Wow! A thread with a lot of meat in it! (Hope I haven't offended any vegeterians by that.)

Deborah, I am very much a feminist, and will argue with Max about women's issues, women as performers, etc, on Mudcat Radio. Tolk about Sister representing Womankind on the boat-I'm there representing womankind on MUDCAT RADIO!!! What an awesome responsibility!

Well, Deborah, by now you see that I may be a feminist, but I'm another one of these Mudcatters with a really irreverent sense of humor. I guess that most of us who stick around here enjoy the banter. Now, on to the topic at hand...

"Michael" is hardly as offensive as the many "Murder the woman" songs, such as Banks of the Ohio, or Max's favorite, Deliah. But it is a reflection of a culture that defined work as "man's work" and "woman's work".

Jeri, remember, if you're changing ballads, Peter Blood has gotten onto a lot of people's s*** list for changing lyrics in his book, Rise Up Singing, and it's predecessor, Winds of the People.

Thank you, Noreen, for reminding me of where I had seen the Isles of Langerhans referred to before. And to think I was gonna check an ATLAS!!! Very clever, Jeri!

I guess flattop has answered the question of why the folks trying to row the sailboat are so weird-they're all three sheets to the wind!

As for Mbo, he's been inadequately socialized. We're working on him, but he's as thin skinned as many feminists without senses of humor. We take turns jumping on his case, encouraging him to grow up, and letting him know we still love him. He may be a juvenile, but he's OUR juvenile!

Sophocleese has a lot of good stuff to say, and is right on about women performers at festivals, etc. That also carries over at open sings, etc, which is why I strongly prefer an open circle, where everyone in the circle gets a chance to sing, etc. Otherwise, you wind up with the "guys with the guitars" determining what everybody sings, based on what THEY know how to play!!!

CamiSu gave some good information about the Michael song coming from the Georgia Sea Islands. I hadn't known that.

dulcimer proposed that omitting or changing songs with inappropriate songs might be a way of hiding or distorting the past. Perhaps if one was doing a historical presentation to historians, one might want to present certain songs, but certainly not to general audiences. There are songs with the "N" word, for instance, that I wouldn't sing, though I wouldn't argue that they had never existed. There are songs from the Nazi era that I wouldn't promote. The little pieces of a people's culture all accumulate to describe and promote that culture. I prefer to sing and promote songs that reflect a view of the world, as I would like to see it evolving, but of course it isn't there yet. I also sing songs that expose some injustices that people may not be aware of, and those that celebrate people who have taken action for justice.

RiB made a very thoughtful statement. Songs may be a valid expression of feelings that have a real meaning to us, even if we wouldn't want to promote the action discussed. Bruce Cockburn's song "If I had a Rocket Launcher" comes to mind.

Hollowfox, I never knew that the Lord had all the Gypsies killed. There's something else I've learned on this thread.

So Lox, where's the "I wish I was a Man" song. It reminds me of the song Uncle Bonsai sang "If I had a Penis". And speaking of equal treatment, there's Judy Small's song, "the IPD".

Well, Deborah, I hope you feel like there's been a lot of good stuff said in this thread, and you haven't let our outrageous MUDCAT sense of humor chase you away. But be careful-it's contagious!

Love to you and all the other posters,

Marymac