. the speed. the sweat. the rhythmical drum.

It was like watching a tribe around a fire.

I’m with Evan.

However, in that post from two years ago whose link you provided above*, you did write that "I see incredibly effective technique. Unbelievable strength and precision. It’s fantastic. (By the way, Frankie explained that, by the time they got to the take you see in the Hellzapoppin’ clip, they’d performed that routine more
than 20 times in a row… they were amazing athletes.)". But this observation seems to be minimized by your other comments that I quoted and by your theory about Black dancers in those movies "wild-ing" their dancing.I'm particularly bothered by the use of the adjective "animalistic". There's a difference between performing dances that are imitative of animals, reptiles, and birds and being animalistic. The adjective "animalistic" feeds into racist images of Black people. Yet you used it two years ago and quote it now seemingly without any concern for its negative connotations.

Furthermore, instead of calling White people who produced, reviewed, or watched these movies out on their racism, you soft-pedaled that racism by writing that those movies "portrayed Black people in ways that white people were comfortable with".

For 5 1/2 years I blogged on another forum where some White bloggers were very knowledgable about Black Spirituals and other old-time music, and also were very knowledgeable about Blues, and Jazz music. There was no question that they knew and loved these genres of music. But after numerous comments posted by them, I concluded that they very much cared about that art for that arts sake, but cared very little for the people who created that art and even less for the descendants of those people.

I'm not saying that you fall into that category, Lisa. But this is what disturbs me so much about some non-Black people who are "in to" Black creative products."
-snip-
Comment added: Here's the link to that socimages post that I referred to in my comment: https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/04/27/race-entertainment-and-trans-racial-historical-borrowing-the-case-of-lindy-hop/ Race, Entertainment, And Historical Borrowing: The Case Of Lindy Hop, Lisa Wade, PhD on April 27, 2009

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Reply
2. Lisa_Wade Moderator to Cocojams Jambalayah
"Hi Cocojams,

I hear you, I do. Racism runs so deeply in the culture I am a part of, talking about race is so fraught, and our audiences so diverse in their knowledges and experiences... I am not sure that there's any statement I can make about race that is 100% good, only because of the many layers of ideas that must all be talked about simultaneously and the fact that different people will hear different things. So I try to make statements that are mostly good, and I accept that I will make mistakes, and I try to be humble when those mistakes are pointed out to me."
-snip-
This comment is given in full. The ellipsis (...) are part of that original comment.

**
3. Cocojams Jambalayah
"Some observations about the Day of The Races video provided above:* It seems to me that the only racist depictions in that particular dance scene were the wide eyed wide smiling look that the "heavy set" man makes at .046 and the same wide eyed wide smiling expression at 1:05 and 1.06 made by the showcased young woman and young man. The woman and man also make a "hidey hidey ho" movement which I consider to be stereotypical and offensive in combination with the fake wide eyed, widely smiley look.

Looking at that video again, I'd also add the crowd's "ho ho hey hey" refrain with arms swung up and down (.045).

I think those are the types of facial expressions and gestures that were added to the movie to fit White folks stereotypes of Black people. I doubt that they were part of the repertoire of dance moves in all Black venues, and hope that they are not replicated by contemporary White swing dancers. Also, I think that the heavy set man is featured in the dance scene for comic relief but he's an excellent, skillfull dancer notwithstanding his weight.
-snip-
*Comment added: The time stamps given above are probably incorrect as I'm referring to a video that is no longer available on YouTube. I believe that the video given as Example #1 and the video given as Example #3 in Part I of this pancocojams series comprise that complete dance scene.

**
4. Cocojams Jambalayah
"For the sake of those who may happen upon this discussion, here's a link to a longer version of this Day At The Races dance scene:

[video embedded but in 2011 no longer available on YouTube due to copyright infringement]

The scene begins with a White pied piper figure [one of the Marx brothers who were stars of the movie] playing his flute for a White couple who ignore him. He then moves on to the barnyard where he interrupts Black girls jumping rope, and Black children otherwise at play-the longest focus is of boys engaged in the lower class pastime of shooting dice. The children ask "Who dat man?" and answer "It's Gabriel!' (as in the Biblical archangel) singing a Gospel tinged song and following behind the pied piper.

Unlike the White couple who brush the pied piper off, the Black children and adults quickly drop what they are doing, form a circle and dance for the pied piper, and supposedly for themselves.

This clip further displays and reinforces a prevailing White view at that time of Black people as coons-immature, happy, non-threatening, superstitous people who have rhythm."

**
5. Cocojams Jambalayah
"I revisited this discussion because of this journal article about Lindy hop that Lisa wrote which she cited in her blog post for August 1, 2011:

[Comment added: The link that is given in that blog post is no longer active. The journal article is entitled "The emancipatory promise of the habitus: Lindy hop, the body, and social change". This may be the same article: http://www.slideshare.net/lisawadephd/wade-talk-the-emancipatory-promise-of-the-habitus.]

Noëlle Gray, I appreciate all of your comments. I particularly appreciate your comments about how all musicians/artists build on art/music that came before them or was/is around them. Given that the United States is supposedly post-racial (ha!), I think it's telling that your Black co-worker was reluctant to attend a lindy hop class with you because she "couldn't believe that she could be in a room full of white people without feeling uncomfortable." However, I think that it's possible that rather than your Black co-worker realizing "that she wasn't black and the other students weren't white. "We were all just dancers", she may have realized that race wasn't all that important in the context of that particular experience.

I believe that it's almost impossible for Black people (and other People of Color) to turn off and on being Black (or another race/ethnicity). But sometimes race/ethnicity matters more than other times.

Furthermore, Noëlle, I believe that if there were more Black people who were lindy hoppers now, it's likely that the Lindy Hop dance would sometimes be performed differently than it's now performed by non-Black people.

I also believe that a person's race, and beliefs-such as being a feminist- can and often does influence her or his interpretation of the history, meaning, and performance of social dances such as the lindy hop.

One example of how I think a White, feminist template can color the description and interpretation of the Lindy hop is this quote from Lisa Wade's journal article:

"Lindy hop is directly derived from the Charleston (Malone,1996). Emerging during the first wave of modern feminism, the Charleston challenged the notion that women must be fragile or immobile and was characterized by angular and awkward movements (all knees and elbows), high-tempo movements, short hair, and boyish fashions.

Lindy hop retains elements of the Charleston and also its liberatory aesthetic.”

-snip-

Another comment from that same article that I believe reflects a White, feminist belief is

[Beginning female lindy hoppers] “come to dance with a feminine habitus that emphasizes grace and fragility instead of power and strength”.

-snip-

Perhaps that statement is true for most young Anglo-American females. After all, the overwhelming majority of Lindy hoppers in the United States are White. But given that demographical fact, I believe that it's very problematic when researchers such as Lisa Wade focus on gender and give barely a nod to how race, class, and age influence and inform the contemporary performances of the Lindy hop.

**
6. Cocojams Jambalayah
"I understand that Lisa was describing the views of White people who made or watched these movies when she wrote "These movies portrayed black people in ways that white people were comfortable with: blacks were musical, entertaining, athletic (even animalistic), outrageous (even wild), not-so-smart, happy-go-lucky". However, I don't have a clear sense if Lisa agrees with those descriptors as she didn't clearly decry those descriptors nor did she cite alternative descriptors except in the statement in her post two years ago (which she didn't include in this year's post) in which she writes "I see incredibly effective technique. Unbelievable strength and precision.It’s fantastic"..

Also, Lisa indicated that she agreed with Evan's statement that I quoted above. So, yes. I would have liked more clarification of Lisa's perceptions of those talented, skillful,creative jazz dancers and their talented. skillful, creative choreographers. I also would have liked a clearer statement from Lisa which acknowledged the racism of those White people who "portrayed Black people in ways that they were comfortable with".

**
7. Cocojams Jambalayah
"The wide eyed wide smiling facial expression is one characteristic of the "coon caricature". Click http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/ for more information about this stereotype.

Here's one excerpt from that article:

"The coon caricature is one of the most insulting of all anti-Black caricatures. The name itself, an abbreviation of raccoon, is dehumanizing. As with Sambo, the coon was portrayed as a lazy, easily frightened, chronically idle, inarticulate, buffoon. The coon differed from the Sambo in subtle but important ways. Sambo was depicted as a perpetual child, not capable of living as an independent adult. The coon acted childish, but he was an adult; albeit a good-for-little adult."

-snip-
[end of quote from http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/]
"One way this coon caricature was expressed was the wide eyed "seen a ghost" scared look that was popularized by Mantan Moreland, though that form of that facial expression isn't found in that Day At The Races scene. But I think it's important to note that the comedic focus on the fat Black man in the Day Of The Races scene alludes to more than a "jolly fat man", as he is meant to be an expression of the coon character."

**
8. Kayle to Cocojams Jambalayah
"I disagree. The jolly fat man is not evenly applied in cross-racial contexts. fat and jolly tends to e applied specifically in response to removing the stereotypical violent threat of the black male when read across cultures. White men can br fat and jolly and still have other white men represented as simply human in the same sphere. I'd say Black men in a racialized context tend to be presented in diametric contrast or alone (implied contrast), much like effeminate blackness is presented."

**
9. Reply
Cocojams Jambalayah to Kayle
"Kayle, if I understand you correctly, I agree with your comment. I believe that in the United States and in other "Western" nations , the fat man trope is an emasculating trope. A fat man is viewed as non-threatening, non-masculine, non-virile. However, another layer is added to this fat man trope by having that man dance-because the overall cultural assumption in the USA and in other Western nations is that fat people can't dance. Regrettable, having a fat person dance (whether male or female) was and still is usually automatically considered to be funny. That the fat man in that Day At The Races movie scene could dance so well -including doing a split-adds a surprise wow! factor to this scene. However, that surprise factor doesn't remove the cultural mesages that "a fat man dancing is funny" and a fat man dancing is non-threatening in a masculine way".

The laughter heard in the ESDC video shown above (presumably when the male dancer appears on stage in his fat suit) reinforces/recreates the meme that seeing a fat person dance is funny.

Adding in the race factor to this meme, the fat man dancing in that Day At The Races scene may also reinforce the meme that all (any) Black person can dance-a meme that is of course not true.*

My earlier comment about the coon aspect of the heavy set ("fat man") and other characters in the Day At The Races scene referred specifically to their wide eyed, wide grinning facial expressions. That coon expression and the coon trope further serve to present these Black people as child-like and non-threatening.

*All Black individuals aren't good dancers, and some non-Black individuals can dance better than some Black individuals. But, in general, many Black people are good dancers (according to my aesthetic definition of what "dancing good" means) because dancing, and in particular percussive rhythmic movement is highly valued and rewarded (by attention, and approval if nothing else) within Black cultures from an early age and throughout life."
-snip-
The asterisk and its comment are part of the 2011 discussion.

**
10. Cocojams Jambalayah
"I want to be clear that I definitely don't agree that the sight of fat people should automatically be considered funny (or seeing fat people doing certain things like dancing should automatically be considered funny). Nor do I agree that all men who are overweight aren't masculine (or all women who are overweight aren't feminine.)"

****
This concludes Part II of this two part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

The conventional wisdom is that the earliest source for or the only early source for the performance art known as "stepping" ("steppin'") is South African boot dancing. I've published other posts on this blog that question these assumptions and point to other early sources for fraternity and sorority stepping. Among those posts are:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/correcting-record-south-african-boot.html
Correcting The Record - South African Boot Dancing Isn't The Direct Source Of Fraternity & Sorority Stepping

and
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/military-influences-on-fraternity.html Military Influences On Fraternity & Sorority Steppin

and
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/when-did-historically-black-greek.html
When Did Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Stepping Begin?

This post focuses on the idea that the 1920s and 1930s African American originated dance called the "Lindy Hop" was one of the early sources of the African American originated performance art which is now known as stepping. This post particularly focuses on Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.'s "hopping", "marching", and "bop". The Omega bop, Omega marching and Omega hopping are performed during fraternity step shows and fraternity strolls, and as such can be considered a form of or style of stepping and strolling.

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The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who published these videos on YouTube.

****
COMMENTS ABOUT THE LINDY HOP AND STEPPING
Here's a comment from Elizabeth F. Fine, SoulStepping: African American Step Shows (University of Illinois Press, 2003; Page 162)
“Stepping in Omega Psi Phi fraternity may have been influenced by the lindy hop. According to Stephon D. Henderson (interview 25 May 1995), stepping began “at the Rho Chi chapter at Tennessee State –anywhere between 1941 and 1956” and was called “hopping” here. Brothers at Tennessee State and in that middle Tennessee area still refer to it as hopping, because it was first referred to as hopping.” A photograph captioned the “Omega Bop” in the 1969 Bison (221) shows Omega brothers standing on their right legs and kicking to the side in a movement reminiscent of the kicks done in the lindy hop."...

These comments refer to Tennessee State University Omega brothers hopping, but don't include any mention of the Lindy Hop:
From https://hbcustory.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/this-is-why-we-step-a-history-of-stepping-in-black-greek-lettered-life-culture/ This is Why We “Step” | A History of Stepping in Black Greek-Lettered Life + Culture, Posted on May 22, 2015 by CRYSTAL A. DEGREGORY, PH.D.
Comments:
MARTEZ MOORE says:
May 25, 2015
"The hop was first done with perfection at Tennessee State University, an ROTC student on line for Omega Psi Phi “Mighty” Rho Psi Chapter combined words and a military style March to create the first hop. This was in the early 50’s as your time line indicates. Stepping is different from hopping and not practiced by Omega’s, however hopping was the origin of this practice among greek letter organizations."

Reply
CRYSTAL A. GREGORY, PH.D. says:
May 26, 2015
"Dear Martez,
I received similar claims from members of the Omega’s Eta Psi chapter at Fisk, from much older members than you. I thought it important to begin a substantive conversation about BGLO traditions as a reminder that they have history meaning and should continue to have contemporary value. I invite you to make such definitive contributions with sources if possible–we’d certainly publish it–as well as the specificity of “hopping” as an form separate and apart from “stepping.”"
-snip-
These comments from Elizabeth F. Fine, SoulStepping book raises the possibility of South Africans incorporating Lindy Hop movements into early performances of the boot dance as a result of observing touring Black American companies in South Africa and/or as a result of South African studying in the United States in the 1930s:
[Veit] "Erlmann suggest that isicathulo dancers “frequently indulge in sophisticated solo stepping, prototypes of which had been available to migrant workers, from the mid-1920s through Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire movies as well as touring black tap dance groups.” Indeed, South Africans were exposed to African American music and dance traditions as early as 1890, when Orpheus M. McAdoo and the Virginia Jubilee Singers spent almost five years touring South Africa. In subsequent years, black South Africans came to the United States. One, the famous “ragtime composer Reuben T. Caluza, renowned “as a skilled isicathulo dancer”, enrolled in Virginia’s Hampton Institute in 1930 to earn a B.A. in music. Caluza and three other students from Africa formed the African Quartette performing both songs and dances along the East Coast.

... Caluza went on to earn a masters degree at Columbia University in 1935, where again he could have shared gumboot dancing with students.

[Jacqui] Malone notes that during the 1970s and 1980s gumboot dancing “was introduced in North American urban areas and showcased by many of the dance companies that performed styles of traditional African dances.” Evidence from Erlmann, however, suggest the possibility if a much earlier exposure to gumboot dancing and, conversely, the incorporation of African American influences into South African dances. Caluza’s story is only one small example of the continuous interactions among Africans and African Americans that created a complex interaction between music and dance forms on both continents. The founding director of the Soweto Dance

p. 79
Theatre, Jackie Semela, explains that just as South Africans were influenced in their music and dance by touring performers from the United States such as Duke Ellington, so too, did South African display their own dances..."

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LINDY HOP VIDEOS
Editor's note: I'm particularly interested in the side kicking that is performed by these dancers. Note also the split that the dancer performs in this first video.

Example #2: Lindy Hop - Marx Brothers Day at the Races 1937



Savoy Hop Published on Jan 30, 2014

**
Example #2: After Seben Early Lindy Hop



Savoy Hop, Published on Sep 25, 2014
-snip-
Here's information about this film clip from http://www.savoystyle.com/after_seben.html
"An early sound short set in a Harlem nightclub, featuring white vaudeville comic and eccentric dancer James Barton performing in blackface. He had a long career in film and tv, and is best remembered as "Kit" Carson in 'The Time of Your Life' (1948). Three Savoy Ballroom couples perform the latest dance styles, primarily Charleston. The last couple is Shorty Snowden and his partner. They are just terrific, although their style clearly looks dated to us.

Note how Snowden introduces Breakaway steps, to the closed-form Charleston and you'll feel like you are witnessing the birth of the Lindy Hop, which, in fact, was the name that Snowden gave to the dance he was doing. The couple exit exuberantly with a Cake Walk.

Music by the Savoy Ballroom house band, Chick Webb and his Orchestra."

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OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY VIDEOS

Note: These videos illustrate the "standing on their right legs and kicking to the side in a movement reminiscent of the kicks done in the lindy hop" that is mentioned in Elizabeth F. Fine, SoulStepping book. Also notice that splits are also sometimes included in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity "marching", "hopping" or "bopping" routines.

Example #1: Omega Psi Phi Que Doggs



Where thinkin' aint illegal yet, Uploaded on Jul 18, 2008

Gamma Sig Ques Settin' It Out 75th Conclave 2008

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Example #2: Omega Psi Phi Stepping on the Steve Harvey Show



KingUdobot's channel, Uploaded on Mar 26, 2009
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread about Steve Harvey's association with Omega Psi Phi:
MIckey F'in Mouse, 2014
"Steve pledged grad chapter. Started at Psi Gamma Kent State."

****
Example #3: Beta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Yard Show Fall 2013



Human Jukebox Media, Published on Aug 21, 2013

The Ques doing their thing on the first Wednesday of School

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part series on African American radio disc jockeys (DJs).

Part I presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the early history of African American radio (Black radio).

The Addendum to Part I features biographical information about three African American disc jockeys from the 1930 through the 1960s.

Part II presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the use of African American jive talk (Black jive talk) by pioneer Black radio DJs and White radio DJs and by other Black radio DJs.

Part III provides information and YouTube videos of New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all the Black pioneer radio disc jockeys and thanks to other influential Black radio DJs in the United States.

****
EXCERPTS ABOUT THE EARLY HISTORY OF BLACK RADIO
These excerpts are presented in no particular order. I've assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.
Most of these excerpts are transcribed from Google books. The transcriptions are given without footnotes or other citations excerpt for the book title, author, and page number (if given). No hyperlink is given for those transcriptions. However, a link is given for more information about that featured book.

Additional quotes from a number of these sources given below can be found in Part II of this pancocojams series.

Excerpt #1
From Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States By Michele Hilmes [Google books]

Click
https://www.amazon.com/Only-Connect-Cultural-History-Broadcasting/dp/0495050369 for information about this book and its author.

Page 174
"In the late 1940s, African Americans finally found a foothold on radio. A few programs and innovative entrepreneurs gave foretaste of things to come. As William Barlow describes in The Voice Over: The Making Of Black Radio (1999), urban radio pioneers like Jack L. Cooper and Al Benson built up their own radio empires in the 1930s and early 1940s by buying time on local radio stations like WGES, in Chicago, finding sponsors eager to sell to the black community, and playing music that they knew that community wanted to hear. In the early 1930s Cooper had originated a prototype of the disc jockey format on Chicago radio station WSBC. Because “race records”-recordings featuring black musicians playing black-oriented music-were not licensed by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), they provided a virtually free form of programming that, if the DJ owned a record store, could provide profits down the line. Cooper’s All Negro Hour became the first DJ program on the air, and he soon added other DJs playing different varieties of music as he built up his Chicago radio business.

Many other local broadcasters, black and white, would adopt some form of the record-based program. But it is Benson’s crucial addition of the distinctive, hip, jive-talking personality in 1945 that inspired the DJ format….Early black DJs prided themselves on their colorful verbal style- referred to as “rhymin’ and signifyin’”-which was also reflected in the unique names they used on air. WDIA’s staff included Maurice “Hot Rod” Hulbert, A. C. “Moohah” Williams, the Reverend Dwight “Gatemouth” Moore, and Jean “The Queen” Steinberg. America’s only black-owned station, WERD- Atlanta featured “Joltin” John Howard and “Jocky Jack” Gibson, and “Daddy-O” Daily held forth on WAIT -Chicago.

Soon the familiar process of cultural appropriation began to take place, as white DJs adopted the black style and personas on air. This process was assisted by an ASCAP decision to raise its radio fees, prompting the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to start its own music licensing bureau, called Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI). To compete with the behemoth ASCAP, BMI began looking for new artists and styles to promote. In the right

Page 175
place at the right time was Alan “Moon Dog” Freed, who started out with a R&B program on Cleveland’s WJW in 1951. Adopting black street slang, playing black music, affecting a black accent, Freed was not the first racial ventriloquist to take to the airwaves (his ancestors can be found in Amos n Andy’s creators), but his “crossover” privilege as a white man would allow him to reach a national audience playing what he began calling rock ‘n’ roll music...

Another equally famous racial ventriloquist was Wolfman Jack on the border blaster XERF in Tijuana. Though he was actually Robert Smith from Brooklyn, New York, Wolfman Jack came to personify the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll in southern California (glorified forever in the movie American Graffiti). The Wolfman learned his technique from the black DJ John R. of WLAC-Nashville, who by that time ran a DJ school to teach white adherents how best to sound like black radio jocks. John R. was not the only one to adopt this tactic: Vernon Winslow of New Orleans trained a whole series of white men to take on his original “Poppa Stoppa” personality over WJMR. The station’s white owners would not allow the original Vernon on the air, but instead paid him to produce acceptable black-sounding white substitutes. Later, Winslow rose to fame himself as Doctor Daddy-O on rival WEZZ...

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Excerpt #2
From Freedom Is, Freedom Ain't: Jazz and the Making of the Sixties by Scott Saul
[Google book]

Click http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674018532&content=reviews for more information about this book.

Page 39
"In New Orleans, white owned radio stations refused to hire a black DJ, but one station did hire Vernon Winslow, a black journalist and professor, to teach its DJs the art of jive and to write and direct a show called Jam, Jive, and Gumbo which had a black-sounding DJ nicknamed Poppa Stoppa. Once in the door, Winslow broke the larger barrier at New Orleans’ WJMR: a few years later, in 1949, he landed his own show as “Doctor Daddy-O” and remained on the air until the 1980s.

After nearly one million black southerners migrated to the North during World War II in search of factory work, the airwaves of cities such as Chicago and New York were thick with the banter of jive. In Chicago, Holmes “Daddy-O” Daylie, after serving as a bartender of the El Grotto Supper Club, became an announcer for the club’s radio in 1948. His bartending gig was then subsumed by a thirty-nine year carrier as one of Chicago’s most prominent black radio personalities, a DJ who addressed the programming abyss between the white pop favored on the radio and the R&B audience on the Southside.”...

****
Excerpt #3
From African Americans and US Popular Culture by Kevern Verney [Google Books]

Click https://www.amazon.com/African-Americans-Popular-Culture-Introductions/dp/0415275288 for more information about this book.

Page 1952
“The rise of Bebop and Rhythm and Blues reflected a growing sense of racial and cultural pride among young African Americans in the 1940s….

Radio underwent a radical transformation as a result of the rise of television. Once the nation’s most popular form of entertainment, from the late 1940s radio audience collapsed…

In order to survive these setbacks radio stations were forced to undertake a rethink of their programming strategy...

An important consequence of that strategy was the emergence of black-appeal radio. Largely ignored by the major radio networks during the golden age of radio in the 1930s, stations now began to seek out black listeners. The reasons for this were commercial rather than more enlightened thinking. The continued migration of African Americans to urban centers in the north and on the west coast meant that many cities in the United States had a large black population living within a small geographical area. This made them an ideal target audience for local radio stations with a limited broadcasting radius.

Moreover, black Americans were one of the groups most likely to be won over by radio. In the 1940s many African Americans were unable to afford the cost of purchasing a television set, but over 90% of urban blacks and 70% of blacks in rural areas, had access to radio. Television entertainment programmes, filled with images of wholesome white families and presenters, also offered little to attract black viewers...

In 1948, the year that national network television was launched, WDIA in Memphis, Tennessee, a city with a 40 per cent black population, became the first radio station to capitalize on the importance of African American listeners. Moving to a black-appeal format the

Page 1953
stations white owners, John Pepper and Bert Ferguson, consciously targeted black audiences. By 1949 WDIA had risen from last to first place in radio ratings….The net profits of the station rose from under $2, 000 in 1948 to $100, 000 in 1957, when Pepper and Ferguson sold the station for $1 million dollars.
Other radio stations heeded the message….
In 1949 there were four radio stations in the United States wiih black-appeal formats. This rose to over 200 by 1954 and some 400 by 1956.

An obvious prerequisite of black-appeal radio was the hiring of more black presenters. Also important was the move to a disc jockey format. This was not only inexpensive, but allowed radio stations to win over black listeners by playing the new R&B records which were shunned by television and more conservative radio stations.

Black disc jockeys playing music by Rhythm and Blues artists became increasingly common across the United States during the 1950s. To give themselves a distinctive airtime identity they often adopted a flamboyant persona, with broadcasting names like “Daddie O’ Daylie” in Chicago, “Doctor Hep Cat” in Austin, Texas, and “Jocko Henderson” and “Lord Fauntleroy” in Philadelphia."...

****
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_personality#African_American_disc_jockeys African American disc jockeys
"African American radio DJs emerged in the mid 1930s and late 1940s, mostly in cities with large black populations such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit. Jack L. Cooper was on the air 91⁄2 hours each week on Chicago's WCAP and is credited with being one of the first black radio announcers to broadcast gramophone records, including gospel music and jazz, using his own phonograph.[30]

Other prominent DJs included Al Benson on WGES in Chicago, who was the first popular disc jockey to play urban blues and use "black street slang" in his broadcasts, and Jesse "Spider" Burke on KXLW in Saint Louis, James Early on WROX (AM) in Clarkesdale, as well as Ramon Bruce on WHAT (AM) in Philadelphia. Most major U.S. cities operated a full-time rhythm and blues radio station, and as African Americans traveled the country they would spread the word of their favorite radio personalities.[31]"...

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ADDENDUM- BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THREE BLACK RADIO DISC JOCKEYS FROM THE 1930S-1950S
[Pancocojams' Editor's note:
I'm only showcasing the DJs who were featured in that article who were active from the 1930s through the 1960s.
From http://newsone.com/1093115/top-20-radio-jockeys-of-all-time/ Top 20 Black Radio Jockeys Of All Time
Written By smokey fontaine, 2010
2010
"Throughout American history, Black disc jockeys did more than just spin records. They were, for African-American listeners across the country, the important and influential voices and leaders of their communities.

Here are NewsOne’s top 20 Black radio jockeys of all time, picked for their pioneering spirit and influence.

