My daughter has been mentioning a video called "The Dancing Outlaw" in emails and phone conversations for some weeks. She brought it with her on her last trip home. Now, I am wondering why I had never heard of it before. It has been around for about ten years and there seems to be an avid cult of devotees. On the surface it appears to be a documentary filmed by Jacob Young featuring a West Virginia mountaineer schizophrenic named Jesco White who stimulates his brain by sniffing gasoline and amuses himself by impersonating Elvis, tap dancing, and threatening the life of his wife. There are also interviews with Jesco's other personifications Jesse and Elvis, his one eyed brother Bosco, his sister Flaming Mamie, and his mother, Bertie Mae who describes the violent deaths of husband, daughters, and sons. The reaction of those watching was this can't be for real and at the same time thinking no one could make this up. Apart from the video there seems to be controversy as well. Young and associates have different stories about how he discovered Jesco and there are also claims that Jesco does not profit from sales of the video, mugs, caps, panties, and t-shirts, etc. bearing his likeness.

One can find Jesco's address posted on the internet so you can send fan mail and Sharpies, which is supposedly a real treat. You can also catch up on the latest news of the White clan and their neighbor, guitar picker, Hasil Adkins and his band the Pistol Whippers. You can also order the "Jesco Goes to Hollywood" video and learn all about his meeting Rosanne Barr and Tom Arnold.

Why did I post this? I don't really know. Maybe in part for the edification of those, like me, who have been in the dark for so long, and in part searching for the real scoop.