[DJs who made their name before becoming radio personalities have been excluded, but honorable mentions must go to folks like Steve Harvey, Rickey Smiley, and Yolanda Adams].

"1) Jack L. Cooper
Widely considered to be the first African-American radio announcer, Jack L. Cooper’s “All Negro” radio show aired in the 1930s on Chicago’s WSBC. Cooper was succeeded in Black Chicago radio by very important air personalities like Al Benson — who brought the blues and jazz to Chicago on WGES — and his colleague Herb Kent, who made his mark after his move to WVON, where he was a strong voice for progress during the tumultuous Civil Rights movement.

2) Jack “The Rapper” Gibson
Gibson got his start on the very first Black owned radio station, Atlanta’s WERD, in 1949. Embodying the fast talking style for which he was named, Gibson also went on to create one of the first Black radio trades, “Jack The Rapper,” and the infamous Black music convention of the same name.

4) Jocko Henderson
A legendary disc jockey on the airwaves of Philadelphia and New York in the 1950s and 1960s, Douglas Wendell “Jocko” Henderson was a pioneer of the slick-talking, rapid-fire radio patter that influenced Black and White jockeys nationwide and laid a cultural foundation for “rap” music."

****
This concludes Part I of this three part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part series on African American radio disc jockeys (DJs).

Part II provides a definition of the term "jive talk" and presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the use of African American jive talk (Black jive talk) by pioneer Black radio DJs and White radio DJs and by other Black radio DJs.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-early-history-of-african-american.html for Part I. Part I presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the early history of African American radio (Black radio).

The Addendum to Part I features biographical information about three African American disc jockeys from the 1930 through the 1960s.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/legendary-black-radio-dj-frankie.html for Part III of this series. Part III provides information about legendary Black DJ Frankie Crocker and includes some examples of his sayings. Part III also features two YouTube sound files of Frankie Crocker's shows.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

Please share any radio DJ jive talk (banter) that you remember with the decade, radio station, city, and the DJ's name if you recall it. Thanks!

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DEFINITION OF "JIVE"
Definition #1 (noun)
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jive
- the jargon of hipsters
- a special jargon of difficult or slang terms
-snip-
In the 1930s Cab Calloway and other African American Jazz musicians used "jive" to refer to the slang that terms that they created or adapted.
Click http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/25/are-you-hep-to-the-jive-the-cab-calloway-hepster-dictionary/"Are You Hep to the Jive? The Cab Calloway Hepster Dictionary" by Brett & Kate McKay September 25, 2008 for a list of "jive" terms and their meanings.
-snip-

In the context of radio disc jockeys, talking jive refers to a certain way of talking, a certain way of using words, and playing with words. In that context, a person who jive talks is a verbal wordsmith, i.e. a person who is skillful in the use of spoken words. A person who talks jive uses African American Vernacular English (Black slang and grammatical constructs), and constructs that talk in the form of a short rhyme. People who talk jive often talk fast and "jive talk" is often self-confident and self-promoting.

****
Definition #2 (adjective)
Another definition of the word "jive" is (adjective) "glib, deceptive, or foolish talk". [www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jive].

Also, read this definition of "jive turkey" from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jive%20turkey
"Jive Turkey was a derogatory slang word in African American Vernacular English (Ebonics), used to refer to someone who was unreliable, made empty promises, or who was full of bluster. Several funk groups in the late 1960s and 1970s used the term, particularly the Ohio Players in songs such as "Jive Turkey" on the album Skin Tight from 1974. The insult became widely known in the 1980s, particularly via television comedies (e.g., The Jeffersons). The term has been used by later television characters (e.g., Homer Simpson) in order to demonstrate that they are out of touch with modern youth trends, culture, and language. The term was also used in the film Semi-Pro starring Will Ferrell and in Weird Science starring Kelly LeBrock 1985. "Jive turkey" also garnered attention in the movie Trading Places. Jive turkey, however, was already falling into disuse when it was spoken by "hip" television characters in the 1970s, such as George Jefferson. Jive turkey is also a quick step dance in Germany in the 1930s."
That Billy Madison sure is a jive turkey!
#unreliable #jive turkey #liar #jive #turkey"

by nlc82 November 21, 2011
-snip-

These adjectival meanings for the word "jive" aren't pertinent to this post about radio disc jockeys use of "jive talk."

****
EXCERPTS ABOUT RADIO DJS' JIVE TALK
These excerpts are presented in no particular order. I've assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.
Most of these excerpts are transcribed from Google books. The transcriptions are given without footnotes or other citations excerpt for the book title, author, and page number (if given). No hyperlink is given for those transcriptions. However, a link is given for more information about that featured book.

Additional quotes from a number of these sources given below can be found in Part I of this pancocojams series.

Excerpt #1
From Freedom Is, Freedom Ain't: Jazz and the Making of the Sixties by Scott Saul
[Google book]

Click http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674018532&content=reviews for more information about this book.

[Pancocojams editor: This beginning sentence refers to bebop music]

Page 39
"The jive of Calloway, Gibson, and Gailliard was exported in the late forties to an even larger mass audience by hep-talking DJs-some white and some black- who found their niche in urban locales across the country. Between 1946 and 1954, the number of small and independent radio stations mushroomed as the FCC broke up the domination of radio by newspaper publishers....

[DJs] engaged in imaginary dialogue with listeners out there, using the second person address; and they fielded listener phone calls, and played requests.

Jive was the language of this new invisible intimacy. Participation in a racial ventriloquism that descended from the minstrel show but had several new kinks, white listeners bonded with black DJs, black listeners bonded with white DJs, and -most commonly as R&B segued into rock ‘n’ roll- white listeners bonded with white DJs like Alan Freed, who specialized in “talking black”. In every part of the United States, DJs brought irreverent black rapping and rhyming games into their dialogue with listeners (much of which centered around promotions of their own show or of the products advertised on it. In Austin, Texas, Albert Lavada Durst-better known as Dr. Hepcat-became the city’s first Black DJ in 1947 and found fame for his Rosewood Ramble, a show where he peppered R&B, jazz, and blues music with a surreal patter perfected in an earlier career

Page 40
as a Negro League announcer.

In New Orleans, white owned radio stations refused to hire a black DJ, but one station did hire Vernon Winslow, a black journalist and professor, to teach its DJs the art of jive and to write and direct a show called Jam, Jive, and Gumbo which had a black-sounding DJ nicknamed Poppa Stoppa. Once in the door, Winslow broke the larger barrier at New Orleans’ WJMR: a few years later, in 1949, he landed his own show as “Doctor Daddy-O” and remained on the air until the 1980s.

After nearly one million black southerners migrated to the North during World War II in search of factory work, the airwaves of cities such as Chicago and New York were thick with the banter of jive. In Chicago, Holmes “Daddy-O” Daylie, after serving as a bartender of the El Grotto Supper Club, became an announcer for the club’s radio in 1948. His bartending gig was then subsumed by a thirty-nine year carrier as one of Chicago’s most prominent black radio personalities, a DJ who addressed the programming abyss between the white pop favored on the radio and the R&B audience on the Southside.”…

****
Excerpt #2:
From African Americans and US Popular Culture by Kevern Verney [Google Books]

Click https://www.amazon.com/African-Americans-Popular-Culture-Introductions/dp/0415275288 for more information about this book.
"In contrast to earlier black presenters, who had adopted the style of white presenters, the new DJs emphasized their African American identity. They discussed issues of interest to black listeners. In a style pioneered by presenter Al Benson in Chicago, Black DJs spoke in “jive talk”, streetwise language and pronunciation that comprised the daily speech of black communities. Commonly known as ‘rhyming and signifying’, this involved speaking in rhyming sentences and engaging in verbal banter using ghetto slang. A means of conveying information in a way that made it incomprehensible to most whites, the practice had its origins in the speech pattern of ante-bellum slaves.

....

Page 1954
In the 1950s white ‘crossover’ DJs began to take advantage of the popularity of black presenters. In what historian William Barlow has described as ‘racial ventriloquy’, whit broadcasters like ‘John R’ Richbourg in Nashville, Tennessee, Alan ‘Moondog’ Freed in Cleveland, Ohio and Robert ‘Wolfman’ Jack, broadcasting to the United States from Mexico, adopted African American speaking styles, Well versed in African American culture and playing R&B records, they consciously developed a black style persona"....

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Excerpt #3:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEGO_(AM)
"City: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Broadcast area: Piedmont Triad
Branding: Classic Hits WTOB
Frequency: 980 kHz
First air date: October 28, 1950 (as WAAA)

WAAA was owned by white businessman Roger Page when it first began broadcasting in 1950. This was rare at this time in the Deep South that a white owner would own and operate a mainly black radio station.
On the afternoon of October 28, 1950 Larry L. Williams, an African-American, signed on WAAA. The first program broadcast was a football game between Morgan State University and A & T State University. The game was announced from the stadium by Togo West, Sr. (principal of Atkins High School) while Larry L. Williams conducted station operations.

On the morning of October 29, 1950 Williams signed on WAAA for the first full day of broadcasting[3] as the second radio station in the state (after WGIV in 1947) specifically targeting an African American audience.

WAAA was believed to be the third black radio station in the United States,[6] preceded by WDIA in Memphis and WERD in Atlanta.[7] WAAA was also the first black-owned station in North Carolina.[8]

Prior to becoming the General Manager of WAAA, Larry L. Williams gave play-by-play action of the Winston-Salem State University football and basketball games; becoming known as the "Voice of the Rams." Larry L. Williams went on to become General Manager of radio stations in Alabama, South Carolina, and Charlotte, NC. He returned to his home in Asheville, North Carolina in 2002 to become General Manager of WOXL-FM. Larry L. Williams, a pioneer in radio, retired in 2008 at the age of 90.

Oscar "Daddy-Oh" Alexander was the station's best known DJ. He was described as "a jive-talking hipster who radiated cool while spinning hits from Motown and Stax."[9]
Jazz pianist Keith Byrd, who once lived near him, described Alexander this way:

He had a voice that was like gravel going through molasses. You know what I'm saying? It was smooth and sweet. He was a good spirit, a great character and he played the hottest songs. He was almost like the black Wolfman Jack in this area.[9]

Alexander left the station in 1962 after five years. But he made quite an impression with lines such as these:
It's Hooty-Tooty your host, the one that loves you the most.

It's 24 O'Roolies past 4 Mac Vouchers.

Here in the atmospheric conditions of our universal solar system - it's clear as a bell and hot as - 98 degrees.

Stick around, don't be no clown. Listen to what I'm puttin' down. This is Hooty-Tooty, the bandit's booty.[10]"

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This concludes Part II of this three part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Examples of DJ Frankie Crocker's jive talk are included in Part III of this series.

For the cultural record, please share any radio DJ jive talk (banter) that you remember with the decade, radio station, city, and the DJ's name if you recall it. Thanks!

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part series on African American radio disc jockeys (DJs).

Part III provides information about legendary Black DJ Frankie Crocker and includes some examples of his sayings. Part III also features two YouTube sound files of Frankie Crocker's shows.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-early-history-of-african-american.html for Part I. Part I presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the early history of African American radio (Black radio).

The Addendum to Part I features biographical information about three African American disc jockeys from the 1930 through the 1960s. Part II provides a definition of the term "jive talk" and presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the use of African American jive talk (Black jive talk) by pioneer Black radio DJs and White radio DJs and by other Black radio DJs.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/radio-disc-jockeys-use-of-black.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the use of African American jive talk (Black jive talk) by pioneer Black radio DJs and White radio DJs and by other Black radio DJs.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Frankie Crocker for his entertainment legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of the videos that are featured in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT FRANKIE CROCKER
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Crocker
Frankie "Hollywood" Crocker (December 18, 1937, Buffalo, New York, USA - October 21, 2000, age 62, North Miami Beach, Florida) was a famous New York radio DJ.[1] (Coined "Hollywood" for his keen sense of showmanship and self-marketing tactics.)

Early Soul radio
According to popeducation.org, Crocker began his career in Buffalo at the AM Soul powerhouse WUFO (also the home to future greats Gerry Bledsoe,[2] Eddie O'Jay,[3] Herb Hamlett, Gary Byrd and Chucky T) before moving to Manhattan, where he first worked for Soul station WWRL and later top-40 WMCA in 1969. He then worked for WBLS-FM as program director, taking that station to the top of the ratings during the late 1970s and pioneering the radio format now known as urban contemporary. He sometimes called himself the "Chief Rocker", and he was as well known for his boastful on-air patter as for his off-air flamboyance.
"Moody's Mood for Love"

When Studio 54 was at the height of its popularity, Crocker rode in through the front entrance on a white stallion. In the studio, before he left for the day, Crocker would light a candle and invite female listeners to enjoy a candlelight bath with him. He signed off the air each night to the tune "Moody's Mood For Love" by vocalese crooner King Pleasure. Crocker, a native of Buffalo, coined the phrase "urban contemporary" in the 1970s, a label for the eclectic mix of songs that he played.[4]"....

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From http://newsone.com/1093115/top-20-radio-jockeys-of-all-time/"Top 20 Black Radio Jockeys Of All Time" Written By smokey fontaine
2010
"9) Frankie Crocker
Crocker first became a household name on New York’s Black station, WWRL. But after becoming one of the first Black jocks to “cross over” into more mainstream radio (as one of WMCA’s “Good Guys”), Crocker crossed back when a Black-owned consortium hired him for a new FM station in New York called WBLS. Crocker assembled a huge, multiracial audience, and had a great influence on the mainstreaming of disco. Though resistant to rap, he played some of the first hip-hop records and hired hip-hop’s first legendary radio jock, Mr.Magic."

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From https://www.facebook.com/Frankie-Crocker-Tribute-Page-177795635568980/ Frankie Crocker Tribute Page (Facebook)
"Mr. Frances M. Crocker lays out the "basis" for the success of the "early" BLS sound and mix; "The Recipe" a NYC mix of the blues, jazz, soul, RnB, Latin(Salsa), Caribbean music. We called the "original" BLS "The Total Black Experience in Sound" = BLS, it changed the way FM Radio sounded and caused "spin off" sounds, ie, Lite Jazz stations ('cause we mixed in George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Miles, Errol Garner, ) Lite Rock & Pop stations ( caused we mixed Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, along with Johnny Mathis, Dionne Warwick etc). So what's the excuse for the current "State of NYC Radio's" lack luster existence? Better ask someone who knows how to create "The Sound"."...
-LeRoy Gillead, October 23, 2012

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EXAMPLES OF RADIO DJ FRANKIE CROCKER'S SAYINGS
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Excerpt #1
From The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop by Dan Charnas [Google books- no page given]

Click https://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782 for more information about this book.

“In junior high school, Anthony [Holloway] was captivated by the between-song spiel of New York’s most popular Black DJ-Frankie Crocker, on the AM soul station, Harlem’s WWRL. Frankie talked fast. Frankie talked slick:
I’ll put a dip in your hip, more cut in your strut, and more glide in your stride”, he said. “If you don’t dig it, you got a hole in your soul.”/”Don’t eat chicken on Sunday. ‘ Other cats be laughin and jokin/ Frankie Crocker be steady takin care of business.,’ “Cookin and smokin’.”/”For there is no other like this soul brother.”

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Excerpt #2
From https://achilliad.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/book-exerpt-frankie-crocker-the-chief-rocker/
“If Frankie Crocker’s not on your radio, your radio’s not really ON…”
:-D ~~ Jimi

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.facebook.com/Frankie-Crocker-Tribute-Page-177795635568980/ Frankie Crocker Tribute Page (Facebook)
"If you don't dig it you got a hole in your soul and you don't eat chicken on Sunday"...
-Karla Solomon Gittens,February 10, 2012

"More strut in your step, more glide in your stride, clyde!"
-Shirley Kent, April 21, 2014

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"Do it Frankie do it to it."
-Christine Robinson, May 14, 2015
-snip-
This was a saying from Frankie Crocker's show (directed to Frankie by a sexy sounding woman.)

**
Excerpt #4
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc_3ke1h9tI WRKS 98.7 Kiss New York - Frankie Crocker Tribute (Part 1/3) - Oct 2000 [Video given as Example #2 below]
"Tall, tan, young, and fly. Anytime you want me baby, reach out for me. I'm your guy.'

**

"Just as good to you as it is for you."

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"Um! How could you lose with the stuff I use."

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Excerpt #5
From redcatbiker - July 14, 2014 (reposted from a YouTube video on https://plus.google.com/113257494299848567110/posts/N9iA5aXoFts
"Frankie Crocker used to also end his show saying this: "I hope you all live to be one hundred, but me, one hundred minus a day, so, that I never have to know that good people like you passed away."

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From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/10/1580353/-Trump-threatens-to-put-Clinton-jail-taking-down-the-entire-Republican-Party-with-him

Denise Oliver Velez Oct 10, 2016 · 11:50:51 AM
heh. They are stuck with his ass — like white on rice.
-snip-
This comment refers to the Republicans being stuck with their Presidential candidate Donald Trump, whether they want to be on not.

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LamontCranston reply to Denise Oliver Velez Oct 10, 2016 11:53:45 AM
"like white on rice.
Heh…. I like that….. n/t

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Denise Oliver Velez reply to LamontCranston Oct 10, 2016 12:02:53 PM
"An old saying — Frankie Crocker — a famous radio DJ in NY used to say:

“closer than white on rice, closer than cold on ice, closer than the collar on a dog...closer than the ham on a country hog”"

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SHOWCASE SOUND FILES
Example #1:Frankie Crocker The Chief Rocker



Elmo 'Magic' Christian Published on Mar 29, 2012

Tribute to Frankie Crocker by John Noel

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Example #2: WRKS 98.7 Kiss New York - Frankie Crocker Tribute (Part 1/3) - Oct 2000



Ellis Feaster, Uploaded on Dec 10, 2011

Shortly after the passing of ledgenary radio programmer Frankie Crocker, 98.7 KISS aired this tribute. I would have expected this to be on WBLS, but Kiss did a great job remembering the Chief Rocker Frankie Crocker. Oct 2000. Features Ken Webb, G Keith Alexander, Bob Slade, and more.
-snip-
Here are a few selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread
1. Vaughn Baskin, 2013
"Frankie Crocker Alongside Jocko Henderson, Butterball, & Gary Byrd They Were The Original DJ Who Planted The Seeds Of Hip-Hopradio."

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2. Powerule, 2015
Still miss this dude...grew up on him. The greatest ever on urban radio.

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Reply
3. Ellis Feaster, 2015
"+Powerule Frankie was always a bit part of our afternoons in the 70s & 80s."

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Reply
4. Powerule, 2015
"+Ellis Feaster Very true. He was ever much a part of lives. It's sad that urban radio, which was once eloquent, insightful, inspiring, and entertaining has been replaced with ebonics, baby mama drama, whose got beef, how much did you spend for that chain, etc. It's all so self-suppressive, yet so sadly acceptable."

** 
Reply
5. Ellis Feaster, 2015
"True. Frankie was all about class & elegance, and an upscale lifestyle."

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6. Cheryl David-Bailey, 2015
"Peace and Blessing ... I remember him from Kiss and had to hear Moody's Mood for Love."
-snip-
"Frankie Crocker would end his show each night on WBLS before 8 with Moody's Mood For Love by King Pleasure. 'There I go, There I go, There...I...go..'"[posted by Frankie Crocker Tribute Page on November 22, 2010 'The link for that page is given above].

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5. Taheem Akbar, 2015
"All I know growing up in the Bronx was Frankie was the man.. upon moving to Los Angeles in 1976 I heard him once again on KUTE 102 Glendale... which upon he did his same version of mixing from WBLS.. I know for a FACT he was mixing BEFORE any CALIFORNIA radio station MIXED.... If I am incorrect let me stand down.... RIP THE MASTER ROCKER."...

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This concludes Part III of this three part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Please add any other Frankie Crocker sayings that you remember.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post documents the differences between the vernacular meanings of the word "heifer" ("heffah") among African Americans and non-African Americans.

The featured passage in this post is a comment from an October 9, 2016 Facebook page which was quoted in an October 14, 2016 dailykos article. Selected comments from that dailykos article about the different vernacular meanings of the word "heifer" are also included in this pancocojams post.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural purposes.

The fact that I'm focusing on the differences between the meanings attributed to the word "heifer" ("heffah") among African Americans and non- African Americans doesn't mean that I'm overlooking the larger issues of racism, sexism, and ageism in the event that is being reported by the Facebook blogger. I've added three dailykos comments in this post's comment section below that express those points better than I can.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Special thanks to Dr. Tamika Cross who wrote that Facebook comment.
-snip-
As a result of a number of off-topic comments in this post's comment thread (the majority of which I wrote), I want to reiterate that my reason for publishing this post was to document that the word "heifer" (pronounced and spelled "heffah") has different vernacular meanings for African Americans than for non-African Americans. Specifically, when African Americans use the vernacular word "heffah", we aren't fat shaming.

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FACEBOOK POST EXCERPT
From https://www.facebook.com/tamika.cross.52/posts/658443077654049

[Summary by Pancocojams Editor: Dr Tamika Cross, a young African American female doctor writes that during a flight on Delta Airlines she tried to come to the assistance of an unresponsive passenger. However, the stewardess didn’t believe that she was a doctor, blocked her access to the passenger, and asked for her medical credentials- all while the emergency was still on-going. The stewardess then readily accepted the help of a White male doctor without asking him for any medical credentials].

..."Was on Delta flight DL945 and someone 2 rows in front of me was screaming for help. Her husband was unresponsive. I naturally jumped into Doctor mode as no one else was getting up. Unbuckle my seatbelt and throw my tray table up and as I'm about to stand up, flight attendant says "everyone stay calm, it's just a night terror, he is alright". I continue to watch the scene closely.

A couple mins later he is unresponsive again and the flight attendant yells "call overhead for a physician on board". I raised my hand to grab her attention. She said to me "oh no sweetie put ur hand down, we are looking for actual physicians or nurses or some type of medical personnel, we don't have time to talk to you" I tried to inform her that I was a physician but I was continually cut off by condescending remarks.

Then overhead they paged "any physician on board please press your button". I stare at her as I go to press my button. She said "oh wow you're an actual physician?" I reply yes. She said "let me see your credentials. What type of Doctor are you? Where do you work? Why were you in Detroit?" (Please remember this man is still in need of help and she is blocking my row from even standing up while Bombarding me with questions).

I respond "OBGYN, work in Houston, in Detroit for a wedding, but believe it or not they DO HAVE doctors in Detroit. Now excuse me so I can help the man in need". Another "seasoned" white male approaches the row and says he is a physician as well. She says to me "thanks for your help but he can help us, and he has his credentials". (Mind you he hasn't shown anything to her. Just showed up and fit the "description of a doctor") I stay seated. Mind blown. Blood boiling. (Man is responding the [sic] his questions and is seemingly better now Thank God)

Then this heifer has the nerve to ask for my input on what to do next about 10 mins later.* I tell her we need vitals and blood sugar. She comes back to report to me a BP of 80/50 (super low, to my non medical peeps) and they can't find a glucometer. We continue down that pathway of medical work up, but the point is she needed my help and I continued to help despite the choice words I had saved up for her. The patient and his wife weren't the problem, they needed help and we were mid flight.

She came and apologized to me several times and offering me skymiles. I kindly refused. This is going higher than her. I don't want skymiles in exchange for blatant discrimination. Whether this was race, age, gender discrimination, it's not right. She will not get away with this....and I will still get my skymiles”.
-snip-
*I added italics to highlight that sentence.

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PANCOCOJAMS' EDITOR'S NOTE
The comments quoted below are only a sample of the comments that refer to the vernacular meaning/s of the word "heifer" in this October 14, 2016 dailykos article: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/14/1582436/-Black-doctor-discriminated-on-Delta-while-attempting-to-save-unresponsive-passenger-No-sweetie.

These selected comments are presented in relative chronological order based on their posting times, with the earliest comments given first, excerpt for replies. However, the comments may not be in consecutive order since some comments aren't included in this compilation.

I've added [in reply to] to note when a comment is a reply to a previous comment or comments. And I've assigned numbers to all of these comments for referencing purposes only.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DAILY KOS ARTICLE ABOUT THE USE OF THE WORD "HEIFER"
From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/14/1582436/-Black-doctor-discriminated-on-Delta-while-attempting-to-save-unresponsive-passenger-No-sweetie By Leslie Salzillo, 2016/10/14

1. Osiris Oct 14 · 03:21:43 PM
"Dr. Cross writes “Then this heifer has the nerve to ask for my input on what to do next about 10 mins later.,,,”

I can see why she is upset, but calling a female flight attendant a heifer doesn't cover her in glory either."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor: This is the blogger's full comment.

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2. jan4insight [in reply to] Osiris Oct 14 · 03:28:16 PM
"I agree, that was not good wording, but given the extremity of the situation, I’m willing to give her a pass. This time."

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3. eric14850 [in reply to] Osiris Oct 14 · 03:51:43 PM
"“Heifer” doesn’t begin to cover my anger and my anger about this flight attendant stems from merely reading this story. And “heifer” is an apt term. Earlier in my life I was a dairy farmer. Spring heifers are arrogant, self absorbed, pushy, and obnoxious."

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4. frankzappatista [in replace to] eric14850 Oct 14 · 04:30:20 PM
"And they stare at you stupidly with their mouths upen. Even skinny women are referred to as heifers — it’s more about stupid than weight. Heifers are actually pretty trim compared to a cow."

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5. Wizznilliam [in reply to] Osiris Oct 14 · 06:16:58 PM
"What insult would have worked for you??? It is not against some weird protocol to want to insult someone who has insulted/disrespected you. Heifer is a pretty tame insult. I’m sure I would have said a LOT worse."

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6. Osiris [in reply to] Wizznilliam Oct 14 · 06:57:34 PM
"I don't know, what weird protocol is it not to call someone a cow? If I called someone a heifer your calling them a fat cow where I am . And what did she do really ? Not believe someone was an MD? The horror!

and I believe you would have said a lot worse."

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7. Tom Frank [in reply to] Osiris Oct 14 · 03:45:13 PM
"I would not read that much into that particular word. It gets used pretty loosely among black women. Try to see it like another dialect of English — someone from the UK would hear ‘wanker’ a lot more strongly than we do and a brit would never say ‘fanny’ pack, but at the same time they use the c-word without thinking twice."

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8. Hilbro218 [in reply to] Tom Frank Oct 14 · 06:01:05 PM
"Sorry, you’re really reaching….."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor: This is that blogger's full comment.

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9. sepiasiren [in reply to] Hilbro218 Oct 14 · 09:36:15 PM
"No, he isn’t. As southern black woman who has used the term heffah, it is not a reference to weight, no more than pus-y is reference to a cat. It’s slang and generally used as a euphemism for B—ch. Now can we get back to the real victim and the real concern which is racism?"
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor: This is how that comment was written in that post.

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10. Siris [in reply to] Osiris Oct 14 · 04:17:05 PM
"She works in Texas. It is common to call women, heifers."

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11. Catte Nappe [in reply to] Siris Oct 14 · 05:49:00 PM
"Umm, I don’t think so. Been living here in Texas for over 40 years, and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard that term used, let alone commonly."

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12. praying manatheist [in reply to] Catte Nappe Oct 14 · 06:38:12 PM
"You’re wasting your breath Catte. The pitchforks are out and the torches are lit.

The same people who are now giving fat shaming a pass would have gone ballistic in other circumstances. Suddenly, fat shaming is perfectly ok with these folks if it is ‘deserved’....

And make no mistake, I am from Texas as well and heifer is a deragotory term for a fat woman."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor: This is a partial quote. The blogger also referred to Donald Trump. My interpretation of that portion of that comment was that the blogger was implying that that Republican Presidential candidate's actions and the atmosphere that he has created has made it more acceptable for Americans to insult people who they consider to be unattractive.

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13. kobaltkween [reply to] praying manatheist Oct 14 · 07:06:36 PM
"Then maybe it’s just that you’re not black. Because “heifer” doesn’t mean fat unless maybe you’re talking about white guys using it. Among all black women I know, it means, “You’re being a disrespectful dumbass, ,getting in my damn way, and tempting me to snatch you bald-headed.” The heifer aspect is related to being dumb and an obstacle.

You might think it’s fat shaming, but I’ve never, ever seen heard a black person be that subtle about calling someone fat. Thick girls are way too popular in the community for that."

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14. StillAmused Oct 14 · 05:09:48 PM
"“Heifer” seems extraordinarily generous when addressing a racist farmyard creature whose job, ironically, depends upon keeping her weight under control by any means necessary."

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15. howabout me Oct 14 · 05:25:55 PM
"Just have to say: umbrage over heifer? Really? Give me a break. So then, this doctor, who has put up with crap for college, med school, residency, and the beat goes on, can’t even select a choice word? Really? Aren’t we guilty here of false equivalency? For crikey’s sake, we expect her to be perfection personified after she has been so thoroughly dismissed, marginalized, disrespected? And this doctor, in truth, went higher—she helped. She helped. She helped."

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16. peagreen Oct 14 · 05:55:53 PM
"just putting in my two cents regarding the word “heifer”.

I don’t like it but at all. However “weight issues” are not relevant in my unfortunate personal experience with that word. My mother used that word not infrequently to my sister and myself...and any other female she was angry with. “That little heifer” , for example. It was meant as a general demeaning term for any female. Believe me weight was no part of it. I believe it to be a term that came out of her very southern upbringing since my grandmother used the term as well.

Too bad any crap like that gets used by anyone. Reflecting before hitting the post button is always a good plan for everyone. Not something that happens a lot unfortunately."

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17. SninkyPoo Oct 14 · 05:59:21 PM
"Thanks for explaining “h****r!” I was struggling to figure out what taboo word that could be!

FWIW, I doubt a flight attendant had weight issues. And I have heard “heifer” used the way “cow” is used — as a pejorative way to describe a female in general, without any body-shaming or fat-shaming implied. Like one of my favorite insults from an episode of “Coronation Street” — “You dozy mare!”

As for “sweetie!?!??!?!?!” GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have used heifer — without asterisks — in my rant, too."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor- Apparently an amended form of the word "heifer" was written with asterisks in an earlier version of that dailykos article.

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18. MikePhoenix Oct 14 · 06:01:25 PM
"Actually as far as the “heifer” comment goes. I think that Ms. Cross may have been referring to the FA’s bovine intellect, not her weight."

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19. bug918 Oct 14 · 08:07:07 PM
"I see Dr. Cross’ all-too-common story of racism and sexism in the good ol’ U.S. of A. is getting pushed aside in these comments because everybody now would rather focus on the NONFACTOR of her calling the racist FA a heifer. That’s one of the MILDEST things she could’ve called her, but now THAT’S the story. … Wow."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor:This is the blogger's full comment.

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20. sepiasiren Oct 14 · 09:15:20 PM
"*Big Heavy Sigh* Again? Can a black person point out they’ve been victimized by racism without some phony outrage, pearl clutching, false dichotomy shift? I live in GA where heffah can mean “girlfriend”, “girl” or “B—“ depending on the situation, in fact, heffah is a euphemism for when you don't want to use foul langue in anger, and this lady had every right to be angry. No, lets us not focus on her legitimate anger, let us focus on an angry word used in her legitimate anger? When you are angry are you pulling out a thesaurus of acceptable insults and terms? Why hold her up to a standard you yourself wouldn't use when angry? I mean, Are you SERIOUS??? Do you think someone who says “HOLLA!” is really asking you to scream at them too…? I tell you what, I would not have show this lady’s restraint and would have used words that those crying about heifer would probably be having a mental meltdown over and using terms like internal misogyny. She wasn’t fat shaming using the word. She was trying to find a “polite” slang to describe her anger e.g. trying not to cuss that heffah out. You guys aren’t new to planet earth and you know slang terms are not literal, so stop trying to deflect from the real issue. Obvious deflection is not only obvious, it is sick and wrong. It’s akin to amn pointing to ahrot skit when a woman says she is raped. Those even harping on this non sequitur ought to be ashamed of themselves. Yes, racism is uncomfortable — but let us not lose focus on who was victimized here. Dayum."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor:This is blogger's full comment.

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the Afro House record entitled "Happiness" by the South African duo "Mafikizolo" featuring Nigerian "May D".

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Mafikizolo and May D for their musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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LYRICS: HAPPINESS
(as sung by Mafikizolo featuring May D)

Lerato le monate ha ona le lona pelong ya hao
Ha o sena lerato o jwalo ka tshipi, e bakang medumo fela
Entse ere kelekelekeke kelekelekeke kelekelekeke

Don't worry x3

[VERSE 1: Theo]

Weh mama, sthandwa se nhliziyo yami
I call you mama, you gon' call me papa
Weh mama, sthandwa se nhliziyo yami
I call you mama, you gon' call me papa

Uyangijabulisa, uyangiphambanisa
Uyangijabulisa, uyangiphambanisa

[CHORUS]

You make me happy, ungiyenza happy
You make me happy, ungiyenza happy

Don't worry

[VERSE 2: May D]

If you're happy, I am happy, we are happy, Happy people x2
Got no worries, got no worries, we ain't got no worries x2

VERSE 3: Nhlanhla

Oh my goodo, I'm in love with this man
He makes me so happy, he make me wanna go - he banna
Pu pu pu pu pu puuu, papa weeeeh

Lerato le monate ha ona le lona pelong ya hao
Ha o sena lerato o jwalo ka tshipi, e bakang medumo fela
Entse ere king king kin kiring king king, king king kin kiring king king

[CHORUS]

[BRIDGE]

Jabulile eh x4
Ke tla go rekela di pompom, pomporom popom pompom

Source: http://bimba.co.za/mafikizolo/reunited/happiness

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Official Mafikizolo feat May D – Happiness



Kalawa Jazmee, Published on Oct 4, 2013
Mafikizolo featuring May D Happiness
-snip-
"Mafikizolo" = two South Africans: Theo Kgosinkwe and Nhlanhla Nciza.

May D is from Nigeria.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread.

The comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. I've added a brief explanatory notes for some of vernacular terms used in these comments.

I've also numbered these comments for referencing purposes only.

2014
1. Ade Aderinto2 years ago
These guys are simple wicked!!!
-snip-
"Wicked" here means "very good".

**
2. MissLindo Sindane
"Aw! I love the ending where they hugging and stuff...AFRICA UNITE"

**
3. retia b
"As a child I have been to exposed by Mafkizol..this is a perfect song for African unity...just as much as sa is diverse so is other as African state should mingle to show case our afro centric culture....we are mooi when we are united in one in the Africa hub..mama Afrika baie lief vir jou..."

**
4. slam2dunkz63
"south africa, nigeria with masaai swag from kenya"
-snip-
"Swag" here means Masaai style "clothing and jewelry".

**
5. Ronald Motlhokodise
"South africa FT Nigeria im feelin the african love. peace to my africans"

**
6. Lwandlekazi Mda
"Thay're talking about love."

**
7. afriqanqeen
"I love the collaboration shows we Africans are starting to unite."

**
8. Kwapi Vengesayi
"I love the South African and Nigerian collaboration on this. This is a beautiful example of what Africa should be on so many different levels—artistically, politically, socially, economically. This is more than just a song to me but a great example of what we should be as a people and continent. Then maybe we'll find 'Happiness' haha"

**
9. Joe Nathan
and the hits just keep on coming...... gr8 song and the video shoee!! guys u rock....make SA Proud keep it up

**
10. Odwa Ngwexana
"Africa uniting...i love this track :-)"

**
11. Shareen Phalakahla
"I love when Africans work together, some of us have had enough of the hatred that fills the African continent. Viva Africa! Great track, excellent video."

**
12. hans kate2 years ago
Mafikizolo u guyz r di bomb! Love ur music
-snip-
"The bomb" is an African American vernacular word meaning "very good" ("dynomite", very hot etc.).

**
13.Tjay Nónii
"Mafikizolo's dressing is always on point"
-snip-
"on point" = exactly right

**
14. Rainier
"Gosh I am in love with Africa especially their dance and music,"

**
15. sitarara augustinus
"This guys are the best, i like their new musics, especialy the house once... They are rocking my world. Africa stand up for them please........!!!!
-snip-
"Stand up for them" means "support them".

**
Faith Bwibo
16. "Dope song! I love the Maasai outfits too! Melting pot of Africa in one song :)"
-snip-
"Dope" = African American Vernacular English word meaning "very good" ("sick").

**
17. comfort bassey
"This tune is BANGERRRRRRRRRR!!!!
And i love lady's style .. She's so classy and Stunning!!!"
-snip-
I'm not sure where the slang word "banger" comes from but I assume it means the same thing as "dope", "the bomb", tuuune", "very good" etc.

**
18. dj brown breezyboy
"Big tune for 2014, mafikizolo for life"
-snip-
"Big tune" is a Jamaican vernacular term that means "a big hit"/ "a very good song".

**
19. Brenda Wright
"NYC luvs this song..thanks Guys"

**
20. Thapelo Tsiako
"nyc one"
-snip-
"nyc" is a hip way of saying “nice” (meaning- very good)

**
21. Msp Videos
"oOoh my god oOo am in LOVE with this man, he makes me sooooo happpy ehh ehh (^^,)...u mke me happy ungenza happy!!...<3 #MyTune !!" ** 22. movha penal Ramovha "Tuuuuuuuune" -snip- The custom of using the word "tune" in this way comes from the Caribbean. "Tune" here means the same thing as "This is my jam", "This song is the bomb", and "I really love this song". "Tune" may also mean the same thing as the comment "nyc one" given directly above. ** 23. Maven Phoenix "love the doo woop African style at 2.09" ** 24. Caroline Murote "I LOVE the KENYAN attire on this..The Red plaid drapes & the neck & arm pieces, the MAASAI people should be proud to see their dressing is putting Kenya on the map :)" ** Reply 25. Aika Jonas "kenyan and Tanzanian attire" ** Reply 26. Stephanie Kirathe "not maasai..its the official Kenyan and Tanzanian attire" ** Reply 27. Caroline Murote "You know what I mean though..It was theirs originally...But thanks for the clarity." ** 28. Just Laurriette "This is what we need. Africans joining together. From Zimbabwe I am proud of this SA-Naija blend!!! An amazing song, beat & peoples, that reminds us all that we are one" -snip- "From Zimbabwe" probably means that the blogger is from Zimbabwe. ** 29. Miss Bee Mikaela "this is pure awesomeness n so rich in culture and diversity. . .love the concept of the maasai,both kenyan and tanzanian, nigeria and south africa itself, not to leave out western themes.great work,looking forward to more like this." ** 30. nancy manley "PLEASE, , WHAT LANGUAGE IS THIS" ** Reply 31. TheLoxionKasie "Zulu, Sotho, English and what's almost like Pidgin English. If South Africans are on the song, you will likely find a mixture of languages (South Africans jump between languages when they speak to each other). May D is Nigerian. He sings in English." -snip- Read #56 & #57 for other responses to this question. ** 32. shanice jackson "Nice songs but why use Kuduro beats" -snip- From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuduro
"Kuduro (or kuduru) is a type of music and dance originally developed in Angola in the 1980s. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable."...

**
Reply
33. Whoonga Goat (ZeroChill)
"these are not kuduro beats, it's afro house we've been using these kind of drum progressions for years"

**
Reply
34. shanice jackson
"Uuum! I guess u guys have same beats as Angolans...coz I could have sworn thy sound simillar.."

**
Reply
35. Jabulani Bhebhe2 years ago
"The way you say it is like they are not allowed to use them"

**
Reply
36. nellya1
"+hanice jackson was thinking the same....their beat is similar to angolan music"

**
Reply
37. Madaleno Ferreira
"beautfull.
It don't matter of kuduro beat is, all is Afrika and I love this.
Afrika the best."

**
38. Mizzo Dal Rio
"What's the name of the woman singer please???"

**
Reply
39. TheLoxionKasie
"Nhlanhla Ncinza. If I taught you how to pronounce that, I'd have to ...

Nhlanhla is Zulu/Xhosa for "we are fortunate to have been blessed with this beautiful baby". Nhlanhla = good fortune."

**
40. Mizzo Dal Rio
"+TheLoxionKasie Thank you so much!!! For the translate too, I'm Yoruba man."

**
41. Sumaiyah 46
"i can see azonto dance has gone around the world realy faste
I'm really happy to be an African, a CONTINENT OF BEAUTY IN CULUTURE, ART, MUSIC I WOULD SAY IN EVERTHING
THANK YOU GOD"

**
42. OKUHLE MZINYATHI
"AZONTO is just how Africans dance.....Coz i know South Africans that will jump high and say Azonto is South African dance while its not......the truth is we dance the same way, just different here and there, the basics are the same"

**
44. benard wandera
"I used to wonder the Masaai attire came in.....proudly African. I love MAFIKIZOLO"

**
2015
45. BULALI RAMJAH NGCAYICIBI1 year ago
I'm not a house person but Mafikizolo killed it! these guys are one of the South African groups that make me proud to be African, but not just any African, South African! keep it up guys.
-snip-
"In the statement "I'm not a house person", the word "house" refers to the music genre called "House". This type of House music is "Afro-House".

**
46. okpe samuel
"My best part is the "kinkirinrikinkinkinkin"...lol.I love the song.:-)"

**
Reply
47. odinese nwad
"Same here I love dat part badly"

**
Reply
48. Princess Fakudze
"MAKES THE 3 OF US LOL"

**
Reply
49. MissLindo Sindane
"+okpe samuel lol and its so funny cause he's just saying "if you don't have love, you're just like an empty can making noise like......kililikiikikiki"

****
2016
50. Babatunde Arogundade
"This music has spread like fire in Nigeria, if you don't play it in a party or club is not it."

**
51. JOHN “Mr CRUEL” MC DANIEL'S
"+OKUHLE MZINYATHI What MAFIKIZOLO means ,sister ?????"

**
Reply
52. KUHLE MZINYATHI6 months ago
"+JOHN MC DANIELS Means 'New Comer'"

**
53. steady rock
"what is meaning of Magudo ?"

**
Reply
54. Tiffany Mbiba
"My God"

**
55. Nasralina Abdull
"can someone tell me the language they song it's really nice"

**
Reply
56. shesBlessed83
"Setswana"

**
Reply
57. shesBlessed83
"+shesBlessed83 and Zulu. Setswana and Zulu then add English"

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that showcases the parody video "Cinderonce" by Todrick Hall.

Part I presents that video and highlights discussions in that video's viewer comment thread about why the entire cast is Black.

Part II presents that video and highlights a discussion in that video's viewer comment thread about why Cinderonce didn't wear a natural hairstyle to the royal ball.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, sociological, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Todrick Hall and his cast for this parody video of the well known European fairy tale "Cinderella". Thanks also to Beyonce for the songs that are featured in this video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Cinderonce by Todrick Hall



todrickhall, Published on Aug 20, 2013

....

STARRING
Tiffany Daniels as Cinderonce
Unterrio Edwards AKA Mia Fierce as Anastasia
Miles Jai as Drizella
Vonzell Solomon as The Evil Stepmother
Todrick Hall as Prince Charming
Shangela as The Fairy Dragmother
Joshua Allen as The Duke
-snip-
All the songs are Beyonce’s records – hence the video's title “Cinderonce”.

In 2015 commenter Boubakar D posted this list of Beyonce songs that are found in Todrick Hall's "Cinderonce".
1. Halo ( 0:10 )
2. Diva ( 0:40 )
3. Freakum Dress ( 1:34)
4. Single Ladies ( 2:22)
5. I Been On (Never Officially Released) ( 2:59 )
6. 1+1 ( 3:15 ) (Later on samples "Hello" and "End of Time")
7. Countdown ( 4:54 )
8. Why Don't You Love Me ( 5:06 )
9. Love On Top ( 5:54 ) (With Dangerously In Love)

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD: QUESTION: WHY IS THE ENTIRE CAST BLACK?
These comments are divided into three sections. The comments in each section are given in chronological order with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. I've numbered these comments for referencing purposes only.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to imply that the only discussions about race in that YouTube comment thread were these two sub-threads. There were a number of other comments with replies and without replies about race and about racism, including the comments highlighted in Part II of this series.

****
Sub-thread #1
Note: This is the complete sub-thread as of the publishing date/time of this pancocojams post.

2014
1. tiliya smith
"Why are they all black??"

**
Reply
2. Kiara Ligans
"Because it's todrick mutha effin hall and he can do what he pleases"

**
Reply
3. Taja Dominique
"+Kiara Ligans lmao duhh"

**
Reply
4. Shannon Strickland
"Why does no one question it when there's only white people in music videos??"

**
Reply
5. holly_stoxx
"^^preach it"

**
Reply
6. charlotte R. Van der Haer
"+tiliya smith Why not?"

**
Reply
7. Sarah Taylor
"Why in Cinderella are they all white?"

**
Reply
8. ChantalPerezify
"facepalms @ OP"
-snip-
OP = Original Poster

**
Reply
9. Mary Mboyo
"Because all of them were born black duh"

**
Reply
10. Valentinaa Chainberlain
"because todrick made a cinderonce and beyonce is black and so is all of them"

**
Reply
11. Groovy Iyanna
"Why are u so tall or so short cause u were born that and they werent all black ur stupid."

**
Reply
12. jalisas
"Bc he's black."

**
Reply
13. Nyasia Gg
"That's just rude rude"

**
Reply
14. Jazmin gonzàlez
"Oh my God Tiliya Smith, you can't just ask people why they're black! *mean girls lol"

**
Reply
15. Nature Queen
"Why would you ask something so ridiculous?"

**
Reply
16. Alana Rhiannon
"Cause black people are FABULOUS‼️"

**
Reply
17. Nature Queen
"+Alana Coe YAAASSS!"

**
Reply
18. Alicia Vintage
"Because they can be"

**
Reply
19. Venessa Siaosi, 2015
"Cuz they can...Beyoncé is, and she's famous, That's Awesome that she is (it doesn't really matter) anyways...DEAL WITH IT!!!"

****
Sub-thread #2
These are selected comments from another sub-thread in that video's viewer comment thread.

Profanity that is included in one of these comments has been deleted and noted as per this blog's policy.

2015
1. Leemaid2010
"This has to be my fav video of his. One where the black ppl aren't acting ratcheted or ghetto. I wish he would do more videos like this"

**
Reply
2. Anthony Wikio-Maurangi
"He's already gone over this many times before. You must be new here...

Less than 10 out of the 300 videos Todrick has uploaded contain black people acting 'ratchet'. Watch the other 290 videos if you have a problem with it."

**
2016
3. Leemaid2010
"+Zachary Khan I'm talking about a video like this where it's 100% black ppl and are not acting like black stereotypes. This is lovely and I wish he would do more."
-snip-
I didn't find the comment from Zachary Khan that Leemaid2010 is responding to. However, what he wrote can be surmised from her response.

**
Reply
4. Jeffy Cherian
"That's actually kind of racist because what if a white person was like I wish he would make more videos with 100% white people."

**
5. Miss Cyanide
"+Jeffy Cherian this has nothing to do with that. All he said is he liked it when it's not all about how ratchet black people are. That has nothing to do with how there is 100% black people. Every other fucking video has enough white people in it. Every [profanity deleted] place on earth has enough white people. It's nice to see a change."

**
Reply
6. Sabrinachic45
"+Jeffy Cherian Stop. Racism implies more than just discrimination, but power. White culture has power over minorities. Therefore, you cannot be racist against the power structure. It doesn't work. Second of all, EVERYTHING ALREADY APPLIES TO YOUR DESCRIPTION! Have you noticed that every facet of media is saturated with white faces? Take your racism elsewhere."

**
7. Jeffy Cherian
"Okay so it's not okay for a white person to say I wish he'd make more videos that has 100% white people, right? So why is it okay for a black person to say I wish he'd make more videos that has 100% black people? Whatever happened to equality..."

**
8. Leemaid2010
"+Jeffy Cherian Dude this is a black man making music videos. He's allowed to have video that only has black ppl. That's not racist at all. If you want something with just all white ppl go watch tv or look at a magazine."

**
Reply
9. Malini Basdeo
"+Jeffy Cherian if you want equality then there should actually be a LOT more videos with only black people in them, since white people dominate the media and all we are used to seeing are white people in videos. if you're preaching for equality, step down first."

**
Reply
10. O Sparks
"No one called Justin Bieber racist when he made his 'Sorry' music video. It's 100% white... and they're twerking O.o"

**
Comment Section #3: Selected stand alone comments*
*Stand Alone Comments- comments that don't appear to be published as though they were part of any sub-thread

2016
1. William North
"Shame this has to be ruined by a discussion, primarily by one chick about all black videos being made and how she wants more like them. Honey, if we haven't gotten to the point yet where it doesn't matter how many white or blacks on in a video, then we sad! The STAR is black...that should make you a little happy, or you want more?"

**
2. gabriellas channel
"Well white people are in a lot of videos so yh"

**
3. Demeter's Daughter
"The fact that all the dancers/actors are black. Yasssssss!!!!"

****
This concludes Part I of this series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series that showcases the parody video "Cinderonce" by Todrick Hall.

Part II presents that video and highlights a discussion in that video's viewer comment thread about why Cinderonce doesn't have a natural hairstyle for the royal ball.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/todrick-halls-video-cinderonce-youtube.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents that video and highlights discussions in that video's viewer comment thread about why the entire cast is Black.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, sociological, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Todrick Hall and his cast for this parody video of the well known European fairy tale "Cinderella". Thanks also to Beyonce for the songs that are featured in this video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Cinderonce by Todrick Hall



todrickhall, Published on Aug 20, 2013

....

STARRING
Tiffany Daniels as Cinderonce
Unterrio Edwards AKA Mia Fierce as Anastasia
Miles Jai as Drizella
Vonzell Solomon as The Evil Stepmother
Todrick Hall as Prince Charming
Shangela as The Fairy Dragmother
Joshua Allen as The Duke
-snip-
All the songs are Beyonce’s records – hence the video's title “Cinderonce”.

In 2015 commenter Boubakar D posted this list of Beyonce songs that are found in Todrick Hall's "Cinderonce".
1. Halo ( 0:10 )
2. Diva ( 0:40 )
3. Freakum Dress ( 1:34)
4. Single Ladies ( 2:22)
5. I Been On (Never Officially Released) ( 2:59 )
6. 1+1 ( 3:15 ) (Later on samples "Hello" and "End of Time")
7. Countdown ( 4:54 )
8. Why Don't You Love Me ( 5:06 )
9. Love On Top ( 5:54 ) (With Dangerously In Love)

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD: COMMENTS ABOUT CINDERONCE'S HAIRSTYLE FOR THE ROYAL BALL
These are the complete comments from that sub thread as of the date and time of this post's publication.
Comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. All of these comments are from 2016.

I've numbered these comments for referencing purposes only.

1. Shaka Black
"This is so problematic .Firstly why make her look like a slave?Second why straighten her hair is her natural hair not pretty unless white washed?Third Black males are never shown as alpha males in your videosgastion from beauty and the beast was a straight white alpha male why not show a black man like thatplenty of african fairy tales why not include one"
-snip-
Here's a link to Todrick Hall's parody video of the fairy tale "Beauty & The Beast": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpgshV-Fudw

**
Reply
2. Afika Lindegaard
"If you have something rude to say keep to yourself and get your facts right. In Britney and the Beast it is Todrick playing the beast."

**
Reply
3. Shaka Black
"+Afika Lindegaard He was playing a beast and the white guy played the alpha male"

**
Reply
4. Peri Winkle
"Oh, just go [profanity deleted] yourself with your social justice."

**
Reply
5. Clarabird
""Why make her look like a slave?" Have you not SEEN or READ Cinderella? Cinderella is treated LIKE A SLAVE, she wears rags and everything. Sorry he kept with the theme of the ACTUAL Cinderella"

**
Reply
6. Shaka Black
"+Clarabird Doesnt explain the hair straightening"

**
Reply
7. Unicorn Dust
"Maybe she prefers her hair straight sometime, big deal?"

**
Reply
8. Kara Evans
"Oh my god hair straightening doesn't mean anything, literally a wig"

**
Reply
9. Shaka Black
"+Kara Evans Black Women have been pressured by racist societies to straighten and cover up their hair for centuries"

**
Reply
10. Kara Evans
"+Fatney Spears im pretty sure this 8 minute production was just meant to be fun and entertaining. You've just turned it into something negative. Literally it was just meant to be a good video. So what if her hair is straightened? Women have enough sense to know that straightening their hair doesn't mean they're oppressed and made to feel insecure. If a white or Asian person made their hair frizzy would you be saying the same thing? Straightening the hair is just a style, there's no deep meaning about oppression or appropriation."

**
Reply
11. Shaka Black
"+Kara Evans False equivalency straight hair has never been stigmatized unless its in a non white person and even then not to the same extent as afro hair.

White women have the privilege to try afro hair on for a day and change it back the next.

Black women can still lose their jobs over their natural hair."

**
Reply
12. Sage Myers
"The fact that ANYONE has anything to say about this comment says enough, sadly.
Her hair being straight after her transformation does say so much about what's beautiful in a mainstream white washed society.(as opposed to her kinky curly hair in the beginning) There's a plethora of beautiful hairstyles they could've done with her natural hair.
And men of color most definitely need to play a bigger role in Todrick's videos. He has so much opportunity to implement diversity and diversifying his content not only by ethnicity but the difference in approach to casting POC... but I've never truly seen him do it, which saddens me because it's a waste of pure talent if he's ultimately doing what every other cinematographer is doing :/"

**
Reply
13. Sage Myers
"+Kara Evans I'm sure you've been taught it's "just a style". Like how all of Kylie Jenners enhanced features she gave herself make her beautiful, but are frowned upon on POC. WHO HAVE THOSE FEATURES. NATURALLY. It's not a style, that's how they downplay it to make appropriation okay. It's a culture. And videos shouldn't have to be "white washed" in ways like so for it to be good content.
See your lane? Please stay in it."

**
Reply
14. Venjamin
"+Sage Myers Insinuating people are not allowed to have thoughts of their own, or that black women are incapable of making decisions for themselves is horribly problematic. Telling people they have internalized racism removes all agency from them, and you should be ashamed of yourself for saying black women can't have/want straight hair on their own.

Additionally, insinuating that Todrick is 'wasting his talent' is so problematic. If this is his vision, are you saying that he should not have it? Are you insinuating that he does not have the ability to think for himself and be creative as he sees fit?

People like you are an absolute mess. He selects his friends and people who are good at what they do to perform. Are you saying those people aren't good enough for you? That's what it sounds like.

You and the OP are so prejudiced it hurts."

**
Reply
15. Shaka Black
"+Venjamin Living in a bubble must be tough
In the real world people of my skin color face racism, colorism and Racial sexism."

**
Reply
16. Venjamin
"+Shaka Black I never said you didn't experience those things. I'm merely pointing out that you are stealing agency from other people by telling them what they like is problematic, when it is most certainly not.

Maybe don't forget that though you can't necessarily benefit from systemic racism, you can absolutely be prejudiced. It's on full display here, after all.

And don't assume you know anything about what privileges I do or do not have."

**
Reply
17. Rᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡ Sɴᴏᴡᴄᴏɴᴇ
"+Shaka Black You sound like you're from Tumblr where EVERYTHING is racist or sexist. So ignorant. What about the white women who curl their hair? The Mexican women who cut theirs? This is the 21st century, there are worse forms of racism today than simple hair straightening. And for your information, Gaston is NOT the alpha male; he was shown to be arrogant and very sexist, treating Belle as if she's just a housewife. The Beast was rude at first, of course, but he GREW as a character, making him the BETTER man, rather than just the alpha male. If you want to stop racism, how about contributing to actual #BlackLivesMatters movements instead of just commenting on a video meant to entertain and not meant to conflict anyone?"

**
Reply
18. Jillian Watson
"she's literally wearing a wig"

****
This concludes Part II of this two part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part series on the slang term "ratchet".

Part I provides definitions of and comments about the slang word "ratchet". This post also includes a partial chronology of the slang use of the word "ratchet" by various recording artists and YouTube videographers.

Part II showcases three YouTube videos that include the slang word "ratchet".

Part III showcases the 2012 video "Ratchet Girl Anthem" and provides the lyrics and explanations about certain vernacular words from those lyrics.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
SIGNIFICANT DATES IN THE VERNACULAR USE OF THE WORD "RATCHET"
The earliest record that includes the slang word "ratchet" was released in 1992 (the Hip Hop song "I'm So Bad" by UGK (Underground Kingz). In that record-which is full of profanity and what is commonly known as "the n word"- UGK uses "ratchet-ass" as an insult.

Other early Hip Hop recording artists who played a significant role in popularizing the slang term "ratchet" were rapper Mr. Mandigo - from Shreveport, Louisiana who recorded the song "Do Tha Ratchet" in 1999 and rapper Lil' Boosie, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who recorded a new version of that song in 2004.

The viral parody videos (more than 75 million hits to date) of rappers/comedians/YouTube videographers Emmanuel & Philip Hudson - Atlanta, Georgia -and their appearance in 2014 on America's Got Talent performing one of their hit video songs "Ratchet Girl's Anthem" also greatly helped to popularize the slang word "ratchet".

****
PARTIAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE USE OF THE SLANG WORD "RATCHET" IN RECORDS AND IN YOUTUBE VIDEOS
1992- term “ratchet ass” in Hip Hop song "I'm So Bad" from an album by UGK ("Underground Kingz")

**
1999 – Mr. Mandigo of Lava House records - "Do tha Ratchet” (Hip Hop dance record)

**
2004- Lil' Boosie of Lava House records - "Do tha Ratchet” (Hip Hop dance record)

**
January 16, 2012, "Ratchet Girl Anthem” comedic Hip Hop video by Emmanuel Hudson and Phillip Hudson [This video has 13,067,040 total views as of 10/19/2016 at 9:48 A.M.; This is just one of a number of the YouTube copies of this video.]

**
January 21, 2012 "Why You Askin All them Questions" video was first published on Youtube by Emmanuel Hudson and Phillip Hudson [This comedic Hip Hop video includes the repeated lyrics “She ratchet” and other uses of "ratchet"; The video has 59,767,155 views to date as of 10/19/2016 at 9:51 A.M.]

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July 2014 - America's Got Talent 2014 - Auditions - Emmanuel & Phillip Hudson Ratchet Girl Anthem
-snip-
Also note that in 2013 "In a New York Daily News interview weeks before the MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus used the word "ratchet" claiming “People have this misconception of me that I’m just one of these kids on TV and that now I go off and party and I’m just this ratchet white girl, and I’m not.” http://latinrapper.com/blogs/?p=8810
Slang History: “Ratchet” does not come from “Wretched”, September 29, 2013 at 2:40 AM ET

**
Read the entry given as Excerpt #5 in the "What Does Ratchet Mean" section below for more examples of the word "ratchet" being used in Hip Hop records.

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WHAT DOES THE SLANG WORD "RATCHET" MEAN?
As is the case with many African American Vernacular English words, the slang word "ratchet" has had more than one meaning. And the slang meanings of "ratchet" and whether that term refers to both females and males still appear to be in flux.

Here are some excerpts from online articles/posts about the vernacular meaning of "ratchet". They are numbered for referencing purposes only.

1.
From http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2012/10/where_the_word_ratchet_came_from/"Who You Calling Ratchet?: From LL's new song to Issa Rae's Web series, the word is the new "ghetto," and it's everywhere." by Tamara Palmer, October 16, 2012
..."What arguably started as a Southern rap dance at the turn of the century and then expanded to describe a relatively positive expression of energy has now become a worthy rival to the word “ghetto.” It is most typically used to describe outrageously uncivilized behaviors and music — often with women as the butt of the joke. (See Emmanuel and Phillip Hudson’s “Ratchet Girl Anthem,” which has snagged 30 million-plus views on YouTube since January.)"
-snip-
That article also includes this quote "(Note: The usage should not be confused with “ratchet” as a euphemism for a handgun. See Cam’Ron’s “Get Ya Gun,” on which he rhymes: ” The car’s far, I’m at the bar, got my gat in the club (poppin’ Sizzurp)/And my ratchet is snub (snub) … “)

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2. From http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2012/10/where_the_word_ratchet_came_from/2/
..."People try to categorize the term ‘ratchet’ and try to make it something ghetto or something negative, but I just think it’s letting loose a little bit,” says Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of New York’s Power 105 radio morning show The Breakfast Club and a Southern native. “Anything young, wild and free. ‘Ratchet’ is an old term that I first heard from Lil Boosie and Webbie and that whole camp. The word was kind of like ‘crunk,’ and before crunk music, there was the term ‘crunk.’"
-snip-
"Crunk" means getting wild, losing all your inhibitions. "Crunk" is said to be coined from the words "crazy drunk".

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3. From http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/142606/what-does-ratchet-mean-and-when-was-it-first-used
a) "The word ["ratchet"] has an entry in the Right Rhymes hip-hop slang dictionary that quotes UGK as the earliest for the adjective."
– Hugo Dec 1 '14 at 12:05

**
b) "Oh, and The Right Rhymes hip-hop slang dictionary cites this use as the earliest meaning for "disorderly, inappropriate"...
– Hugo Dec 1 '14 at 9:01

**
c) "This [the 1992 UGK record "I'm So Bad"] is definitely the earliest specific match anyone has brought up—and it use ratchet in the dirty/skanky sense that seems to be widely in vogue now. The Wikipedia article for UGK ("Underground Kingz") says that they are from Port Arthur, Texas, which is practically on the western border of Louisiana. Shreveport is 208 miles almost due north of Port Arthur, so it's not just a hop, skip and a jump up U.S. Highway 96; but it is still fairly close (by Texas standards). – Sven Yargs Dec 1 '14 at 9:33
-snip-
Shreveport, Louisiana is mentioned because that is the city where Mr. Mandigo is from. In 1999 rapper Mr. Mandigo recorded the Hip Hop dance song "Do tha Ratchet".

**
d) ..."As to whether ratchet is meant to be generally understood in a positive or a negative sense, that aspect of the term may well be in flux, just as everything else about it appears to be. In Lil' Boosie's world, ratchet is almost an environmental term: It applies to men (including LB himself) and to women, and it describes most of their doings in the neighborhood where he lives. In contrast, the Hudsons use ratchet specifically in connection with women and do not indicate any sympathy for anyone so described.

...the term as used by the Hudsons reminds me quite a bit of skanky, which derived from skank (“An unattractive woman; a malodorous woman; =SKAG,” according to Robert Chapman and Barbara Kipfer, Dictionary of American Slang, third edition [1995]). Here is the Chapman & Kipfer entry for skanky:

skanky or skank-o-rama adj 1980s teenagers fr black Nasty; repellant; =GROTTY, SCUZZY, TRASHY: The girls were somewhat skanky, with lank hair and rotten posture—Richard Price/ ...you moved, the earth moved. Skank-o-rama—Sassy

Both skanky and ratchet (as used in the Hudsons’ comical YouTube video, anyway) are not gender-neutral terms, though none of the Gurl.com experts expressly makes this point about ratchet."

Both skanky and ratchet (as used in the Hudsons’ comical YouTube video, anyway) are not gender-neutral terms, though none of the Gurl.com experts expressly makes this point about ratchet.

It will be interesting to see whether the gender connection that "Ratchet Girl Anthem" promotes influences the long-term sense of the word, notwithstanding Lil' Boosie's earlier, more broadly applicable sense of the term. The crucial factor here, probably, is the proportion of users who base their knowledge of the term on the Hudsons' song versus the proportion of those who adopted the term as it was used in the older Shreveport, Louisiana, tradition."
-Sven Yargs answered Nov 30 '14 at 2:28 edited Nov 30 '14 at 7:11
-snip-
To summarize a portion of this comment, as was customary in Shreveport, Louisiana, Lil' Boosie used "ratchet" for males and females, but Emmanuel and Philip Hudson who are from Atlanta, Georgia limit the adjective "ratchet" to females.

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4. From http://latinrapper.com/blogs/?p=8810.
Slang History: “Ratchet” does not come from “Wretched”, September 29, 2013
"Within the last year, the popularity of the slang term “ratchet” has exploded in pop culture. But to those of us from Louisiana, the word has been commonly used for almost a decade.

First things first. The slang term “ratchet” has absolutely nothing to do with the word “wretched.” Chicago Sun Times journalist John W. Fountain painfully attempted to suggest that ratchet was simply a butchering of a common English word. And he’s not alone. Bloggers, UrbanDictionary.com, and a variety of question and answer sites all mistakenly attribute the origin of ratchet with wretched.

..."in the years following the ... 2004 release [of the dance song "Do tha Ratchet”] the word ratchet became an adjective for anything “ghetto” or “busted” looking...

..."Now if you’ve ever seen a socket wrench with a ratcheting handle in use, you would know about its back-and-forth twisting movement when removing nuts and bolts. When you “Do Da Ratchet,” it involves twisting and jerking back-and-forth movements.*

In the original music video for “Do Da Ratchet” you can see clubgoers and others doing the ratchet dance, and moving their arms in circular ratcheting motions. And true to the dance term’s double meaning as something hood or ghetto, at the 1:24 mark in the video** you can see what appears to be a pregnant woman holding a bottle of beer as she dances in the club.

"Do Da Ratchet” was in heavy rotation on Hip Hop radio stations in Louisiana from Shreveport all the way down to Baton Rouge. But in the years following the song’s 2004 release, the word ratchet became an adjective for anything “ghetto” or “busted” looking."...
-snip-
*The video that is referenced in this quote is given below as Example #1 in Part II of this series.

** The video that is referenced in this quote is given below as Example #2 in Part II of this series.

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5. From http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/04/ratchet-the-rap-insult-that-became-a-compliment.html"Ratchet: The Rap Insult That Became a Compliment" By John Ortved, April 11, 2013
[Pancocojams Editor: The beginning sentence in this excerpt refers to a 2012 photograph that Pop star Beyonce posted of herself on social media wearing earrings that spelled the word "ratchet".]

..."One of Beyoncé’s skills is trend-spotting, and indeed ratchet has been all over popular culture in the past year. LL Cool J released a single named “Ratchet” last November, using the word as an adjective to describe a woman who is only after a man’s money. In his September single “Bandz a Make Her Dance,” Juicy J boasts of his inability to refuse the advances of "ratchet” women. And in March of 2012, Nicki Minaj dropped “Right By My Side,” with Chris Brown, in which she lamented that “all them bi&&hes* is ratchet.” At the same time, the “Ratchet Girl Anthem,” a parody track recorded by Philip and Emmanuel Houston, collected tens of millions of Youtube hits. In it, the Atlanta brothers pretend to be ratchet women describing their ilk: They carry outdated flip phones, go clubbing while pregnant, and try to punch other women in the face. “Ratchet is basically a lack of home training — being out in public and acting like you don’t have any sense,” Philip Houston told the Cut. “Putting a weave in the microwave just to curl it, that’s ratchet.”

..."In the liner notes of the [2004 Lil' Boosie "Do tha Ratchet] CD [producer] Phunk Dawg wrote a definition of ratchet: “n., pron., v, adv., 1. To be ghetto, real, gutter, nasty. 2. It’s whatever, bout it, etc.”

But the popularity of the song, and the adoption of ratchet by other, bigger names in the business — especially as rappers from the “Dirty South,” like Lil Wayne, T.I., and Juicy J came into vogue in the later 2000s — meant the definition of the word could not stay in the hands of Lava House Records. “It’s not necessarily negative. You could say ‘I’m ratchet’ to say ‘I’m real. I’m ghetto. I am what I am.’ It can be light, too,” Williams, the producer, explains. When ratchet is used in hip hop, it can also mean cool, sloppy, sleek, or flashy. When Azealia Banks name-checks the word, as she often does on Twitter — “Ratchet bi&&hes* make the world go around” was one recent tweet — it’s hard to figure out exactly what she means, but it definitely has positive connotations."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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This concludes Part I of this series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This morning, I woke up with the lyrics "Nasty girl/oh you nasty girl" fluttering through my thoughts of the third United States Presidential debate. And why not? Towards the end of that debate Republican candidate for President Donald J. Trump said "Such a nasty woman" in reference to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton after she dared to suggest that he might follow his general practice of trying to find ways of getting out of increasing his taxes to fund social security. Trump's "You're a nasty woman" comment is forever tied to his earlier comment that "No one respects women more than me".

Here's a video of Trump saying those two comments:

Donald Trump "Nobody Has More Respect for Women"&"Such a Nasty Woman"



GOOD Magazine, Published on Oct 19, 2016

Donald Trump says "nobody has more respect for women" than he does. A short while later he interrupts Hillary Clinton to call her a "nasty woman."

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And check out this video mashup video:

Hillary Clinton Gets Nasty



dtran Published on Oct 19, 2016

#Trump, "She's such a #nasty woman." Hillary Clinton #ImWithHer #ImWithNasty #GetNastyOnHisAss

#HombreDoesntGetIt #ClintyGetNasty #RockTheVote #Vote #BritneyVSJanet ;)
-snip-
Background music clip- Janet Jackson - "Nasty" (1986)

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Here's the Janet Jackson "Nasty" video along with some politicized comments:
Janet Jackson - Nasty (HQ 1080p HD)



OMAR HERNANDEZ Published on Mar 29, 2013
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasty_(Janet_Jackson_song) for a Wikipedia article about Janet Jackson's "Nasty".

Here are selected comments from that video's discussion thread. All of the comments are from 10/20/2016

1. yeah okay player
"RIP Trump's campaign.
I hope Hillary plays this during her inauguration."

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2. J Sindone8 hours ago
Her first name ain't baby, it's Hilary, President Clinton if you're nasty

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3. Dawna Maiella
"The Presidential Debate just got, "Nasty!" LOL!"

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4. Dawna Maiella
"Nasty, nasty debates! "Nasty woman: Donald Trump.""

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5. sk8walker
LOL heard that and came here right away.

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These are only a sample of the comments that referred to Janet Jackson's 1986 song "Nasty" and its often quoted line "My first name ain't baby, it's Janet – Miss Jackson if you're nasty".

But it wasn't Janet's record that was circulating through my mind when I woke up this morning - it was this 1982 Vanity 6 song:

Vanity 6 - Nasty Girl (original 1982)



RoRoBaby369, Uploaded on Aug 26, 2010
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasty_Girl_(Vanity_6_song) for information about this song which was written by Pop musician, singer, composer Prince. Vanity 6's lead singer was Denise Matthews (January 4, 1959 – February 15, 2016), also known as "Vanity".

Here are selected comments from that video's discussion thread: (All these comments are from 10/20/2016.)
1. hERooINe
"trump led me here."

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2. destiny66
"Hillary Clinton's should be new theme song! #thinkaboutit"

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3. Anakronyo
"Such a nasty woman" lol Trump!"

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4. Photo Larry
"#ImWithNasty"
-snip-
That hyperlink leads to a Hillary Clinton website that then leads to the second video in this post.

**
5. Rhonda Lewis
"Waiting on the remix for Hillary Clinton's new ad....."

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utahaztec
"What a nasty woman! I better report her to Trump."

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There are lots of comments in that Vanity 6 discussion thread that I'd love to document and highlight on this blog, including comments about light skin, redbone Black women. Look for that post here in the new future.

But after checking out Janet Jackson's and Vanity 6's "Nasty" music videos -and Beyoncé's related 2003 video "Naughty Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZuJ_OHBN78- I decided to search for articles about what people other than Donald think "women being nasty" means.

Here's a longish excerpt from https://www.bustle.com/articles/190663-let-a-nasty-woman-like-me-explain-the-problem-with-donald-trumps-debate-comment"Let A Nasty Woman Like Me Explain The Problem With Donald Trump’s Debate Comment" by Gabrielle Moss, 10/19/2016
"Are you now, or have you ever been, categorized as a "nasty woman?" That's the latest bizarre, sexist turn of phrase Donald Trump used in the third presidential debate to try and tarnish Hillary Clinton's reputation, and it sounded familiar to me. Anyone else? Have you ever called a man out for being totally, utterly, absurdly wrong about something — like, so wrong it was obvious he wasn't even trying to not be wrong, and was possibly even kind of getting off a little bit on how wrong he was — and been told that you were "such a nasty woman" or some other descriptor that implied that you were foul, angry, some kind of human hemorrhoid? Have you ever been told that you were rude, unkind, or offensive, because you didn't put a man's feelings before your own in literally any situation?

Ha ha, just kidding — of course you have! If you're a woman, you've been told that it's a character flaw to ever state a very obvious fact about a man that paints him in a negative light (and if you're a woman who spends a lot of time online, you've already been told this 19 times today). Trump's jump aboard the "nasty" train makes perfect sense — over the course of his battle with Clinton for the presidency, it feels like he's done a grand tour of every kind of misogyny there is, from braying about his entitlement to commit sexual assault to implying that Clinton is not hot enough to become president. So naturally, there was no where to go but Nastytown.....

Washington PostVideo ✔ @PostVideo
Trump calls Clinton 'nasty woman' in answer on entitlement programs
10:36 PM - 19 Oct 2016

And I must admit, Trump was effective by one measure. There is a certain sting to "nasty.""Nasty" isn't as easy to dismiss as a vulgar insult, or some disparagement that you know to be untrue. "Nasty" says you're committing the worst crime any woman in our society can commit: you're making people think you're unkind. That's different than actually being unkind, of course — "nasty" is all about perception. You could spend all day devoting your life to public service (you know, like Hillary Clinton does), but inform one guy that you know that he didn't pay his taxes for almost two decades, and suddenly none of it is supposed to count. Suddenly, you're "nasty."....

And I have to say, at the risk of sounding cliché, I'm proud of it all. I'm proud of my nastiness. Because, do you know what "nasty" means? It means that I speak up when I see something that I think is wrong, even if I know it will make some people think that I am a jerk because their lives would have been easier if I had kept quiet. It means that I don't swallow my words when I know they need to be said, even if said words will make someone think I'm not a "good" woman. Because I'm not a good woman. I'm a f&&king* nasty woman. And I love it.
-snip-
This word is completely spelled out in this comment.

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And lastly, here's an excerpt from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/32-tweets-that-will-make-you-damn-proud-to-be-a-nasty-woman_us_58083374e4b0180a36e8f59d"32 Tweets That Will Make You Damn Proud To Be A Nasty Woman" by Jessica Samakow, 10/19/2016
"Donald Trump is nothing if not consistent in the way he demeans women. “Such a nasty woman,” he muttered into his microphone in the final moments of the third presidential debate while Hillary Clinton was answering a question about health care.

It was a horrifying moment that should surprise nobody considering how Trump has acted in the past any time a woman has threatened his (very fragile) masculinity.

But this time, the good people of Twitter decided not to be offended by Trump’s words. Instead, they took the opportunity to make some beautiful Janet Jackson references and declare that perhaps a Nasty Woman in the White House is exactly what we need.
Just minutes after the debate ended, NastyWomenGetShitDone.com was redirecting to HillaryClinton.com ― the handy work of Jeff Meltz, a photographer and social media producer who lives in New York."
-snip-
That author shares "32 tweets that will have you wearing Nasty Woman as a badge of honor". Here are a few of those tweets (renumbered in no particular order for this pancocojams post)
1. Alanna Vagianos ✔ @lannadelgrey
"You know what a #NastyWoman is good at? Voting. #debate"
11:03 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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2. Nasty Natalia Reagan @natalia13reagan
"I like my presidents like I like my woman, nasty. And strong. And smart. And capable. #Debatenight" #ImWithHer
10:40 PM - 19 Oct 2016 · Burbank, CA, United States"

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3. Julia Craven ✔ @juliacraven
"I, too, am a nasty woman (if nasty means smarter than you and you pissed about it) #debatenight"
10:50 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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4. Sarah Watson @SarahWatson42
"Such a Nasty Woman" is my new battle cry.
10:40 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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5. Jason Sparks @sparksjls
"A nasty woman's place is in the White House."
10:50 PM - 19 Oct 2016 · Washington, DC, United States

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6. Emma Gray ✔ @emmaladyrose
"How do you think Trump is gonna feel when all the "nasty women" get out and vote on November 8th?"
10:48 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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7. Joseph Nobles @BoloBoffin
"All the nasty women
All the nasty women
All the nasty women
All the nasty women
Get your votes up"
10:46 PM - 19 Oct 2016
-snip-
This is a re-working of Beyonce’s song “All the single ladies" ("Get your hands up”).

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8. Marci Walton @MarciKWalton
"Trump made a big mistake using the word nasty. Cuts across gender, race, sexual orientation, and Janet enthusiasts. #NastyWomenVote #debate"
10:45 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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9. Elizabeth Banks ✔ @ElizabethBanks
"Madame President if you're #nasty #debatenight"
10:40 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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10. Ron Charles ✔ @RonCharles
"That's the sound of people everywhere printing up t-shirts that say, "Nasty Women Make History.""
10:40 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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11. braden graeber @hipstermermaid
"I want an orange man in the streets and a nasty woman in the White House."
10:39 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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12. Rachael Berkey ✔ @bookoisseur
"Proud to be a nasty woman. #ImWithHer"
10:35 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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13.Anne T. Donahue ✔ @annetdonahue
"SHOUT-OUT TO ALL MY FELLOW NASTY WOMEN OUT THERE #DEBATENIGHT"
10:34 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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14.Jeanne Queen-Blake · Works at Placer Academy
"Janet would be so proud! Miss Jackson, for those of us who know!"

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15. Jennifer Wright @JenAshleyWright
"Look, if you've ever been called a "nasty woman" for disagreeing with a man, go vote November 8." #DebateNight
10:39 PM - 19 Oct 2016

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UPDATE: 10/20/2016, 11:28 AM

I also meant to include that I think that in its positive sense the term "nasty women" can refer to women
who acknowledge and celebrate their sexuality, however ways we are true to themselves. In that sense women are reclaiming the word "nasty" and declaring that we are going to be all that we can be".

Maybe I should also add - Women are saying they can be nasty as they don't get too raunchy (or ratchet*) with it.

*That's an inside joke. Read the comment that I wrote below before I added this update.

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The content of this post is presented for political and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all the singers whose videos are featured in this post.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part series on the slang term "ratchet".

Part II provides an overview about the slang word "ratchet" and showcases two YouTube videos of the Ratchet dance. Selected comments from these videos' discussion threads.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-ratchet-means-how-its-slang.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides definitions of and comments about the slang word "ratchet". This post also includes a partial chronology of the slang use of the word "ratchet" by various recording artists and YouTube videographers.

Part III showcases the 2012 video "Ratchet Girl Anthem" and provides the lyrics and explanations about certain vernacular words from those lyrics.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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OVERVIEW OF THE SLANG WORD "RATCHET"
The earliest record that includes the slang word "ratchet" was released in 1992 (the Hip Hop song "I'm So Bad" by UGK (Underground Kingz). In that record-which is full of profanity and what is commonly known as "the n word"- UGK uses "ratchet-ass" as an insult.

Notwithstanding that information, most articles and post credit Shreveport, Louisiana as the birthplace of "ratchetness". Indeed, a nickname for Shreveport is "ratchet city". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_city_nicknames_in_Louisiana.

Here's some information about Shreveport and the word "ratchet".
From http://www.nappyafro.com/2012/05/23/lets-get-ratchet-the-origin-of-ratchetness/ Let’s Get Ratchet: The Origin Of Ratchetness, by Short-T, May 23, 2012
"During my adolescent years at Southwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, I learned a new word for “ho”. “Ratchet” described my peers who participated in extra-curricular activities after school and on the weekends in backseats, someone’s mama’s bedroom, or in a movie theater. I remember in middle school we used to joke and call them, “Go Livers”. The new slang was born when the soon-to-be-King of Louisiana, Lil’ Boosie, collaborated with the local record label Lavahouse and its owner, Mandigo and made the song that would later teach everyone in Louisiana “Ratchet”, as a dance and a true meaning behind the local movement that would gain momentum...

I have heard the word that describes my small Louisiana city, used by major artists like Wiz Khalifa, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and many other people who have probably never tasted gumbo or peeled crawfish in their lives. The worst offenders have been DJ Mustard, the producer of “Rack City” and Def Jam signee, YG. They have done several interviews describing the music landscape of the youth in California, using the same descriptions Hurricane used to explain the Shreveport lifestyle. The biggest slap in the face was the claim of creating Ratchet Music. I really did not see myself getting upset over a word that means ignorant and accurately describes the people that live that life, but not giving credit to the originators actually upsets me and anyone else that know the origin story. It obviously means a lot to some people if you are willing to claim ownership of something you did not create."...
-snip-
Read more information about the word "ratchet" in Part I of this series.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Examples #1: My Cuzin Doin The Ratchet



charde06, Uploaded on May 30, 2006
-snip-
In the beginning of this video, a female voice says says "Hey y'all this is my cousin (cuzin) finna to do (getting ready to do) the ratchet".

Here's selected comments from this video's discussion thread.
1. Dinene Hussain, 2006
"you taught us how to do the ratchet! Thanks! :)"

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2007
2. passphrase
"go on gurl...pop dat colla"
-snip-
Here's some information about the term "pop dat colla" from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Poppin%27%20ya%20collar
"Poppin' ya collar
A phrase generally used in the hip hop lexicon. It describes not only an action, but also a general attitude. The term was originally used in this sense by the rapper E-40. When used by E-40, and many other hip hop artists including Three 6 Mafia in their song Poppin My Collar, the term refers to the act of pulling one's collar, or the clothing where one's collar would be (as when wearing a t-shirt), with the thumb and fingertips. One then releases the clothing in varying degrees of flamboyance. Used in this sense, "poppin' ya collar" is more about the attitude and message of confidence portrayed in so doing than any clothing style (see upturned collar). E-40 immortalized the term (and the accompanying attitude), in his song Pop Ya Collar from his album Loyalty and Betrayal....
by Mr. Pompo October 24, 2006
-snip-
Read my comment for #4 below about being "hard".

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2009
3. martino7468
"LIL Momma tight. She the best i seen on you tube."
-snip-
"Lil momma" - an affectionate referent that some (but not all) African Americans use for females from babies to pre-teens.

"tight" = doing something very well (in this case - dancing very well)

**
4. FLiiPSTaaR
"she the game face on lock an load... she lookin like "im killin it you know im killin it so ummm...please hate" she kilt it though 5*
-snip-
A number of commenters referred to the dancer having a "game face". "Game" here refers to a sports competition. "lock an load" (getting ready to shoot; in this sense from the beginning of her dance). "she lookin like "im killin it you know im killin it so ummm...please hate" means that she confident that she is doing very well (killin it) so her face and demeanor is saying "I dare you to criticize me (hate on me). "She kilt it through 5" probably refers to the five stars rating system that YouTube used to have = with 5 being the highest (best) score.

Read the comment below about having a "stank face" (a serious expression on one's face). Making a "stank face" might be done to convey the persona of a female who is "hard" (someone who isn't supposed to be messed with).
-snip-
This face and demeanor points to the play acting that's an integral part of a lot of Black girls' recreational play. (Dancing is a part of recreational play). For instance, when Black girls chant confrontational foot stomping cheers such as "Hula Hula" (who think they bad), they aren't really looking for a fight or warning someone off. It's all part of an act.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/06/examples-of-hula-hula-who-think-they.html for a pancocojams post on "Hula Hula" cheer.

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5. Iccees Strahan
"lil mama was GETTIN IT!!!! That was hot!!!"
-snip-
"Gettin it" = doing the dance very well

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2010
6. Faye Wilson
"i used to do the rachet like dat"

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2011
7. TehudiDG07
"killin it i know you be gettin loose in the club"
-snip-
"Getting loose" means "to dance very well" maybe because one way that people can dance very well is to be loose (and not stiff).

**
8. Marquez West Jr.
"You killed it bit you wiz making dat stank face"

**
9. Lashai Mo
"To cute!! She dance like me & I'm 31yr old with her head up..Do that!!!!"
-snip-
I"m 31yr. with her head up may mean "31 year old self-assured adult."

**
10. Jai Baxter
"I love this video because she got that confidence in her face. Even her cousin said 'The face'...LOL. She better do that. I ain't mad at her."

**
2012
11. david broussard
"that song is the truth we do all got some ratchet in us!!"

**
12. david broussard
AWSOME!!, UGOGURL!!
-snip-
UGOGIR!! - "You go girl" is a statement of admiration.

**
demond adams
13. "ooo she kno she go HARD"
-snip-
"To go hard" evidences a "tough girl" demeanor (according to Black urban culture standards).

**
14. ceeeluvv, 2013
"ummm, ths ain't nothin but the Gangster Walk from about "92"

****
WARNING: Parental discretion is advised for the second showcased video.

Examples #2: Do Da Ratchet' music video Lava House feat. Lil Boosie



Adetiba 'Super-Director', Uploaded on Oct 10, 2006

'Do Da Ratchet' music video produced by Adetiba/Texas Best Productions for Lava House Records. Shreveport Louisiana aka 'Ratchet City'
-snip-
Here's a description of this dance from http://latinrapper.com/blogs/?p=8810
"In the original music video for “Do Da Ratchet” you can see clubgoers and others doing the ratchet dance, and moving their arms in circular ratcheting motions. And true to the dance term’s double meaning as something hood or ghetto, at the 1:24 mark in the video** you can see what appears to be a pregnant woman holding a bottle of beer as she dances in the club."
-snip-
Here are some selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
The comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comments given first except for replies. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.

1. Tehran Bertrand, 2013
"just like twerkin, cheeky blakk came out with that dong twerk something in the early 90ls in new orleans and now everybody talkin bout twerk this and twerk that

**
2. 1975COREY, 2013
"why is this girl in the green pregnant and drinking? really?"
-snip-
"Really" here infers criticism of a pregnant woman dancing and drinking at a nightclub.

**
3. cedric lee, 2013
"Ratchet city 318 in the built we start it dirty south Louisiana."
-snip-
"in the built" = in the building (meaning "is here"). We start it etc. = "We (Louisiana) started the "dirty South" [culture].

Here's some information about the term "dirty south" from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-the-term-Dirty-South-originate-from-and-what-does-it-mean by
Christopher Lin, English, [profanity deleted] ! I speak it!, Written May 14, 2010
Dirty South refers to a subgenre of Southern rap characterised by heavy bass beats and bouncy rhythms good for dancing in clubs. The lyrical content usually focuses on sex, parties, nightlife, conspicuous consumption, and Southern culture, and the delivery is characterised by a relaxed drawl.

The genre grew out of the club scene in the southern U.S. during the late 1980s, in particular the Miami Bass style, and gained mainstream prominence with the rise of OutKast and the success of their 1994 album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. The term itself originates from the song 'Dirty South' by Goodie Mob on their 1995 debut album Soul Food. The Dirty South style remains a strong influence in lots of contemporary mainstream party-oriented hip-hop (at least, until this weird craze of Eurodance-inflected hip-hop completely takes over)."

**
4. ken town, 2013
"Shteveport started the rachet now the whole world hollin rachheet was up Texas Lousian!!! We in here!!"

**
5. Nura Fountano, 2013
"Maaan.... I'm so glad this has a time date stamp of when it was uploaded. I swear Texas and Louisiana culture is jocked the hardest. Just like them lil dudes made a come up off of teach me how to dougie. A dude out a Dallas started that dance. Well Dougie Fresh first of course. But Dallas dude did pay homage to the originator. But the world recognizes the Cali dudes for starting it. Just a shame."

**
6. lataviajones12, 2014
"So true LOUISIANA been on the ratchet and twerking but i guess that's what happens when you stay in a small state."

** 
Reply
7. 228allday, 2015
"On everythang they be stealing the souths slang"

**
8. ceeeluvv, 2014
"this just the old gangsta walk sped up"

**
9. mgtaduran2 years ago
"only 500k views and over a million people say ratchet now"
-snip-
This video has a total of 655,345 views as of the date of this post's publication.

****
This completes Part II of this three part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part series on the slang term "ratchet".

Part III showcases the 2012 video "Ratchet Girl Anthem" and provides the lyrics and explanations for some other African American Vernacular English words and phrases from those lyrics.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-ratchet-means-how-its-slang.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides definitions of and comments about the slang word "ratchet". This post also includes a partial chronology of the slang use of the word "ratchet" by various recording artists and YouTube videographers.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/do-tha-ratchet-dance-videos-with.html for Part II of this series. Part II showcases two YouTube videos of "Do Tha Ratchet" dance.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
OVERVIEW OF THE VIDEO "RATCHET GIRL ANTHEM"
The parody video entitled "Ratchet Girl Anthem" was first published on YouTube on January 16, 2012 by biological brothers Emmanuel Hudson and Phillip Hudson from Atlanta, Georgia. The official copy of that video has a total of 13,067,907 views as of 10/21/2016 at 7:41 A.M. There are several other copies of this video on YouTube.

Emmanuel and Philip Hudson also performed "Ratchet Girl's Anthem" on America's Got Talent in 2014 which also greatly helped to popularize the slang word "ratchet".

Here's a comment about this video from http://latinrapper.com/blogs/?p=8810:
..."the “Ratchet Girl Anthem,” a parody track recorded by Philip and Emmanuel Houston, collected tens of millions of Youtube hits. In it, the Atlanta brothers pretend to be ratchet women describing their ilk: They carry outdated flip phones, go clubbing while pregnant, and try to punch other women in the face. “Ratchet is basically a lack of home training — being out in public and acting like you don’t have any sense,” Philip Houston told the Cut. “Putting a weave in the microwave just to curl it, that’s ratchet.”
-snip-
Unlike the earlier (2004) Lil' Boosie Hip Hop dance record "Do Tha Ratchet" in which the adjective "ratchet" applies to both males and females, in Emmanuel and Philip Hudson's video "Do The Ratchet" that adjective is limited to females. The word "ratchet" is also limited to females in their even more popular YouTube video "You Askin All them Questions" which was posted on January 21, 2012. Click to view that video which has a total of 59,769,790 views to date.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Ratchet Girl Anthem (SHE RACHEEET!) - Emmanuel and Phillip Hudson



Emmanuel N Phillip Hudson, Uploaded on Jan 16, 2012

Ratchet Girl Anthem is a video created to show some women that the way that they carry themselves isn't always cute.

****
LYRICS: RATCHET GIRL'S ANTHEM (The Single Version)

(Emmanuel and Phillip Hudson)

OMG what do she have on (she ratchet)?
her lace front is all wrong ('cause she ratchet)
gimme the phone, I'm finna take this heffa picture ('cause she ratchet)
Got it! I'm 'bout to put this girl on Twitter ('cause she ratchet)

'Cause I ain't got time for this, I'm too grown (see you ratchet)
Boy bye, not with them shoes on (because you ratchet)
ooh I just wanna punch her in her face (oh she ratchet)
I can't stand her, ooh she too fake (she ratchet)

Girl, lemme tell you what I got my mister mister (girl what?)
a baby boy and it came with a sister (uh uh)
girl yes, I'm pregnant but I still hit the club (that's right)
in the middle of the floor with no shoes (what's up)

I had to look cute today,
apple bottom jeans fur boots today (that's right)
I had to keep it looking good 'cause my baby daddy just made bail
he a thug he'll shoot today (that's right)
new baby need new shoes today,
child support check get two today (cha ching)
got the tracks, yesterday
girl, did you get the glue today? (you know it)

gone beef it up, move tramp (get out my way!)
It's the 15th I got my food stamps (cha ching)
Got a brand new piercing, brand new tat
paid 95 dollars for this weave plus tax (bow)

bend that thang over while I spank my thong (get it girl)
No real hair this kanekalon,
thinking that you better than I am
well, then you thinking wrong (you stupid)

whatever, she a lie.
my number? boy bye!
what is wrong, sugar?
shh shh be quiet

hey girl, you look good, you look
turn around lemme see who did yo sew in
get it get it get it
oh...oh OK we gon' talk to you later, girl
bye...

OMG what do she have on (she ratchet)?
her lace front is all wrong ('cause she ratchet)
gimme the phone, I'm finna take this heffa picture ('cause she ratchet)
Got it! I'm 'bout put this girl on Twitter (you know you ratchet)

because I ain't got time for this I'm too grown (see you ratchet)
boy bye, not with them shoes on (he ratchet)
ooh I just wanna punch her in her face (oh she ratchet)
I can't stand her, oh she too fake (she ratchet)

my name is Emmanuella but my girlfriends call me Carrie (alright)
the club is free before 11 pre-game then we party (leggo)
yes I am the baddest
you can't have this boo boo sorry (uh uh)
'cause 2 chainz is my future baby daddy,
MAURY

got my jersey dress on,
Jordan heels match my press on (alright)
Pound team dark skin, we don't like them red bones (what you saying?)
duck lip in my pictures,
new avi got glitter
hit me up on Facebook and follow me on Twitter (get at me)

I'm with team flip phone (what else?)
Team Chris Brown (okay)
if she don't shut it up then it's team shut it down (I mean do what you wanna do)
I'm with team bad chick,
team with your man (that right)
if he got a lotta money then it's team he paying (that right)

What is you sayin'
I mean he might as well spend it on me (you over there bein' ratchet)
because you ain't looking like nothing (I'm on, I'm on my job)
you ain't lookin' like nun (why you wanna be mad?)
you ain't lookin'
what you gon do? what you gon do?
Please please... (ooh oh)
Girl OMG (what is wrong with her? she so fake)

OMG what do she have on (she ratchet)?
her lace front is all wrong (cause she ratchet)
gimme the phone, I'm finna take this heffa picture ('cause she ratchet)
Got it! I'm 'bout put this girl on Twitter (you know you ratchet)

'Cause I ain't got time for this, I'm too grown (see you ratchet)
Boy bye, not with them shoes on (he ratchet)
ooh I just wanna punch her in her face (oh she ratchet)
I can't stand her, oh she too fake (she ratchet)

think she look good with that leopard skin (what you gonna do?)
why would you get leopard skin tated on you?
You look like the jungle
Okay I got it,
Your hair is the jungle
And, you want to get leopard, leopard spots tatted on you
Oh my God
Boy Bye!

Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/emmanuelhudson/ratchetgirlanthem.html

****
EXPLANATION OF CERTAIN WORDS & PHRASES FROM "RATCHET GIRL'S ANTHEM
(given in alphabetical order)

"cha ching" = a term coined to represent the sound of coin money going into a cash register

**
"did you get the glue today" = asking about glue that is used to add "tracks" to a person's (usually females) hair (Read the explanation for "tracks" below)

**
"duck lip" - a person pouting her or his lips to look like a duck or a fish; "This is a face used in many teenage facebook pictures. They stick their lips out in a fashion that resembles a duck's beak. It is meant to be seductive, although why anyone would think ducks are sexy, I don't know."...http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Duck%20Lips by Seven Seven December 21, 2012

**
"finna" = fixing to; getting ready to (do something)

**
flip phone = an outdated style for cell phones that have a cover that flips up to show the screen; Cell phones with "touch screens" replaced "flip phones". Therefore, anyone who is still using "flip phones" is looked down upon as being poor, old fashioned, and or cheap.

**
"heffa(h)" = heifer, an insult referent for a female who has done something offensive or irritating to you or a female who you don't like for whatever reason; "Heffah" has nothing to do with fat shaming

**
"hit me up on Facebook" = go to my Facebook page and write a comment on that page

**
"kanekalon" = a brand name for fake hair (also known as "weaves", "tracks", and/or "extensions"

**
"lace front" = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lace_wig
"A lace wig or a lace front wig is a special type of hairpiece or wig in which human hair or synthetic hair is tied by hand to a sheer lace base which goes over the scalp."

**
"OMG" (abbreviation for the exclamation "oh my God". When "OMG" is spoken, each letter is pronounced separately

**
"press on (nails)" = fingernails that are placed on top of your nails by some form of adhesive

**
"ratchet" [definition for "ratchet' as used in this song] = an insulting adjective that has the same or similar meanings as "a hot mess", "tacky", "skanky" etc.

**
"red bones" = a (usually) neutral (neither positive or negative) African American term for light skin Black people whose complexion has a reddish tinge; in this song "red bone" is used in contrast to (Black people who are) "dark skin" ["Redbones" also refers to the ethnic population known as "Louisiana Redbones". However, I don't think that term refers to that population in this song.]

**
"sew in" = fake or real human hair that is attached to a female or male's hair by sewing

**
"team [add noun]" = refers to a group that you consider yourself a part of or a group that you are rooting for in a real or imaginary competition

**
"tatted" = ("Tat" is an abbreviation for "tattoos"); tatted - having tattoos, putting on tattoes

**
"tracks" = another term for (hair) weave

**
"weaves" = "a form of hair extensions. often used by black women, and celebrites. it's woven, or glued, into the hair from the track"... http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=weave by yay area baby October 19, 2005

****
This concludes Part III of this three part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that traces the lightly competitive hand clapping game "Stella Ella Ola" (also known as "Quack Diddley Oso" and other titles) to the 1945 American novelty song "Chickery Chick" and that song's source - the 19th century or earlier song "In China There Lived A Great Man" (and other titles).

Part I provides source information, text examples, and video examples of "In China There Lived A Great Man" (and other titles).

Part II provides information, lyrics, and a video example of the 1945 hit novelty song "Chickery Chick". Part II also provides information, a few text examples, and two video examples of "Stella Ella Ola" and "Quack Diddley Oso".

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of the video that is included in this post.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
It's my position (and the position of some other people) that, in spite of the nostalgic appeal that it has for many people, the old song "In China There Lived A Great Man" is an example of a number of 19th century English language songs that ridicule Chinese people. For example, an early title for this song was "The China Man With His Monkey Nose". Furthermore, the nonsense words in the chorus and other lyrics in many versions of that song ridicule the way some non-Chinese people thought that Chinese talked. Also, knowingly or unknowingly, some versions of "In China There Lived A Great Man" conflate the native land of a Chinese man with Japan, thus reinforcing the view that all Asians are the same.

These quoted comments given below are from a discussion thread on the Mudcat folk music forum. Some of these comments trace this song to 19th century or earlier England.

It should be noted that these selected comments are just a small portion of the examples of "In China There Lived A Great Man" that are given in that Mudcat discussion thread which knowingly or unknowingly contain racist references.

As is presented in Part II of this series, the 1945 novelty hit song "Chickery Chick" is a re-working of the old song "In China There Lived A Great Man" without its problematic racial references. Also, as presented in Part II of this series, it's my position that the source of the large "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Diddley Oso" family of hand clap (lightly competitive hand slap) games can be traced back to "Chickery Chick" and from there to "In China There Lived A Great Man". The "Stella Ella Ola"/ "Quack Diddley Oso" rhymes are also free of any racial references.

While reading the "In China There Lived A Great Man" examples that are featured in this post, be mindful in particular of the choruses of those songs compared with the lyrics of "Chickery Chick" and the folk processed words for "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Diddley Oso" examples.

A video rendition of "In China There Lived A Great Man" is given in this post. And video examples of "Chickery Chick" and "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Diddley Oso" are given in Part II of this series. Hopefully those people who have a better ear for music than me can share if they detect any similarities between these the tunes for these songs/rhymes.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS AND TEXT EXAMPLES
Pancocojams Editor:
All of these quotes are from http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6971"Lyr Req: 'Once in China there lived a great man..." There are a total of 261 posts (comments) to date in that discussion thread. And that thread is just one of several Mudcat folk music discussions about the song "In China There Lived A Great Man".

These comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing dates in that particular Mudcat forum's discussion thread.

I've assigned numbers to these comments/examples for referencing purposes only, I've also added a few brief comments after the "snip" (end of quote) notation.

1. Subject: RE: Lyrics requested ... Once in China
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 03:13 PM

"I'm guessing it's one of those songs from the late 19th century that made fun of Chinese immigrants to the U.S. You'll find a number of songs like that if you use our Filter and look for "china" (set the age back) - or click here*


I did find this on a Google search: [hyperlinked site no longer active]
once long ago, there lived a funny man.
his name was icka rocka icka rocka ran.
his legs were long as his feet were small.
and he couldn't walk at all.

EENY MEENY MING MONG PING PONG CHOW!
EASY VEASY VACKA LEASY, EASY VEASY VOW!
EENY MEENY MACKA RACKA RAY RI
CHICKA RACKA DOMINACKA
LOLLIPOPPA OM POM PUSH!"
-snip-
The word "here" is hyperlinked. The link leads to a list of Mudcat discussion threads for English language songs that make fun of Chinese people http://mudcat.org/?Title=china&age=25000 http://mudcat.org/?Title=china&age=25000."

****
2. From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 03:29 PM

"It also comes up in the writings of Louisa May Alcott, from Under the Lilacs, Chapter 21:*

Few of the children had ever seen the immortal Punch and Judy, so this was a most agreeable novelty, and before they could make out what it meant, a voice began to sing, so distinctly that every word was heard,--

"In China there lived a little man,
His name was Chingery Wangery Chan."
-snip-
The title "Under The Lilacs" is given as a hyperlink. That hyperlink eventually leads to Project Gutenberg edition of Louisa May Alcott's 1928 book. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3795/3795-h/3795-h.htm

****
3. From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:30 PM

"Jim Dixon posted the first verse of this old Amherst song. Here is the entire song. Many versions and additions since it first appeared in the 1860's.

Lyr. Add: CHINGERY CHAN

1.
In China there lived a little man,
His name was Chingery-ri-chan-chan;
His feet were large and his head was small,
And this little man had no brains at all.

Chorus:
Chingery-rico-rico-day,
Ekel-tekel. Happy man!
Kuan-a-desco-canty-o,
Gallopy-wallopy-china-go.

2.
Miss Sky-high she was short and squat;
She had money, which he had not;
To her he then resolved to go,
And play her a tune on his little banjo.

Chorus:

3.
Miss Sky-high heard his notes of love;
She held his wash-bowl up above;
She poured it on the little man,
And that was the end of Chingery-chan.

Chorus:
Chingery-rico-rico-day,
Ekel-tekel. Injured man!
Kuan-a-desco-canty-o,
Gallopy-wallopy-china-go.

From the section on Songs of Amherst (E. C. Brayton), p. 178-179. No author cited.
H. R. Waite, Coll. and Ed., 1868, "Carmina Collegensia: A Complete Collection of the Songs of the American Colleges, with Piano-Forte Accompaniment. To Which Is Added a Compendium of College History." Oliver Ditson & Co. New York:-C. H. Ditson & Co."

****
4. From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:41 PM

"The song was reprinted, without change, in the enlarged "Carmina Collegensia" of 1876."

****
5. From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Aug 07 - 11:38 AM

"I do hope that "The Fish Cheer & I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" by Country Joe & the Fish has an equally long life as this politically incorrect ditty. The "Fish" song, in my opinion, has some redeeming value.

I would still hesitate to sing "Once in China there lived a man" to any general audience unless I first characterized it as an anti-Chinese song. And, yes, I can understand why it's so much fun to sing within the family but it is still a song of ethnic if not racial ridicule.

At least mull that over before passing it on to another generation.

Charley Noble"

****
6. From: GUEST
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 06:08 PM

"In Chinatown there lived a man
His name was Chickety-Chickety Chan
His feet were long and his toes were short
And this is the way the poor Chinamen talked

CHORUS:
Ooooh, chickety-chee chi-ly chi-lo
chickety-rummo inna-banana-wallya
wallya chi-na-key
inna-banana-ga-watchio

This chinaman had plenty of wealth and
lived in a mansion all by himself the
people got good and bought him a boat
and sent the poor china man off to float

Ooooh, chickety-chee chi-ly chi-lo
chickety-rummo inna-banana-wallya
wallya chi-na-key
inna-banana-ga-watchio

This Chinaman, finely died
and in his coffin he deny
they shipped him back to old Japan
and that was the end of the poor Chinaman"

****
7. From: GUEST,Steve Gardham
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 06:44 PM
"Hi,
This thread has been running for 3 years now and nobody has bothered to post the original. What a wonderful collection of variants though!

I'd be interested to know if they all go to the same tune. My parents sang their version to the ubiquitous first strain of 'In and out the windows'/'So early in the morning'/'Blue-tail fly' etc.
I'd say it dates at least from 1840 if not earlier as the earliest printer on broadside I have record of is John Pitts of 7 Dials London and he was in business before 1800. The usual title is 'Chinaman with a/the/his Monkey Nose'

This is the version printed by Bebbington of Manchester c1850

In China once there dwelt a great man
His name was Chick-a-chack-tan-ran-tan,
His legs were long and his feet so small
this Chinaman couldn't walk at all,
His servants used to carry him out,
Upon their backs, and the folks would shout,
O, lookee here comes!'--oh, dere he goes!
'The Chinaman with a Monkey Nose.

So Chickara-Choo-Chi-Cho-Chut-La
Chokolo roonee, ning o ping nang,
Padoger was dusta canta kee,
Gunnee po hutto pi China coo!

There are 4 more double verses


Looking at line 7 above I would guess it originated as an early solo minstrel-type song. It predates the Virginia Minstrels but there were plenty of solo blackface performers in Britain even back as far as the 18thc."

**
8. From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 08:13 AM

"Nobody has bothered to post the original"! Please, Mr. Gardham, you do us an injustice! You imply that we knew where to find the original, or that the original would have been easily found! I assure you, there is no lack of diligent searchers at Mudcat, but once in a while, we search and we fail to find.

I see now that The Bodleian Library collection of ballads has 7 versions of songs beginning "In China once there dwelt a great man" but none of them was printed by Bebbington of Manchester. Where did you find yours?

Here's the Pitts version, catalogued as Harding B 11(1415):

THE CHINA MAN WITH HIS MONKEY NOSE.

In China once there dwelt a great man.
His name was Chick-chack-tan-a-ran-tan.
His legs were long and his feet so small,
This China man couldn't walk at all.
His servants used to carry him out,
Upon their backs, and the folks would shout,
'O, lookee here comes'--'Oh, dere he goes!
The China man with his Monkey Nose.

So Chickara-Choo-Chi-Cho-Chut-la
Chockolo roonee, ning o ping nang,
Padoger wa dusta canta kee,
Gunnee po hottee pi China coo.'

This China man had plenty of pelf.
He liv'd in a mansion by himself,
And next door was his servant's abode.
Now was not that a singular mode?
Two men he hired to carry him out,
But they turn'd out to be robbers stout.
He paid them well, and gave them clothes,
The China man with his Monkey Nose.
So Chickara, &c.

One day this China man fell in love,
And fancied, he said, miss Telto Dove;
So one of his servants carried him quick.
The other bent forward with a stick.
On a two legg'd horse, he look'd such a gill.
They took him some miles and stopt on a hill,
Then into a ditch the robber throws
The China man with his Monkey Nose.
So Chickara, &c.

Some China ladies then from the town
Ran up the hill and roll'd him down
From top to bottom. They then began
To tickle and play with the China man.
From him they most took all his breath,
For they nearly kissed this man to death.
At any rate, they all stopp'd his woes,
The China man with his Monkey Nose.
So Chickara, &c.

These Chinese ladies, so fine and gay,
Resolv'd to carry him home next day;
So safe at his house they reach'd once more
With all the ladies, and lock'd the door.
The robbers plunder'd his house entire,
Then set the ladies and him on fire.
All in the house had a fire repose,
The China man and his Monkey Nose.
So Chickara, &c."

**
9. From: GUEST,Steve Gardham
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 06:58 PM

"Sorry, Jim.
Didn't mean to be rude or clever.
The Bebbington/Pearson version is In Manchester Central Library.
I didn't bother noting down the Bodl versions cos I already had lots of versions. I have records of the following printers printing it in addition to Bebbington/Pearson no386 which is also in the Baring Gould BL collection.
Sanderson, Edinburgh
Poet's Box, Glasgow.
Hodges/Ryle/Such, London probably all derived from your Pitts version
Booth, Hyde

The Roud Index probably gives more."

****
10. From: GUEST,Mad
Date: 08 Jun 08 - 04:05 PM

"The version I learned from my grandmother goes like this:

Once there was a Chineseman
His name was Chikka Rakka Chi Chai Cho
His feet were long and his arms were short
This Chinese man couldn't walk nor talk

Chikka Rakka Chi Chai Cho chikalera
Bungalera piggy wiggy waggle
Ogo pogo anna banna coco
Cheraby cheraby chi chai cho

This Chinese man, he had a wife
And oh, they lived a terrible life
She cut off his pigtail, it was too long
And sold it for a Chinese song

Chikka Rakka Chi Chai Cho chikalera
Bungalera piggy wiggy waggle
Ogo pogo ana bana coco
Cheraby cheraby chi chai cho

It was always accompanied by a lot of clapping. I always thought she had made it up, so I'm happy to know that there are other people out there with their own versions of it. Makes me feel less crazy somehow :)"

****
11. From: GUEST,Bess
Date: 18 Jul 08 - 11:54 AM

"Holy cow, I had no idea that there were so many versions of this song. I learned this from my Quaker Liberal relatives who are now embarrassed to sing it because of it's racist overtones!

Chinkety Chinkety Chan

In Chinatown there lived a man
His name was Chinkety Chinkety Chan
His feet were long and his toes were short
And this is the way the poor Chinaman talked:

Ohhhhhhhhhh-
Chinkety-chee Cha-lye Cha-lo
Chinkety Romeo in a banana-ga
Wallika wallika chanikee
In a bannana-ga
WAH-chee-yow!"

****
12. From: GUEST,Guest33
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 11:00 PM

"I'm glad I found this thread! I've had this song stuck in my head. My mom was from Hammond/Chicago, and grew up in the 1930s. She sang a lot of silly war songs (The coffee in the Army...) and ethnic ditties of a sort that is not considered funny today (Snowball). Another Guest gave us a variant that is very close to what she would sing. I remember the tune, by the way, which doesn't seem to be part of the discussion. The glaring ignorance of geography was part of the joke.

Anyway, here's what our earlier Guest posted, with my mom's variant in CAPS:

A CHINAMAN FROM OLD JAPAN

and this is the way the Chinaman floats:

Chingaling chee, chi li, chi lo,
chingaling wallaga, in the bananaga,
wallaga, wallaga, CHAN OF THE SEA,
CHINGLAING CHAN WAS HE.

AT LENGTH Chinaman did die,
and in his coffin he did lie;
they sent him back to Old Japan,
and this is the way his epitaph ran..."

****
13. Azizi
Date: 31 Aug 09 - 07:50 PM

"For those who may be interested, here is an excerpt from a comment from another Mudcat thread about these types of songs:

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ching Chong Chinaman Song
From: GUEST,A proud Asian American - PM
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 08:01 PM

"Why would anyone want to continue a tradition such as this, a tradition that degrades an entire race of people? For what point and purpose? How would you feel if your people were subjected to such vile degradation, disrespect and hatred?

You really should think things through before you decide to pursue a topic.

And anyone who has ever uttered such filthy words for fun and amusement needs to do some serious soul-searching..."

-snip-

I realize that singing this song is a family tradition for some people. I also realize that a number of people are nostalgic about this songs because it reminds them of their childhood and of their parents and grandparents who may be gone.

I believe that there is some merit in documenting the variants and engaging in other folkloric study of these songs. However, I'm concerned about passing on to another generation this song and other songs like it because it ridicules a race or a nationality of people.

These comments may not make any difference to those who think these songs are just fun. But I hope people think about these points before they teach these songs to their children and to other children."

****
14. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Once in China there lived a great ma
From: GUEST,Chris Brierley
Date: 09 Sep 09 - 02:40 PM

"A few thoughts for Azizi

This is a song about an anonymous person. It was probably fiction at the time. I think you are an idiot berating people for recalling their memories on this forum.

The song does not "degrade an entire race of people" however I could make a few comments about those funny yellow rice munchers if you like?"

****
15. From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 07 Sep 10 - 11:05 AM

"My mum used to sing this playground clapping song when she was a little girl in the 30's in the playground or in the streets of Bristol when there was not much traffic and relatively safe!

In China once there lived a great man,
His name was chikerocka choo chi pan
His legs were long and his feet were small
This little Chinaman couldn't walk at all

Chickerocka chickerocka cho chiker orum
Condo romum acki paki wak
Oko koko hit him on the boko
Ikipie ikipie okoko

My mum's younger sister, although a few years younger had a slightly different version although basically the same. Funny how things alter in a few years. When I was a little girl I knew the Eenie Meenie one that is mentioned right at the top as a playground clapping song. Irish comedian Frank Carson did a version of Eenie Meenie Macarraca and it did get into the UK hit parade I think it was at the end of the 70's or early 80's."

****
16. From: GUEST,Interested Party
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 04:27 AM

"I thought it was a cheer. My father recited it as:

"Rah-rah chicorah, chicorah rooney.
Rooney, rooney, ping pang pooney--
Palla-walla wah,
sing Chinee Ching!"

(Not very P.C.!)

It sounds like a cheer for football games--it has a kind of rhythm, and "Rah-rah", after all."

****
17. From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 08 Oct 10 - 06:36 PM

"My Mom's version was a little different but must be from the same original. It goes

Once in Japan there lived a man name Hiko-chiko-chickery-chan, Hiko Chiko chinaman, Wadame Kadame dusty-o willapy wallapy chineo.

One day the people of the town went up and brought the Chinaman down. Then the Chinaman he died and all the people for him cried.

And that was the end of Hiko-Chiko-Chickery-Chan, Hiko Chiko Chinaman, Wadame Kadame Dusty-o Willapy Wallapy Chineo."

****
18. From: GUEST,jhkinghill Reading UK
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 04:01 AM

"My Dad used to sing this--he learnt it from his mother and thinks she learnt it from her parents, so we are going back to mid-late 19thC Lancashire:
Once in China there lived a great man
and his name was Chicker-ricker-rookington
his legs were long but his feet were small
so that Chinaman couldn't walk at all
CHORUS: Soooooo--chicker-ricker-roo chy cho chucka-larum
Scandal-arum is a peg man
Cargo too-go is a giz gaz go
is a peg nay go
is a peg man
Cheero cheero chuck chucka largo is despatched in China
here he comes and here he goes
the Chinaman with a monkey's nose

Two smart men they carried him about
the people did laugh and the people did shout
they took him to the top of the hill
and rolled him down like a rolling pin (sometimes changed to 'beechams pill'by my mother, an English teacher and purist about rhyme
CHORUS repeated

I've never found anyone before outside of our family who had the remotest idea about this song, which we figured must have come into the family from trips to the old music halls--unless anyone knows of any sheet music for it?"

****
19. From: GUEST,canada
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:52 PM

"Hi, my dad who is from Lancashire and sang this song to us along with I'm a wee melody man but the way I remember is this way:

In China once there lived a man
His name was Chika-Racka-Chee-Chi-Chan
His head was big and his feet were small
And this poor Chinaman couldn't walk at all

Chika-Raka-chee-chi
Choo Cock-a-lorum
Cando, lorum, ninny pinny nap
Cat go, you go, etty cotty kitty ko
Ditty pie, Ditty pie, Chika-Rack-Chee-Chi


Talk about not being politically correct! But I'm in my early 60's and I remember this; that little golliwog from the jam jar lids and I had a book about ten little Ni***r boys sitting in the sun."
-snip-
This comment is given as it was published in that discussion thread.

****
20.[added to this pancocojams post 10/23/2016 12:39 AM.]
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 12:14 PM

"What an interesting thread. I heard this song from my grandfather, though never was sure if he picked it up during the war or as a schoolboy in London.

Unfortunately he used different verses that I don't see here.
There was one about 'combed his hair with a knife and fork' or something to that effect. The first verse ended with 'couldn't walk or talk' with 'talk' rhyming perfectly with short because of his accent.

The only verse I remember, which I always thought was the best, was the last one which I don't see here:

"They took him up in an aeroplane
And told him not too bash his brain
The word was said and he fell on his head
and that was the end of the Chineseman"

As far as the concerns on the board about the racist nature of this song goes, I don't think there is any risk that teaching this song will promote racist attitudes. It's just a fun look into the attitudes that prevailed back then.
Case in point: I heard that song all the time growing up, but it didn't stop me from learning Chinese, spending time in China, having Chinese friends, and dating Chinese women. It's a fantastic culture, that I greatly admire, but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying this ridiculous song."

****
21. From: GUEST,patchouliaison
Date: 14 Jun 14 - 11:06 AM

"My great grandfather used to sing this song, and it's been handed down in the family. I find it entirely racist and have asked my parents to stop singing it to my baby. They, of course, we're horrified I would make this request. Basically, I'm trying to prove them wrong, that it is a quite offensive song. Any ideas on where it came from? The version we learned goes like this:

Once in China there lived a little man.
His name was Ching-a-ling-Ching-a-ling-Ching.
His legs were short and his feet were small,
And this little man couldn't walk at all.

Ching-a-ling-Ching-a-ling-Ching-a-ling-Ching,
Ride all day oh happy man.
You no fishy-go, shorty-o.
He wept and he wept in Chin-e-o.

Thanks for any tips on its origin!"

****
22. From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 18 Jul 14 - 06:06 AM

"patchouliaison. I quite agree. I find this song racist and offensive and I woder why anyone would want to bother singing it.

Just for the record, there is a version on CD, but no, I'm not prepared to provide any details."

****
23. From: GUEST,Kittymama
Date: 01 May 15 - 06:07 PM

"It's racist and offensive (for those who are collecting support for that position, patchouliason). We sing it privately, because it makes us think of our late mother, but we know better than to sing it in front of people. Which makes it sound as though we have a private little racist club, but, sigh, it is what it is. At least we've protected succeeding generations."
-snip-
This is the last comment to date in that Mudcat discussion thread.

****
VIDEO EXAMPLE: Once In China



keyshop41 Published on Nov 17, 2013

I was taught this song by my Mother when I was a child, she was taught this song by her Mother when she was a child. I have no idea how her mother learn it. I have always thought it was a fun song since I was a kid. I had decided to try to find out about it recently and found that many people knew about the song and were searching for it but were asking if anyone had a complete version. Some of the missing lyrics seemed to be be those which I know from my mother's version. Many people who searched for the song knew slightly different words than that which I knew but no one had posted a complete version of the song anywhere and no one had a video or sound bit posted to hear how their version of the words went. So, using my memory as best I could I decided to put the song onto a video and made up the chords to follow the tune that I was taught as a kid. I also decided to just do the lyrics that I was taught when I was a kid. When trying to find the song I discovered that many people knew the song as Once In China. The opening line of my version is, "In China once there lived a great man..." Maybe the opening line should be, "Once in China there lived a great man...." A little bit of a difference but since I was never told what the name of the song was by Mother maybe this is true? So,since so many people seem to be searching for a song named Once In China, this is my version of "Once In China."

I don't speak any dialect of Chinese so if I'm saying something offensive I apologize. This was not meant to be against anyone, I'm just doing a song that I was taught as a kid that it sounds like many other people have searched for.
-snip-
This example documents the tune (or a tune?) for the song "In China There Lives A Great Man" (or other titles).

****
This concludes Part I of this two part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

(Update: October 10/23/2016 2:25 PM).

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series that traces the lightly competitive hand clapping game "Stella Ella Ola" (also known as "Quack Dilly Oso" and other titles) to folk processed forms of the chorus of the 1945 American novelty song "Chickery Chick".

Part II provides information, lyrics, and a video example of the 1945 hit novelty song "Chickery Chick". Part II also provides information, text examples, and one video each of "Stella Ella Ola" and "Quack Dilly Oso". Oso").

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/in-china-there-lives-great-man-sources.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides source information, text examples, and video examples of "In China There Lived A Great Man" (and other titles).

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural purposes, entertainment, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of the videos that are included in this post.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I became aware of what I now call the "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Dilly Oso" family of children's hand clap rhymes in the 1990s and 2000s as a result of observing the recreational play of African American girls (sometimes joined by boys) around 7 - 12 years old years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the Pittsburgh neighborhood of East Liberty/Garfield where I live and where my daughter grew up and became an elementary school teacher, "Stella Ella Ola" rhymes were known as "Slap Billie Ola" or "Strolla Ola Ola". And "Quack Dilly Oso" was known as "Quack Diddley Oso".

In 2001, I launched my (now no longer active) cocojams.com cultural website. That website was consistently online until October 2014. Most of the examples of children's recreational rhymes that were featured on that website were either submitted by visitors or gleaned from my online searchers. As a result, I realized that "Stella Ella Ola" or "Quack Dilly Oso" were the names that most people used to refer to a host of rhymes with similar structures and lyrics and which were chanted while playing lightly competitive group hand slapping games.

In 2004, I joined the online Mudcat folkloric music discussion forum, and was a very active member of that forum until 2009. My special interest in that forum were children's recreational rhymes and 19th African American religious and non-religious songs. In addition to presenting multiple examples of specific songs and rhymes, Mudcatters were (and still are) interested in determining or at least attempting to determine the source/s for those songs and rhymes. And some Mudcatters, like me, were (and probably still are) also interested in documenting how songs and rhymes remain the same or change during the same time and during different times among different populations.

All of this serves as background to my reactions in 2007 to a long running Mudcat discussion thread on the 19th century or older song "In China There Lived A Great Man". That song is the focus of Part I of this pancocojams series. Prior to reading song examples in that discussion thread, I had reached the tentative conclusion that some Spanish song or rhyme was the source of "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Dilly Oso" rhymes. I reached that conclusion because many of those rhymes contained the Spanish words such as "chica", "chico", "rico", "senorita" or some folk processed forms of those words. But I questioned that conclusion after reading song examples (and particularly the choruses of the songs) that were posted on that Mudcat discussion forum discussion thread of "In China There Lived A Great Man".

Here's my first comment on that discussion thread: (That comment was written in response to the example of "In China There Lived A Great Man" that had been posted right before it, and which included this chorus)
"Chingery-rico-rico-day,
Ekel-tekel. Injured man!
Kuan-a-desco-canty-o,
Gallopy-wallopy-china-go."
-snip-
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Once in China there lived a great man...http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6971
From: Azizi
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:04 PM

"Chingery-rico-rico-day" ??!

Could "Once in China there lived a great man" be the source [or "a" source] for the children's handclap rhyme "Stella Ella Ola"?

If so, there goes my theory about "Stella Ella Ola's Spanish origin...

Here's an example of "Stella Ella Ola" for those who aren't familiar with it:

Subject: RE: Kids chant Stella Ola Ola / Stella Ella Ola
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 01:17 AM

wow, i'm surprised i found this...we used to sing it like this in the early 90s

Stella ella ola
clap clap clap
singin' es chico chico
chico chico cracker jack
es chico chico
falo falo
i gotta blow my nose
so, 1,2,3,4,5!

http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=77066"

****
Here's the only response to my comment in that discussion thread- (The comment is from a participant in that discussion thread who went by the name of Q :
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Once in China there lived a great man...
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:48 PM

"I doubt a relationship. Chingery Chan was changed around by Louisa May Alcott; I think "Under The Lilacs," where she used it, (1878) is on line (also see the post by Joe up above.
There seem to be a number of these songs- children and the writers for them are inventive!

On the other hand-"
-snip-
I re-posted the same comment in that Mudcat "Stella Ella Ola" discussion thread which I started (see above link). However, I received no responses to that comment there either.
-snip-
Click http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3795/3795-h/3795-h.htm for a Project Gutenberg edition of Louisa May Alcott's 1878. The "In China There Lived A Great Man" example is given in Chapter 21.
-snip-
As somewhat of an aside, *Q (Frank Staplin) was the one who had informed me about that Mudcat folk music forum via an email that he sent to my cocojams.com website in 2004. Q also was the first person who included this information in that "In China There Lived A Great Man discussion thread about the 1945 American novelty song "Chickery Chick". If I'm not mistaken, there's only one other mention (to date) in that discussion thread about that "Chickery Chick" song.

But it wasn't until now (October 21, 2016) that my interest in determining the source or sources for "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Diddley Oso" songs was revived*. I'm sharing my conclusions in this post that the main sources for "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Diddley Oso" rhymes are "Chickery Chick" and folk processed forms of "Chickery Chick"'s source song "In China There Lived A Great Man".
-snip-
My interest in determining the source or sources for Stella Ella Ola was revived because I happened to visit Mudcat (as I sometimes do) and saw that a new comment was posted to that rhyme's discussion thread that I started in 2005. Here's that comment:

"Subject: RE: Kids chant Stella Ola Ola / Stella Ella Ola
From: GUEST,Anon2
Date: 20 Oct 16 - 09:59 PM

I grew up in the greater Vancouver BC area, the version I learned was

Stella Stella Ola
Clap Clap Clap
Singing ess chiga chiga
Chiga chiga chap
Singing ess chiga chiga
Valo valo valo valo valo fire
1 2 3 4 5!

It's funny how it's so close but not identical to Anon's from Aug 2012.. though my version's nearly 20 years older than hers.

Anyone know the origin of this song/game?"
-snip-
Initially, I thought that "Stella Ella Ola" rhymes had a Spanish language origin. But I haven't found any examples of Spanish versions of these rhymes that originated in a Spanish language country/community (as opposed to being introduced to those populations.).

I believe that the source for the large family of "Stella Ella Ola"/ "Quack Dilly Oso" rhymes (and other titles) is the chorus to the 1945 American novelty song "Chickery Chick" plus a great deal of folk processing (folk etymology; oral tradition).

"Chickery Chick" appears to me to be a re-working of the nonsense word filled choruses the 19th century or earlier racist (anti-Chinese) ridicule song "Chingery Chang" (also known as "Once In China There Lived A Great Man".) So "Chingery Chan" can also be said to be a source of the non-racist, nonsense word filled "Stella Ella Ola"/ "Quack Dilly Oso" rhymes.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT "CHICKERY CHICK"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Dee
"Sylvia Dee (born Josephine Moore Proffitt, October 22, 1914 – June 12, 1967) was an American lyricist and novelist best known for writing the lyrics to "Too Young", a hit for Nat King Cole, "The End of the World", a hit for Skeeter Davis and "Bring Me Sunshine". She also wrote songs for Elvis Presley in the films Blue Hawaii and Speedway. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.

She co-wrote "I Taught Him Everything He Knows" with Arthur Kent; this song was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald on her 1968 Capitol release Misty Blue. She was the lyricist for the 1947 Broadway musical Barefoot Boy with Cheek.

Dee wrote the words to a nonsense song that went to number 1 in 1945 called "Chickery Chick". The music was written by Sidney Lippman and it was played by Sammy Kaye's orchestra. Its nonsense lyrics included "Chickery chick, cha-la, cha-la"."...

****
LYRICS: "CHICKERY CHICK" LYRICS
(Sylvia Dee and Sid Lippman)

Once there lived a chicken who would say "chick-chick"
"Chick-chick" all day
Soon that chick got sick and tired of just "chick-chick"
So, one morning he started to say:

[Chorus]
"Chickery-chick, cha-la, cha-la
Check-a-la romey in a bananika
Bollika, wollika, can't you see
Chickery chick is me?"

Every time you're sick and tired of just the same old thing
Sayin' just the same old words all day
Be just like the chicken who found something new to sing
Open up your mouth and start to say
Oh!

[Chorus]"

From http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sammy+kaye/chickery+chick_20165481.html
-snip-
After reading the examples of "In China There Lived A Great Man" (and other titles) as found on the Mudcat discussion thread whose link is given above and as found elsewhere, I strongly believe that the chorus of the 1945 novelty hit song "Chickery Chick" is a re-working of the choruses of "In China There Lived A Great Man" without their problematic racial references.

I'm less certain about whether these two songs and the rhymes share the same or similar tunes. I'll leave that decision to someone who has a better musical ear than I do.

****
"CHICKERY CHICK" VIDEO: Chickery Chick by Sammy Kaye



beninski707, Uploaded on Jan 10, 2010

Here's an old 78 single that apparently topped the charts sometime in the 1940's. Chickery Chick by Sammy Kaye was the song. The wear on the record is evident as you hear it being played on an old console stereo with a Dual turntable. To all you people out there who know this and those who don't, enjoy!!
-snip-
Here are four comments from this sound file's discussion thread:
Peggy Dover, 2012
"Does anyone know if this song was also popular in the UK? My mom used to call my dad "Chickery" as a pet name. She sang this song."

**
Reply
Neil Murray, 2012
"Yes Peggy, this song was popular in Britain. It was the top selling song on sheet music from early March to late May in 1946 - with a one-week gap when Cruising Down the River was top for one week !"

** 
pedonbio, 2013
"This song was the Billboard #1 for three separate weeks in November and December, 1945."

**
illiputlittle, 2016
"My mother always sang this song to me along with Mairzy Doats, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I think her love of silly word songs fostered my love of words in general."

****
HOW "STELLA ELLA OLA"/"QUACK DILLY OSO" GAMES ARE PLAYED
"Stella Ella Ola" (and other titles such as "Quack Dilly Oso", "Strolla Ola Ola", and "Slap Billie Ola") is a hand slapping game that is played by a group of people standing (or, less often, sitting) in a circle. A designated starter slaps the hand of the person on her or his right while the group says the first word. That person slaps the hand of the person to her or his right while the group chants the next syllable. This continues with each syllable (or one syllable word) until the last syllable is chanted. The person whose hand is slapped on that last syllable is out. This continues until there are only two people remaining. Those two face each other and take turns slapping each other's hand while chanting the rhyme. The person whose hand is slapped at the end is "out" and the other person is the "winner".

****
A VIDEO OF "STELLA ELLA OLA" (with examples from that video's comment section)
Stella ella ola clap clap clap say yes chico chico



wadafera, Uploaded on Jul 20, 2008
jugando
-snip-
I learned from participating in this video's discussion thread that the adults in this video were volunteering in Mexico and taught this rhyme to the children.

For some reason, the comments that I wrote (I believe in 2010) aren't included in that discussion thread, but a commenter who replied to one of those comments specifically mentioned my name.
-snip-
Examples of "Stella Ella Ola" from that video's discussion thread:
1. Lydia Dunn, 2010
"lol mines is
Stella Ella Ola Quack Quack Quack s chica chica chica chica slap jack falay falay falay falay falay with a 1, 2, 3...
lol mines is all wrong but this is what most of us say in Pittsburgh lol"

**
2. Colleen, 2010
"woah we did it such a different way at camp a few years back
Stella ella ola clap clap clap
sing it yes chiga, chiga, chiga chiga, chat chat
yes chiga chiga love love, love, love love 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
weird lol"

**
3. Caroline Burg, 2012
"Mine is Stella elle ola teega teega shack shack singing cola cola cola cola cola"

**
4. kkboo nyslome,2012
"mine was
Quack didly o so quack quack quack
from San toritsa ur momma smells like pizza so give it to ur teacher fah lo fah lo fah lo fah lo fah lo 123456789 ...10!"
-snip-
Notice that this example of "Quack Didly Oso" is in the discussion thread for a "Stella Ella Ola" video.

**
5. Jacqueline romans, 2013
"mine is stella ella ola clap clap clap sey it ess chico chico, blow blow, the toilet overflows say it 12345678910"

**
6. RaeKayz, 2013
"Ha, we do it differently!
Stella Ella Ola Quack Quack Quack
Say yes chico, chico, chico, chico, chat
Say yes chico, chico, below, below
The toilet overflows
So, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!"
-snip-
The "Quack Quack Quack" in this example may explain the first word in the "Quack Didley Oso" rhymes. Notice also "chat" in that example. "Quack Quack Quack" is also given "Clap Clap Clap", "Shack Shack Shack", "Chat Chat Chat" etc. in some other examples from this rhyme family. But where did the words (names?) "Stella Ella Ola" come from?

**
7. Singing turtle forever
"stella ella ola chap chap chap singing s chico chico, chico chico cracker jacker s chico chico bologna bologna with cheese and macaroni fire 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10: thats how we sing it and on 10 you have to pull your hands away"

**
8. Beerwoman!, 2016
"Stella stella ola clap clap clap, singing es cheego cheego, cheega cheega chap, singing ess cheega chee-ga, val-o, val-o, say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! - 90's, Vancouver BC"

Beerwoman!, 2016
"+Beerwoman! And it always ended on 5! That's the loser, five."

**
9. Ava Fountain, 2016
"The one I do is stella ola ola clap clap clap singing s Chica chica chica chica chap s chica chica blow blow blow your nose and 12345"

**
10. missmelodies52, 2016
"Stella ella ola clap clap clap singing es chico chico, chico chico chap, singing es chico chico aloa, aloa, aloa, loa loa 1 2 3 4 5!"

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A VIDEO OF "QUACK DIDDLEY OSO" (with examples from that video's comment section)

Quack Diddly O' So



TiDoSTAR, Uploaded on Feb 10, 2007

Greese cast party
-snip-
This video documents the use (since at least the early 2000s) by teens and young adults of certain types of formerly children's (and mostly girls only) hand clap rhymes for fun and as stress reducers. Rhymes such as "Quack Diddley Oso" (also known as "Quack Dilly Oso", "Stella Ella Ola", and other names) and "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" (and similar titles) are chanted by groups while playing lightly competitive hand slap games.

Here are some examples of this rhyme from this video's discussion thread (given in chronological order with the oldest year given first; numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only:
1. Matthew Austin, 2007
"Quack Diddy oh so
Quack quack quack
Santa Rita
Rita rita rita
Fill-o Fill-o
Fill-o fill-o fill-o
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10"

**
2. Delaney Pierson, 2010
"quack diddly oso
quack quack quack
singing sam a rico rico rico rico
flora flora flora flora flora
1234"

**
3. Divine, 2013
"Quack a Didly o'so
Quack quack quack
Senorita your mama smells like pizza
Delora Delora i'll kick you out the door-a
Say 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10"

**
4. AmethystSoldier, 2013
"I love all of these variations!!! At my school, it was Quack dilly esta quack quack quack boom senorita rita rita rita Lavora Lavora Vora Vora 1234."

**
5. Tepimatsu-san-matsuno, 2013
"quack diddly o so
quack quack quack
from santa rico
rico rico rico
flordia flordia
florida florida florida
1234"

**
6. MakeupForever Kay, 2015
"Quack delioso quack quack quack hit it senorita your mother smell like pizza felloa felloa felloa lloa lloa hit it 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 !"

**
7. schumache101, 2016
"Quack diddly oso quack, quack, quack, singing San Marico Rico, Rico, Rico Rico, flora, flora, flora flora flora, 1 2 3 4"

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Click http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=77066#1370542" for more examples of "Stella Ella Ola"/Quack Didley Oso" rhymes. Also, click the tags given below for more examples of "Stella Ella Ola" and "Quack Diddley Oso" rhymes on pancocojams.

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This concludes Part II of this two part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about the latest viral Hip Hop dance record "Juju On The Beat" (also known as TZ Anthem), with special emphasis on what the term "juju on the beat" means.

The content of this post is presented for etymological, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Zay Hilfiger and Zayion McCall, the creators of the song "Juju On The Beat". Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and those who are featured in these embedded videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECORD "JUJU ON THE BEAT"
"Juju On That Beat" (TZ Anthem) is the currently viral Hip Hop dance routine (from August 2016 to date). Like "Hit The Quan", dancers pantomime what the rapper says and perform certain Hip Hop dance moves that the rapper calls out. (In this post, I refer to these dance moves as "calls"). For example, when the rapper says "walked in this party", the dancers imitate walking and when the rapper says "you know my hair nappy", the dancers gesture to their hair -regardless of whether their hair is nappy or not. Also, for example, the dancers do their version of the old school (1986/1987) Hip Hop dance "The Running Man" when the rapper calls out that dance in that record.

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WHAT DOES "JUJU ON THE BEAT" MEAN?
I believe that in the context of this Hip Hop record, there are three possible definitions for "juju on the beat":

1. "Juju on the beat" is a general term that means "to dance". All of the dance moves and pantomime that the rapper calls in that record can be said to be "jujuing" on the beat, if "juju" is a synonym for "dance".

2. "Juju on the beat" means to do a certain Hip Hop dance move (or do certain Hip Hop dance moves) on the beat (to the record's beat)

I'm not sure whether there's any firm agreement on what dance move or moves are called "the juju" (or "juju on the beat").

Just as there's a specific dance that is done when the rapper says "Do the Running Man" - there may be a specific dance move or series of dance moves that dancers are supposed to do when the rapper says "juju on the beat".

3. Juju on the beat means to "be or act "turnt up" (i.e. to really give something all you’ve got, to go “all in”, to really go all out, to really get down, to "go wild" with just a few or with no inhibitions.

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EXPLANATIONS FOR DEFINITION #2 AND DEFINITION #3
Definition #2
I believe that definition #2 is the definition for "juju on the beat" that is most often meant now.

From watching a number of those videos and from reading many of the comments in those video's discussion threads, it seems to me that many of the dancers who post challenge dance videos for "Juju On The Beat (TZ Anthem) base their dance moves on those performed by the Fresh The Clown duo*. But those dancers and others still tend to substitute their own pantomime and dance moves for some of those that the Fresh The Clown duo perform. appears to me from watching , a number of challenge dance videos show children and adults imitating the moves that the Fresh The Clown duo performed. In the beginning of the routine for that particular "juju on the beat" call, the duo leaned forward and then leaned back while moving their shoulders up and down to the beat.

Read Zay Hilfiger's comment in Excerpt #3 that he "started saying “JuJu” in 2014. Also read my transcription Zay Hilfiger's response to television host Kelly Ripa's question "What does Juju On The Beat mean?". Zay said that ["juju on the beat" is] "my arch ego. It’s like I’m the height... turned up...I don’t care." That transcription is found after the video given as Example #5.

I believe those comments support the third definition that is given in this post for the term "juju on the beat". But I think that this is an earlier meaning that Zay Hilfiger had for "juju" and not most often used definition for that word in the context of that Hip Hop record.

-snip-
*If Fresh The Clown's video actually is the prototype for "juju on the beat" routines, this is in spite of the fact that Zay Hilfiger, the primary creator of this record, posted a video on August 15, 2016 that shows him and a female friend performing a dance routine to his record. Since I'm lousy at describing dance moves, I hope that others will add their descriptions of the dance movements that Fresh The Clown and that Zay Hilfiger and his female friend do when the record says "juju on the beat" and otherwise.

**
Definition #3
Here are two definitions for the African American Vernacular English term "turnt up" ("turned up):

WARNING: urbandictionary.com pages often include profanity, sexually explicit content, forms of the n word, and racist content.

From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Turnt+Up&page=2
"Turnt Up
ADJ.
1. A state of euphoria brought about by having an extremely good time
2. the act of dancing excitedly to popular music
3. an energetic feeling brought on by upbeat music, highly felt emotions, or positive events

When Young Thug's new song came on, the crowd became turnt up!
by Writeordiechick May 07, 2016

**
"turnt up
phrase coined by Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa that basically means to go HAM at a party, usually while intoxicated.
Brian: "What's up? Did you go to Dave's party last night?"

Zack: "Hell yeah, man I was so turnt up!"

#turnt #up #turn #party #go #ham"

by mr1o3 June 23, 2013
-snip-
Note that there are other-much older meanings- for the word "juju". Here's a brief excerpt of that Wikipedia article:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B9j%C3%BA_music
"Jùjú is a style of Nigerian popular music, derived from traditional Yoruba percussion. The name comes from a Yoruba word "juju" or "jiju" meaning "throwing" or "something being thrown." Juju music did not derive its name from juju, which "is a form of magic and the use of magic objects or witchcraft common in West Africa, Haiti, Cuba and other South American nations."....
-snip-
It's possible that Zay Hilfiger came up with the term "juju" to refer to being "turnt on" or having a heighten sense of himself from the definition that "juju" means a fetish, or an amulet for magic.

*Read the transcription for the portion of the video of Zay and Zayion on the American television show Live With Kelly (given as Example #5 below).

****
WHAT DOES "TZ ANTHEM" MEAN?
My guess is that "TZ Anthem" means two Z's ("Zay Hilfiger and Zayion McCall)'s anthem. Or "t" might stand for "the" Z's (Zay and Zayion) anthem.

ARTICLE EXCERPTS ABOUT "JUJU ON THE BEAT" (TZ ANTHEM)
These two excerpts are given in no particular order. The excerpts are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju_on_that_Beat_(TZ_Anthem)
""Juju on that Beat (TZ Anthem)" (also known simply as "Juju on that Beat",[1] "Juju on the Beat"[2] and "Juju on dat Beat"[3]) is a song by American rappers Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall. The song and the music video on McCall's YouTube channel* went viral and has attracted more than 17 million views and resulted in a number of fan-made versions of the music video.[2][3] The song is a freestyle over the beat of the song "Knuck If You Buck" by American hip hop group Crime Mob featuring Lil' Scrappy.[4]

The single charted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 11.[5]

The duo appeared on Live with Kelly on October 19, 2016, performing the song and giving an instruction of its dance moves.[2]...

Single by Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall from the album Why So Serious? Released September 30, 2016"...
-snip-
The "Juju on the Beat" sound file was posted to Zayion McCall's YouTube channel on August 11, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSMpXARQYbg. That sound file has 21,203,173 total views as of 10/25/2016 at 2:41 PM.

****
Excerpt #2:
From http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/09/what-is-the-tz-anthem-dance-challenge.html
"Everything You Need to Know About the TZ Anthem Challenge and the 15-Year-Old Who Created the Viral Dance That Took Over the Teenage Internet" by Madison Malone Kircher, September 12, 2016 6:31 p.m.
"Zay Hilfiger....[is the] 15-year-old .... behind the #TZAnthemChallenge, in which participants undertake the entire sequence of dance moves performed by Hilfiger in the official video. Dance challenges are the frequent and popular subject of YouTube videos, but TZ Anthem seems to have some particularly limber legs: It’s currently taking over living rooms, cafeterias, locker rooms, high-school parking lots — which means it’s also taken over Vine, Snapchat, and Twitter. Just ask the nearest teenager you can find.”...

Hilfiger’s song has taken off online over the past month, but the Detroit teen explains the song’s origins date back a few years. “I made the song during summer 2014, but it wasn’t even a real song then,” Hilfiger told me. “I was just with my friends playing around, you know. This is when dances like the Nae Nae and the Whip were hot, so we just started saying ‘juju,’” (The Juju is one of several moves in the corresponding dance to “TZ Anthem.”) “As the summer [2016] went over, I came up and was like, I want to make this a real song,” Hilfiger said. “I didn’t really expect it to do what it did.”

He posted the track to SoundCloud, but says since he didn’t promote the song, he wasn’t anticipating a wide audience. “I just made it, put it out there, and it was alright,” Hilfiger explained. “People would say, This is a good song, and take it to their friends.” But when a performing group he belongs to, called Fresh the Clowns, shared a choreographed dance to the song to their over 100,000 Instagram followers, the viral lift began.”....
-snip-
Italics are added here to highlight this sentence.

****
Excerpt #3:
From http://genius.com/Zay-hilfigerrr-juju-on-that-beat-tz-anthem-lyrics verified Commentary by Zay Hilfiger and Zayion McCall
"About Juju On That Beat - Created by WriteNProppa September 2016

A breakout hit for Detroit rappers Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall, “TZ Anthem” is a viral song in the same vein of previous tracks like “Hit The Quan,” with lyrics centering around various dance moves.

Zay and Zayion rap over the beat to Crime Mob’s 2004 classic “Knuck If You Buck,” and interpolate a portion of that record.

“TZ Anthem,” or “JuJu on That Beat,” went viral after the dance troupe Fresh the Clowns posted their #TZAnthemChallenge video. That led others to make their own clips, and the dance craze blew up.

Why is this song popular?

The success of “TZ Anthem” is largely a product of social media. Dance videos synced to the song were virally shared on Twitter, causing the song to sky-rocket in popularity.

What inspired them to make the song

ZAY HILFIGERRR :
It actually started when I came to Zayion’s house and I was just playing around. I kind of made the song in 2014, I started saying “JuJu” in 2014. I didn’t have no lyrics, it was just a thing.

And then I just wanted to do it and I went to Zayion house and told him to turn on the “Knuck If You Buck” beat and I just freestyled.

All of this was random.”…
How did the #TZAnthemChallenge take off?

ZAY HILFIGERRR :
The Co-CEO of Fresh the Clowns called me like “Zay your track hot, I saw the dance and I want to start a trend.”

At the moment the song wasn’t poppin’, but we shot a video and the next day it blew up. It had like 18,000 views in one day and then it hit 100,000 and it was on all these dance pages. After a week it was popular.

As far as the #TZAnthemChallenge that came from everybody doing it, Fresh the Clowns, little kids.

The main three people were Fresh the Clowns, Hannah and then this 9-year-old little caucasian girl.

Then we started seeing cheerleaders doing it, then IG celebrities and then actors. After LeBron’s son did it, we knew we had something."
-snip-
"Hannah" may be the young woman who is dancing with Zay Hilfiger in the video given as Example #2 below.

"The 9 year old Caucasian girl" may be the girl that is dancing in the video given as Example #3 below.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube, with the oldest dated video given first.

Example #1: Fresh the clowns tzanthem 🔥🔥🔥



DAEDAY Fresh Published on Aug 7, 2016
Follow our ig pages @freshboyira

@daedayfresh_ @zayhilfigerrr
-snip-
The flames icon means that the video publisher considers this video to be "fire" ("on fire", "hot", "very very good".)
-snip-
Here's the portion of this record's lyrics that is usually used for the dance challenges:
...
"[Verse 1: Zay Hilfiger]
Walked in this party
And these girls lookin' at me
Skinny jeans on and you know my hair nappy
Hey, hey, hey
Okay, okay
I want y'all do it, do this dance now

[Hook: Zay Hilfiger]
JuJu on the beat
JuJu on that beat
JuJu on that, JuJu on that, JuJu on that beat
Now slide, drop
Hit dem folks, don't stop, aye
Don't stop, aye
Don't stop, aye
Running man on that beat, aye
Running man on that beat, aye
Running man on that beat, aye
Running man on that beat
Now do your dance, do your dance, do your dance, aye
You ugly
You your daddy's son"...

Source: http://genius.com/Zay-hilfigerrr-juju-on-that-beat-tz-anthem-lyrics Zay Hilfigerrr, Featuring Zayion McCall, Produced By Lil Jay (Crime Mob), Album Why So Serious?

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Example #2: The Creator : JuJu On Dat Beat : #TZAnthemChallenge ( Official Dance Video ) @ZayHillfigerrr



Zay Hilfiger, Published on Aug 15, 2016

Download JuJu On That Beat - http://smarturl.it/DownloadJuJu
Stream JuJu On That Beat - http://smarturl.it/StreamJuJu

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Example #3: little white Girl dances on juju on that beat song, black dance moves :D



3896841, views Published on Aug 23, 2016
amazing

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Example #4: Juju On That Beat Dance Challenge [TZ Athem] #jujuonthatbeat #tzathem



One Challenge, Published on Sep 24, 2016

Juju On That Beat Dance Challenge [TZ Athem] #jujuonthatbeat #tzathem #tzathemchallenge

Best musical.ly, dubsmash, instagram and flipagram Juju On That Beat Dance Challenge Compilation or TZ Athem, urban dance, hip hop dance and lit dance.

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Example #5: "Juju on That Beat" Dance Lesson



LIVE with Kelly Published on Oct 19, 2016

Hip hop duo Zay teach Kelly and Ciara how to do the "Juju on The Beat" dance.
-snip-
Here's the transcription when Kelly asks Zay Hilfiger what "juju on the beat" means: (.045-.054 of this video)
Kelly- “What does it mean? Is it dirty? Are we…[Zay interrupts her and she says] okay…
Zay- No Juju is like me.
Kelly – Okay
Zay -It’s my....it’s my arch ego. It’s like I’m the height (said while repeatedly mimicking lifting something up with both hands], turned up...I don’t care...
Kelly – Oh okay.
Zay – That’s the type. It’s like my beads. That’s me.
-snip-
I wrote these words in italic font to indicated that I’m not sure of this transcription. “It’s like my beads” refers to the fact that Zay is wearing his short natural hair in a hairstyle that isn’t worn by other males – i.e. braids with pink beads at the end. This hairstyle signifies (represents) his uniqueness.


****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

[with slight revisions 10/29/2016]

This is Part I of a four part series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".

Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.

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The content of this post is presented for cultural and sociological purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this embedded video.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
In February 2013 I published this pancocojams post about "Good Hair & Bad Hair (Black Attitudes About Our Hair) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-hair-bad-hair-black-attitudes.html in which I shared my memories about the terms "good and bad" hair as used by Black people in New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. I also commented in that post that few children and teenagers in my adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wore their hair in natural hairstyles.

Writing this in late October 2016, I definitely would say that there's been a large increase in the number of Black females wearing natural hairstyles. Wearing long natural (looking) braid extensions and curly/twist natural styles (where the non-straightened hair is braided at night, and then the braids are taken out in the morning and the hair is worn that way without combing), and other natural hair styles have become the norm for a considerable number of African American females - particularly girls ages about six years old to women under fifty years of age - not just in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but apparently throughout the United States. Many of these styles are made by adding braids or twists made from synthetic hair to females's own hair. Dreadlocks (locs) and certain other natural hairstyles have also become relatively common for African American males (particularly teens and young adults). As noted by those different age ranges, it seems to me that natural hairstyles (including extensions) are worn more often by African American females than by African American males.

My interest in natural hairstyles in general and in the African American meaning of the word "nappy" was revived in October 2016 when I published a post on the latest Hip Hop dance craze "Juju On The Beat"http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-does-juju-on-that-beat-and-tm.html. In that record, the rapper talks about how he "Walked in this party/And these girls lookin' at me/Skinny jeans on and you know my hair nappy".

Those lyrics motivated me to find out when and how "nappy hair" become a part of African American young folk's urban swag. I therefore thank the singers/composers of "Juju On The Beat" Zay Hilfiger and Zayion McCall for inspiring this four part pancocojams post.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Sheryl Underwood goes natural & Apologizes For Calling Natural Hair "Nasty"



lovelyti2002 Published on Sep 20, 2015

On Monday’s premiere episode of the new season of The Talk, comedian Sheryl Underwood revealed her natural hair and apologized for disparaging comments she made regarding kinky hair.
-snip-
I'm highlighting this vlog because of the discussion about Black people's hair that it prompted and not to focus on the 2012 statements that Sheryl Underwood is apologizing for. However, to briefly summarize those statements, during a show featuring celebrity Heidi Klum as a guest, Ms. Klum (a White women who has adopted two mixed racial children who have some Black ancestry) shared that when she cut her children's hair for the first time, she saved their hair as mementos. Sheryl Underwood made disparaging comments about nappy hair, negatively comparing those hair textures with naturally straight hair.

As a correction that was made by several commenters, The Talk series on which Sheyrl Underwood is a co-host is on CBS and not ABC as the vlogger stated.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THAT VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest comments by year given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order.

I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. Brief explanatory comments are included after some of these quoted comments.

As per my policy on this blog, profanity (except for the word "damn") is given in amended form only.

2015
1. AshleyMorgan
"Some of these people forget the way they felt about their hair before they accepted their self whole heartedly. I know how much ignorant statements I made about black hair before I fell in love with it. So don't forget how you once were. Good for her!"
-snip-
"Some of these people" refers to those who are critical of the statements that Sheryl Underwood made about (most) Black people's natural hair. In the statement "Good for her!", "her" refers to Sheryl Underwood for apologizing and deciding to wear her hair natural (Note that Ms. Underwood indicated that she would also wear wigs because she likes to "change up" how she wears her hair.)

**
Reply
2. TheGanation
"right! a lot of us weren't raised to love our natural hair."

**
Reply
3. ronniemonnie
"Not me! I always loved black natural hair."

**
Reply
4. AshleyMorgan
"+ronniemonnie You are one in a million. Thats awesome that it was like that for you but for many we were taught to use a perm because our hair isn't manageable. It was a process for many but fortunately for me it was a quick one when I began to see the acceptance. I will tell you this, going through the phases like the big chop and watching your hair grow, taking the time out to treat it, style it, and rock it, it helps you build your confidence and also makes you appreciate and love your hair. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee my hair now and you can not tell me anything about it especially when the fro is picked out!!!!! MANNNNNNN LISTEN LMAOO"
-snip-
"Big chop"- "Big chop is the process of cutting off the relaxed or permed ends of one's hair when [a female] is transitioning from chemically processed hair to natural hair."http://www.naturallycurly.com/topics/view/big-chop-transitioning

'fro = afro (also called a "natural" in the USA since the 1960s). An afro ('fro) can be a hair style, or a number of natural hairstyles. But, people with afros can style their hair or have their hair styled in different ways that have their own names. Click http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/21-popular-natural-hairstyles/ for the article "21 Most Popular Natural Hair Styles"

**
Reply
5. Chanda Chansa
"+AshleyMorgan
Am African and I don't understand some things: Why is black hair a sensitive topic for black Americans?"

**
Reply
6. Chanda Chansa
"+Tiffany Williams
A lot of African women wear weaves as-well but black hair is not an issue there. Thanks for your explanation."
-snip-
Given the comments that I've read in various online YouTube (and other) discussion threads about the changing attitudes about natural hair in various African nations, I'm not sure that I agree with the blogger that
"black [people's natural] hair is not an issue" for "a lot of African women". I wish that the blogger had given the nation she was referring to.

"Weaves" = females wearing usually synthetic hair that is attached to their hair by braiding, sewing, glue or other ways

**
Reply
7. AshleyMorgan, 2016
"+Chanda Chansa I feel it is such a sensitive topic not only because of the history but in modern day america we are told on a daily basis that out hair is not professional, it looks unkept, it looks nappy, etc. There are some companies and people that will not hire you solely based on your hair. We have been told that in order to fit in we have to conform to their standard of beauty because that is the only standard. Now many of us have taken measures to embrace and whole heartedly love ourself for who we are but then you have others who still haven't fully embraced who they are. …because …not all of us grew up being told that our hair is beautiful. Many of us don't even remember having our natural hair as children. It's deeper then this but If I try to explain it we will be here all day! lol I hope you are having a great day though!"
-snip-
This comment included the ...'s.

**
Reply
8. coolingwinds, 2016
"I agree with pretty much everything you said. Back when the natural hair movement was just getting started, I was hanging on to my relaxer with both hands and all my might! Now I am happy to report that I've been natural since roughly 2007. It took me a long time to embrace it in myself let alone others because I came from that generation of relaxing, weaving, wig wearing black women. I recognize myself in her, and it's all good now that she's gone through her transition. People have to remember that's how many of us came up. As far as I'm concerned, all is forgiven. I'm just so glad that she now loves what God gave us, and she is beautiful!
-snip-
"going through her transition" = changing from wearing one's hair chemically treated or straightened (also known as "relaxed"; "permed", "done") with heat (a hot comb placed in fire or an electric iron) to wearing one's hair naturally.

**
9. Nita Carter
"Omg this make me want to cry, cause I struggle with a lot with my hair. All my life my hair was always short, I'm not ashamed of my beautiful nappy natural hair, It's just I'm a big fan of weave so much that I forgot how beautiful natural nappy black hair is. I was never a girl who say disrespectful things about my race hair, I actually love seeing black woman wearing and showing their hair out no matter how it is or look, I love my race hair, cause we can do soooooo much with it. (And for the people that think black woman hair don't grow or say disrespectful things is crazy and f&&king* stupid cause it does grow and we actually have beautiful hair it's different), my hair today is near my neck and I love it, the other day I was thinking about taking my weave out but seeing this video got me like what m'I doing. If we see more videos like this, it will courage more black woman as myself to appreciate a lot of things about black beauty. By the way we shouldn't get defended if people say our hair is nappy because we have beautiful nappy hair that's just how our hair is and I love it. so f&&k* thoses who think nappy hair is a disgrace."
-snip-
* These words were fully spelled out in this comment.

**
Reply
10. Jada Lee, 2016
"yes! ppl dont understand why im proud to say i have nappy hair. "nappy" is only as insulting as you make it. stay strong girl!"

**
11. shortmonee 312
"Unfortunately, most (over 50%) of black American women hate their hair. I've noticed lately though a lot of sistas are going natural, and I hope the trend continues"

**
Reply
12. imshrrj
"+shortmonee 312 This is true, but we're taught to hate our hair...By guess who??? grandma and aunties.. The things my family use to say about hair..just terrible"
-snip-
This is an excerpt of that comment.

**
13. O-Ren Ishii
...[screen name of person this comment was written in response to] "everybody can't rock every natural hairstyle but I think everybody can pull off at least one of them. Everybody can't pull off the natural baby bush like Sheryl."
-snip-
"Bush" is a term that I remember being used in the mid 1960s (in Atlantic city, N.J) for short round shaped afros that Black male and Black females had. Since at least the 1990s, a much more widely used referent for a short afro ('fro) is "TWA" ("teeny weeny afro"). Women who do the "big chop" (read above) usually end up with a TWA. A number of women who have their chemically/heat permed hair chopped off, "rock" (wear) wigs until their natural hair grows a little longer than "twa" or until they learn to do different hairstyles with their short natural.

**
14. Sharon Reid Robinson
...[screen name of person this comment was written in response to] "FREE COUTRY....NO PERSON CAN TELL ANOTHER HOW THEY SHOULD WEAR THEIR HAIR. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT. SHE MADE A MISTAKE IBY SAYING WHAT SHE SAID. I AM PRESENTLY WEARING MY OWN HAIR. I WEAR PERM, WIG, WEVE BECAUSE I LIKE VARIETY. MY HAIR CAME OUT BECAUSE OF SOME MED I HAD TO TAKE...I WORE A WIG...LOVED IT!!! WILL WEAR MY HAIR AS I WISH...DON'T THINK BLACK HAIR IS NASTY...I HAVE WHAT I CALL NAPPY PRIDE NO MATTER HOW I WEAR MY HEAR."

**
15. MzVan21
"Wish more black women wear their natural hair...don't get wrong I like a sew in every now and then but Nothing like my hair that I was born with.yes I get tired of it sometimes,yes it takes a while to style etc but I wouldn't change it. its curly,thick, course.Black hair is DIFFERENT from any other texture..to me that's a great blessing. that we should embrace."
-snip-
"a sew in" - one way to attach synthetic or real hair to your hair

**
Reply
16. Paris OfPhrance
"I'm on YouTube everyday it's not that different anymore lol follow naturallyshesdope on ig....very common"
-snip-
This is the complete comment.

"ig" = instagram (social media)

**
Reply
17. Edward Lewis
"+MzVan21 Actually is getting more and more common everyday I mean literally my mom, two aunts and grandmother are natural."

**
Reply
18. MzVan21
"+Edward Lewis I feel like it is definitely trending which is great,just hopes it sticks"

**
Reply
19. NatuRealistic87 VeryKinkyCurl
"Also trending for white ppl to try to mock the afro & swear up and down that they have "black ppl hair"...but I do agree with u it is different & very unique."

**
Reply
20. natrulyvivacious
"I don't have kinky hair but if I did I would be proud as Jesus has the same kind of hair biblically written even though they try to portray him with straight white people hair.
-snip-
"Kinky" is often used as a synonym for "nappy". However, some people in the natural hair care movement indicate that "kinky" is a different type of hair pattern than "nappy".

**
21. TheKendroShow
"sadly the negative attitude towards natural hair is active and has a lengthy history. it takes some people time to wake up and I'm glad she did. fro looks real nice on her. all is forgiven"

**
22. mashonda Knight
"As a black women I'm so tired about the whole hair debate people need to stop shaming people for how and what they do to their hair if they want to wear their natural, perm,weave, braids, fine I wish everyone would stop telling everyone what to do with their hair I say as long as it looks great so what I don't wear wigs, braids or weave and those things are nice I've seen people look nice in them and that's their choice but I do perm my hair and I like it ,I just think when it comes to hair that topic should be off limits! !"

**
23. AmethystUniverse
"She looks gorgeous with her TWA :) and she seems really sincere this time around and I forgive her as well! #naturalhairrocks"
-snip-
Sheryl Underwood had apologized for her remarks disparaging Black natural hair in 2012 shortly after she made those remarks. This second apology was given during the nationally televised talk show where she is co-hosts with four other women.

**
Reply
24. Africa Love
"I agree she seems more sincere "this time""

**
25. Jamaican Diaspora
"I am happy to be nappy! No Korean is going to feed and cloth their children with my money from those nasty beauty supply stores in Black communities.
-snip-
Throughout the USA, for some reason/s, Koreans a have monopoly on Black hair care salons.

"I'm happy to be nappy" is a rather widely used saying, particularly among "naturalistas" (Black natural hair adherents). That saying was coined by bell hooks in her 1999 children's book with that title.

**
26. patricia pritchett
"It's so crazy to me how 'my people' (not all, but many) think our hair is 'nappy', 'nasty', 'ugly', ect... I cant tell you HOW MUCH other races think that it's beautiful! Can't tell you how many times in a day they want to touch it, and compliment its beauty. I love mine!!! Hope that she is really embracing its UNIQUENESS..."

**
Reply
27. Morris Pitts
"When did it become" brave" for Black women to wear they're natural hair ? I think you have to be brave to wear some of these F&&ked* Up wigs and weaves I see everyday."...
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this post. This is an excerpt of that comment.

**
Reply
28. Dark Witch
"+Morris Pitts Not all wigs and weaves look f&&ked up, unless you can not afford better or your ghetto as all out doors! I wear my hair natural but I like variety too. I would prefer that all black women go natural but they do not need to be limited, especially when many jobs frown on natural hair. We have to be versatile and wear many faces in this society. But yes, underneath it all a women hair should be natural and we should feel just as comfortable wearing it that way too."
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in that comment.

**
Reply
29. Summers Journey
"+Morris Pitts I have natural hair, but why must a woman keep the same hairstyle? I find that boring. Part of the reason why I like natural hair is because it's so versatile. Sometimes I like to wear my hair in a fro, at other times I prefer more defined curls, and sometime I like to wear it straight. If I'm not in the mood to do my hair, I may throw on a wig, or get braids/twists."

**
30. 827honey1
"She looks 100% prettier than she ever did wearing a weave or wig."

**
Reply
31. sharp-jagger
"+827honey1 agreed. I did not criticize her in the past for VOLUNTARILY choosing to rock wigs, but I was shocked at her comments regarding natural hair. It seemed that there was this universal agreement that natural hair was synonymous with nappy and unkept. I think it took her some time to overcome the disparaging pre-programmed mindset of natural hair. She looks comfortable now."

**
32. y tyler
"Thank you for uploading this video of Sheryl apologizing. As for her natural hair (the way she has it styled) looks uneven, some parts looks as if she tried twist it, some parts looks like she picked it out. This is not a TWA (teeny weeny afro), this is a mess.

Afros were in style when I (and Sheryl) was growing up and I never saw anyone at school, church, work, the supermarket or walking down the street, with an afro that wasn't perfect. Men would go to the barber shop and sit in that chair (for what seemed like an eternity) while the barber cut and snipped until the hair was in a perfect circle. Finally, he would spray the Afro Sheen on, and you knew you were ready for anything.

The girls, would plait their hair in four big plaits (or more if their hair was shorter) at night and then would take it out in the morning, tease it with a comb and then pick it out with a pick or pack it down into an even circular shape. Afro Sheen was sprayed on, and a thin layer of hair spray if needed. We looked so well-groomed. We even wore the pick in our hair so, if it got messed up, we could pick it back out to perfection. We took so much pride in our Afros, that non-black people wore their hair in afros, too.

I have never seen Sheryl wearing a wig that was cut, as uneven as her real hair is. So, she should come to the conclusion, that an even cut will make her natural hair look much better."...
-snip-
This is an excerpt of that comment. The blogger continued with off topic criticism about Sheryl’s weight and how the blogger thinks she acts on air.

"picked [her natural hair] out= used a wide tooth comb called an "afro pic" to comb out her natural

While I don't agree with the blogger's assessment that Sheryl Underwood's afro looks a mess, the blogger's comments about how people wore afros back in the day and plaited (braided) their hair at night etc. completely matches my memories of how African American females and males wore afros in the mid to late 1960s.

It seems to me that one of the greatest differences between afro hair styles in the late 1960s/1970s and afro styles in the 2000s is that it's considered stylish nowadays to wear afros out in public without combing the natural hair out while back in the day Black women (like me) who wore our hair in 'fros would always braid it at night so that the fro could be fuller, and not matted and then we'd take the braids out and "pic" (comb out) our hair before being seen in public- either outdoors or inside.

**
33. Deborah Atkins-Denmark
"I forgive her, wholeheartedly. For a lot of us, the natural hair decision is a process, especially for us older sisters who were, from birth, taught to hate our hair. I believe she was both sincere and courageous. We should forgive her and embrace a new naturalista!!!"

**
34. infinite1
"Why is everyone acting like we didn't go through hundreds of years of conditioning first? Our ancestors in this country had to adapt and conform to get us to a place today where we are alive and breathing. I never hated myself when I had a perm, it was what I knew because it was passed down from the former generations. I loved weave because it offered variety. As an older woman, it is the young who have really brought the natural hair forth and it is beautiful. Older woman like myself are still on a learning curve taking care of natural hair. Just 10 years ago, black men and women still shunned women with natural hair just like white people, so why in the hell, now that it is accepted everyone want to jumpn up and say you hate yourself for wearing your hair the only way you've known how for ages?"...
-snip-
This is an excerpt of this comment. The blogger continues by writing about how Black men need to stop hating each other and stop killing each other.

**
35. kittenhoodie
"to be honest, a lot of African American women had the same negative views about natural hair. I can even say that I had negative views about natural hair for most of my life until about 6 years ago when I decided to transition. she was entitled to her opinion about it. I thought she was rude to Heidi Klum about her decision to hold onto her children's hair. if anything, she owed a huge apology to Heidi Klum because she was basically questioning aspects of her parenting. the women on "the talk" are very abrasive, and I wasn't interested in their views or that show way before underwood's natural hair controversy. the show is about differing views on current topics. we just aren't gonna agree with each other completely, and why would should we? some people question why it took her so long to basically come around to seeing how amazing our natural beauty is, and I think we should just appreciate that she in fact changed how she felt on the subject and move on. hell, raven-Symone says stuff on the view that it way more offensive and ignorant."

**
36. kai kai
"i think her apology was full of sh&t!* saying black people hair is nasty is not a joke! i think she really felt that way why do you think black women wear tons of artificial white woman hair today...grown ass black woman all ways tell they children "yo hair so nappy! go flat earn it! ya head lookin a hot ass mess" for example blue ivy! black woman are dragging blue ivy through the mud just because they think her natural beautiful hair is "nappy". also why do 98.9% of black people think if a you have long curly hair that your mixed? why do i have to be mixed in order to have long hair? this also stems to why black people think mixed or "redbone" look best. all of this stuff have a deeper meaning!
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in this comment.

“flat earn it” = flat iron it” [iron hair= straighten [press] hair with a hot comb; a flat iron is a type of hot comb

"Blue Ivy" = Pop star Beyonce & Hip Hop star Jay Z's daughter

redbone = Black people who have a reddish hue to their light brown or "medium" brown skin color, usually because of racial mixture at some point in their ancestry

**
Reply
37. Dark Witch
"+kai kai People need to forgive her because we all make mistakes, let's be f&&king* real! Blacks (with the exception of those who have always been natural)act as if they have always worn there hair natural knowing damn well that it is a self reflective process. Like you said, we should give our own people a chance to redeem themselves and forgive! The point is to lift our people up not tear them down ESPECIALLY if they are on the road to success. As a natural women, I can not stand when people tear down women who do wear weaves, and wigs or chemicals. We can be so unforgiving to our own people yet get made when other races are the same. That is called HYPOCRISY PEOPLE"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

**
38. LuvJezula
"I forgive her, I think she's sincere. I see a lot of black women nowadays are embracing their natural hair or buying afro kinky textured weave. I hope that trend continues. yeah you are right when it comes to apologies. black people are quick to forgive white people when they say or do something racist but will be quick call a black person an uncle tom or coon, not forgive them and hold a grudge. personally I believe she hadn't made those comments and went natural anyways people would've made fun of her natural hair and say she looks like a slave, then these same black people would get mad at a non black person for trying to mimick natural hair and scream appropriation"

**
39. Morgan :)
"didn't know she even said something bad about Natural hair and I forgive her. I do find it surprising because her Sorors and other ladies of the NPHC are natural so it was pretty shocking when she said that but as I digress I forgive her, she's my favorite comedian 💋💋 #TeamNatural #3YearsStrong"
-snip-
Sorors = a term used by members of historically Black Greek lettered sororities to mean "a sorority sister; a member of your sorority; members of other [historically Black Greek lettered] sororities; Note this term isn't used by historically predominately White sororities

NPHC= National Pan Hellenic Council - the governing body for the nine historically Black Greek lettered fraternities and sororities which are colloquially known as "the divine nine".

****
2016
40. honey bebe
"I don't understand why people are trippin over the fact that it took her two years to apologize. Do they not understand that most people don't fall in love with their natural hair as soon as they do the 'big chop'? My mother went natural seven years ago. For the first four years she wore wigs. It took her a long time to accept her hair. After learning how to care for and style it, she came to ADORE it! Appreciate the fact that she was big enough to apologize in public. Most wouldn't even do it in private -let alone at all."
-snip-
"trippin" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "getting upset about", "going crazy about"

**
41. Kay-Marie
"Why is it cool when some of us wearing natural but it's not cool when we wear relaxed or weaved hair?"

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Reply
42. Shon Hubble
"Some people are too narrow-minded and think that weaves and relaxers contribute to some identity crisis or self esteem issue. Weaves are beautiful, natural is beautiful, everything! As long as you have love for yourself, you will always be real no matter what is altered or added on.

**
Reply
43. Kay-Marie
"+Shon Hubble Well Said! I relax my hair and I love being black."

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44. AWizardMummyandMartian ImUnique
"It's funny because black girls are buying afro texture hair now too. I thought of it but it feels so rough."

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45. AWizardMummyandMartian ImUnique
"Please stopl calling them European textured wigs, most hair comes from Asians or Native American women."

**
46. PanamericanistaM0R3Na
"There is nothing wrong with the way our hair curls and coils.
Embrace it."

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This concludes Part I of this four part series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a four part series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".

Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, Brazil and South Africa. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.

In addition, Part II includes a bonus article about a protest in South Africa against regulations that prohibit high school students from wearing natural hairstyles.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.

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The content of this post is presented for cultural and sociological purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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FEATURED ARTICLES
These articles are just a sample of online articles about the Black natural hair movement throughout the world. I've numbered these articles for referencing purposes only.
Article Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_hair_movement
"The natural hair movement is a movement which encourages women of African descent to keep their natural afro-textured hair. Born in the USA during the 2000s,[1][2] this movement is named "mouvement nappy" in French-speaking countries.[3][4][5][6]

....The word "nappy" has been subjected to denigration since the Atlantic slave trade. Thereafter, some Afrodescendants have positively taken the word back, considered in francophone countries as a backronym made up of "natural" and "happy."[3][7][8][9]

These women, called "nappy girls" or "nappies," give "relaxing"* up and let their hair grow in its natural texture. Their hairstyles can be simple or more sophisticated, by the adoption of hair twists, braids or even locks.**[3][10] Not everyone who wears their natural hair chooses to forgo all (non-chemical) forms of straightening or styling. Additionally, "being natural" does not necessarily indicate a strict adherence to any particular type of product or styling regimen; nor should it be tied exclusively with certain social or political beliefs. Women (and men) choose, or are forced into, being natural for a wide variety of reasons. Some may even not like the term "nappy/nappies."

Nappy hair: History of Afro-descendants
...Around 2005 an underground documentary film hit the independent film circuit called "My Nappy ROOTS: A Journey through Black Hairitage". The highly acclaimed film won multiple awards and played on the college circuit. With years of research, the film historically looked at the word "Nappy"; "My Nappy ROOTS" chronicled over 400 years (and 200 hours of footage) of Afro hair culture starting in Africa through the middle passage, reconstruction the creation of the Black hair industry to current day 2008. It became the definitive film on the history, culture and economics on Black hair. The urban story postulated the word 'Nappy' came from the cotton plant, the small cotton ball inside the plant was called a 'nap'. The word nappy was born because it resembled the texture of unkempt Afro textured hair. In an effort to be more acceptable socially, it was more desirable to have straight hair like the dominant culture....

Branding "Ethnic" Hair
With the popularity of "going natural," hair care suppliers have seen a rapid decrease in the purchase of relaxers, the harsh chemical hair straightener. An industry that was once worth an estimated $774 million, relaxer sales have gone down 26% over the last five years, 2013 numbers report.[82] Sales are estimated to decrease to 45% by 2019.[82]

Natural women are now spending more money on products that will achieve the best result for their hair, and hair care suppliers and markets are taking note. Black consumers represent a lucrative market for hair care suppliers, so the brands now have to adjust for the new hair movement.[82] Brands have greatly lowered their production of relaxers and instead now produce more natural-friendly products. In choosing what products to consume, black consumers rely heavily on social media to gauge results from others who have gone natural. They have done this by the use of YouTube videos as tutorials on how to use products efficiently and create reviews for potential consumers to watch. Popular brands and products include Shea Moisture, Deva Curl, and Carol's Daughter.[83]"....
-snip-
*In the context of this article, "relaxing" means to apply a chemical product to temporarily straighten hair that is not naturally straight. "Getting a permanent" is another way of saying the same thing. "Relaxers" = "perms".

**"Locks" (usually spelled "locs") = dreadlocks

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Article Excerpt #2:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hairhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hair
....
Rise of Black pride
"In the 1800s and early 1900s, nappy, kinky, curly hair was deemed inferior, ugly and unkempt in comparison to the flowing, bouncy hair of people from other cultures," says Marcia Wade Talbert in Black Enterprise.[20] Chemical relaxers increased in demand throughout the 1800s and 1900s. These relaxers often contained sodium hydroxide (lye) or guanidine hydroxide which result in hair breakage, thinning of the hair, slowing of hair growth, scalp damage and even hair loss, according to Gheni Platenurg in the article, "Black Women Returning to Their Natural Hair Roots."[21]

In the United States, the successes of the civil rights movement, and the Black power and Black pride movements of the 1960s and 1970s, inspired African-Americans to express their political commitments by adopting more traditionally African styles. The Afro hairstyle developed as an affirmation of Black African heritage, expressed by the phrase, "Black is beautiful." Angela Davis wore her Afro as a political statement and started a movement toward natural hair. This movement influenced a generation, including celebrities like Diana Ross, whose Jheri curls took over the 1980s.

Since the late 20th century, Black people have experimented with a variety of styles, including cornrows, locks, braiding, hair twists and short, cropped hair, specifically designed for afro-textured hair. Natural hair blogs include Black Girl Long Hair (BGLH), Curly Nikki and Afro Hair Club. With the emergence of hip-hop culture and Jamaican influences like reggae music, more non-Black people have begun to wear these hairstyles as well. A new market has developed in such hair products as "Out of Africa" shampoo.

The popularity of natural hair has waxed and waned. In the early 21st century, a significant percentage of African-American women still straighten their hair with relaxers of some kind (either heat- or chemical-based)...

Terminology
In many post-Columbian, Western societies, adjectives such as "wooly", "kinky", "nappy", or "spiralled" have frequently been used to describe natural afro-textured hair. More recently, however, it has become common in some circles to apply numerical grading systems to human hair types. There are also natural haircare products used today for unprocessed, natural hair, such as Cantu, Shea Moisture, African Pride, and Carol's Daughter products.

One popular version of these systems classifies afro-textured hair as 'type 4' (straight hair is type 1, wavy type 2, and curly is type 3, with the letters A, B, and C used to indicate the degree of coil variation within each type), with the subcategory of type 4C being most exemplary of this hair type (Walker, 1997).

However, afro-textured hair is often difficult to categorize because of the many different variations among individuals. Those variations include pattern (mainly tight coils), pattern size (watch spring to chalk), density (sparse to dense), strand diameter (fine, medium, coarse), and feel (cottony, wooly, spongy).[2]
The hair texture chart below is the most commonly used chart to help determine hair types

[This chart begins with 1a and goes to 4c. Here's a portion of that chart]

1a - Straight (Fine) Very soft, shiny, hard to hold a curl, hair tends to be oily, hard to damage.

....
3c - Curly (Corkscrews), Tight curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together.

4a - Kinky (Soft), Tightly coiled. Has a more defined curly pattern.

4b -Kinky (Wiry), Tightly coiled. Less defined curly pattern. Has more of a "Z"-shaped pattern.

4c -Kinky (Wiry), Tightly coiled. Almost no defined curl pattern. Has more of a "Z"-shaped pattern.[4]"
-snip-
People can have more than one natural curl pattern. For example, in some parts of my head my hair pattern is probably 4a and in other parts my hair pattern is 4b.

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Article Excerpt #3:
From http://en.rfi.fr/france/20150406-talking-hair-and-black-identity-france-hair-salon Talking hair and black identity in France in a hair salon" by Sarah Elzas Released on 06-04-2015
"For black women a hairstyle choice can be a fraught decision: Often it becomes more than a style choice, especially in France where black hair gets into questions of identity, history and politics. These questions are the focus of the Boucles d'ébène hair salon that specialises in Afros, dreadlocks and other styles of natural black hair.

"It's more than a hair salon," says Aline Tacite, who founded the beauty salon in 2013, after starting an organisation with the same name, Boucles d'ébène (Ebony locks) with her sister in 2005 to promote natural black hair in France...

Black women (and men) face the daily question of what to do with their hair: leave it natural, curly and frizzy, or straighten it. But Tacite says hair is more than a style choice: "Hair is not just something on your head, especially black hair," she says.

"It's really charged with history, culture, identity, politics. Historically, black people have been taught that the way they should wear their hair is to have it straightened."

In the 1960s, the Black Power movement in the United States turned the Afro into a political statement.

In the last few years there has been the emergence in France and elsewhere of the "nappy" (natural and happy) movement, which celebrates natural black hair: Afros, dreadlocks and other styles that do not use chemical relaxers.

But it is not mainstream, and Tacite says most hair salons pressure black women to use relaxers, whose chemicals - strong alkalis or lye - can burn the skin and damage hair...

"Some would say, hair is an accessory," she says. But she questions women's choices.

"Why do you always change your hair to straight hair? What message do you send to the world, and first of all to yourself? I believe that some women accept their black identity - African, Caribbean, French, whatever - and still weave* or straighten their hair. But I also believe that loads of women deeply do not accept who they are."...
-snip-
"weave" here means "wear a weave"= i.e. attach synthetic or real hair to their hair by braiding (plaiting) or sewing, or by glue

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Article Excerpt #4:
From http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/africa/ivory-coast-natural-hair-movement/
Ivory Coast's natural hair movement is turning heads
By Daisy Carrington, for CNN, February 17, 2015
"(CNN)In Abidjan, hair can be a contentious topic. Many Ivorians are persuaded to eschew their natural hair in favor of chemical straighteners, wigs and extensions. Afros and dreadlocks are rarely depicted on local television, and those that wear their hair naturally can be shunned from their offices....

The tide is slowly starting to turn, however, thanks in part to the efforts of a community movement, Nappys de Babi.

The group currently hosts bi-monthly meet-ups where participants exchange stories and tips on how best to care for natural hair.

My hair was breaking and one day I just decided to clip it. It was something I just did for myself with no motivation to start a movement," says Mariam Diaby, the group's founder.
"When I started the group, I just started with three or five friends who were wearing their hair natural. We added another friend, and another, and in three months we were about 200. Today we are a group of 8,500."
Since then, the movement has become mainly one of encouragement (Daiby has reappropriated the word "nappy" to be a mash-up of "natural" and "happy", while Babi is shorthand for Abidjan). Earlier this year, members around the world sent in clips of themselves dancing to Pharrell Williams'"Happy."*

....

"It's strange, because in Africa, people are supposed to know their own hair, but we don't most of the time," notes Oyourou, who says that girls start using relaxer as early as three-years old.

[Blogger Bibi] Gnagno ** says reasons for this could be myriad. The media could play a role, as could the colonial legacy (the Ivory Coast was a French colony from 1843 to 1960).

"Under colonization a lot of things happen. You want to get closer to the colonizer because that's the person that holds the power, so you let go of a lot of things that resemble your culture," she surmises.
As to why the time is suddenly ripe for a natural hair movement, Oyourou ties it to a larger trend of national pride.

Under colonization a lot of things happen... you let go of a lot of things that resemble your culture.

[quoting] Bibi Gnagno
"In the past few years, more people want to know about their traditions and what they have," she says.
"I think hair and self esteem are linked. I know my own self-worth as a black woman has been linked to my hair and I developed more self-confidence when I started wearing it natural," she says."...
-snip-
* Here's the link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X3h_IKOaMU. It is also featured in Part IV of this pancocojams series.

** The article gives a link for Bibi Gnagno's natural hair blog. That link leads to a page that indicates that that blog is coming soon.

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Article Excerpt #5:
From https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/04/brazilian-women-natural-hair-techniques
'Black beauty has a place here': Brazilian women embrace hair's curls and kinks by Zoe Sullivan and Ana Terra Athayde in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 4 August 2016
...."Brazil, the last country in the western world to abolish slavery, still struggles with racial inequality. In 2011, the census showed that over half of Brazil’s population identified as black or mixed race, but in 2012, only 6.3% of young Afro-Brazilians were enrolled in higher education. Amnesty International reported that of the 30,000 young people who are killed each year in Brazil, 77% are black. But in the last decade, the black movement for justice and equality has gathered force. Demonstrations at shopping malls across the country in 2014 testified to lower-income Brazilians’ new purchasing power. For black Brazilian women, the natural hair trend is part of this fight to reclaim their identity.

“To construct one’s black identity in Brazil, the first step is accepting your characteristics,” said Luana da Costa Fonseca, a 25-year-old student. Fonseca moved to Rio to attend the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC), and started questioning her hair-straightening habit after joining a student group for black Brazilians. “The women who have natural hair, who have gone through a transition, who have stopped straightening, I think this is the first step for facing racism.”

On the streets of Rio, Brazilian women flaunt their natural hair in a variety of styles – from rasta braids, which weave colored fibers into the hair, to dreadlocks and afros. Another common style features tight curls with golden highlights on the tips...

The natural hair trend also presents a business opportunity for Brazilian women. Leila Velez co-founded Beleza Natural, a natural hair product company, in 1993. Today, Beleza Natural has 45 salons in five different states.

Renata Morais, 31, also aims to promote black beauty. She launched Crespinhos SA to create photo books for black Brazilian children to help them enter modeling. Morais stopped straightening her hair when she was pregnant with her second child. “We were always taught that we had to have straight hair because society said that was cool,” Morais said. “But we looked for references on TV, and we didn’t see any. We only saw women with straight hair. So we thought that was right.”

As for Marinho, the fact that so many Brazilian women are embracing their natural hair only affirms what she’s known along along: “Black beauty has a place here,” she said."

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Article Excerpt #6
From http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/03/the-budding-natural-hair-movement-in-south-africa/ True Life: I Went to South Africa to Experience the Budding Natural Hair Movement, by Classy Kinks, March 29, 2015
"There have been a few spotlights on natural hair’s rise in popularity in different African countries, such as the Ivory Coast, but rarely do we get accounts of the movement from the perspective of folks who are familiar with the movement here. Luckily, I had the opportunity to visit Johannesburg, South Africa a few weeks ago and get an inside look into the up and coming natural hair movement at the Johannesburg Natural Hair Meetup.

Although the natural hair movement is only a few years old and has yet to gain traction amongst college-aged youth, there were a variety of natural hairstyles that I observed both on the streets and at the event. In the streets of Joburg, the most popular natural hairstyle was a cropped Caesar haircut, about a half an inch off the scalp. A good number of both men and women had dreadlocks, a higher percentage even in natural hair meccas like New York City and cornrows and braids were also very popular. Longer loose natural hairstyles past TWA length were few and far between, and I saw maybe four women with crochet braids, but most were worn undefined, not dipped and curled like we’re fond of doing here in the US. Surprisingly, unlike in West Africa, very few women wore head coverings, both in the downtown business district and in the more hip neighborhood of Braamfontein.

At the event, there was a mix of fros, twistouts, locks, cornrows and a few braids. "...
-snip-
That article includes some photographs from that event.
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BONUS EXCERPT
This excerpt provides information about a protest against regulations prohibiting Black natural hairstyles at a South African high school.
From http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/06/492417635/a-ban-on-black-hairstyles-raises-deeper-issues-about-race
Decrying Hair Rule, South African Students Demand To Be 'Naturally Who We Are'
by Alan Greenblatt, September 6, 2016
....Last month, black students at the prestigious Pretoria High School for Girls protested a clause in the school's code of conduct that banned wide cornrows, braids and dreadlocks. It wasn't a new policy, and many South African schools have enforced similar rules before. But this time, girls pushed back — and their complaints touched a nerve.

The school, which was an all-white institution until the mid-1990s, dropped the restrictions a few days later — but not before triggering a debate across the country.

"They make it out to be about grooming, but it is about race," says Lesley Chandata, a black woman from Zimbabwe who waits tables at a pizza parlor outside Cape Town.

The crux of the complaints from students and their supporters is that black South Africans are singled out for punishment or derision because of their appearance or speech....

The Pretoria High policy singled out "cornrows, natural dreadlocks and singles/braids," limiting them to "a maximum of 10 millimeters [about a third of an inch] in diameter." Violators were told to cut their hair or they'd be given demerits that can lead to suspension and expulsion. Afros were not specifically mentioned but the hair code does state that "all styles should be conservative, neat."

Tiisetso Phetla, who graduated from Pretoria High last year, told NPR's Rachel Martin that people at school would call her natural hair "barbaric" and that it looked "like a dog's breakfast" and was told to "remove that nest off your head."

"Your mood would completely change for the entire day," she said. "You'd be de-motivated for the day because they tell you that you don't look as if you belong in the school."

As is often the case in such codes, however, straight hair was not limited in such specific detail. It could be worn long if pulled back in a ponytail.

Under pressure from students and parents, provincial education minister Panyaza Lesufi suspended Pretoria High's hair clause last week. He also appointed an independent investigation into charges of racism at the school.

Still, student protests continue across the country. On Monday, about 300 current and former pupils of San Souci Girls' High School in Newlands, outside of Cape Town, met with the provincial education minister, demanding systemic changes to school policies and personnel.

Thousands of people have tweeted with the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh on Twitter, calling the code of conduct "offensive" and "absurd."

And as of Tuesday morning, nearly 32,000 people had signed an online petition calling for an end to discrimination at Pretoria High, which includes "disciplinary action" for teachers who enforced the policy and "protection" for the students who protested.

Black girls at schools around the nation complained not just about hair but being referred to as "monkeys" or "kaffirs" (South Africa's rough equivalent of the N-word) or being told by teachers to stop making "funny noises" when they speak in African languages among themselves....

"I wasn't surprised at all that this protest struck a chord with so many women," says journalist Milisuthando Bongela, who is working on a documentary about hair and black identity that will be released next year. "It is something that has been waiting to explode for a very long time in South Africa."

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This concludes Part II of this four part series