Folklore: Folk Image

Subject: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:00 PM

Just seen Mike Harding on BBC4 getting hot under the collar about the cliched perception of the average Folky - you know the sort of thing: beard, pewter tankard, finger in the ear etc.

Certainly in 30+ years of attending folk clubs & festivals I've seen nothing to suggest that this isn't the case - so what's the problem??

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:29 PM

Well the first problem is that around 5o% of the attendances of folk festival goers are women. (the last survey indicated it was actually over 50% women). And they don't have beards and few of them carry tankards.

So the stereotype is at least 50% bollocks isn't it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: GUEST,sparticus
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:34 PM

Or, 50% of the stereotype have bollocks?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:36 PM

Try reading this. which is a report done in 2004 about the impact of folk festivals.

This will give you a better idea what the audience of folk festival consist of.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: topical tom
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:39 PM

Those are stereotypes. In my opinion there is no "folk image" anymore.True, such appearances do exist, but so does a whole gamut of others.They can range from little children to very "average" appearing people. I hate that word average. "Ordinary", perhaps?If there is a folk image it's in the love of music that has messages and the words,not the rhythm or special effects, are all-important.If not messages, then stirring, soul-rousing melodies and lyrics.Even an older, very ordinary-looking geezer like me can love folk principles without dressing up and grooming a certain way. For those who wish to do so, more power to them.What is folk if not peace, love and FREEDOM?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:40 PM

Sorry I made the mistake of treating the question seriously. In fact of course if the stereotype is of a bearded, tankard-carrying person the chances are all of them have bollocks.

They all wear their Aran sweaters and put their fingers in their ears as well of course. Somehow that seems to have been missed out.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:41 PM

OY! I love my tankard!
I have 2 favourites, one a half pint pewter measure from about 1840 (a bit scary high on lead content) and the other a half pint (almost) "black jack" bought at the Georgiam Fair at the Lancaster Maritime Festival some years back.

I don't have a beard though

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:45 PM

and of course I forgot the pewter "stein" with a lid on the top to prevent the beer getting watered dawn when standing on the "gate duty" at an English "summer" festival :)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: GUEST,Jim Carroll
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:54 PM

How many folkies does it take to change a lightbulb?
Three- one to change the bulb, two to discuss how much brighter the old one was.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 04:11 PM

Nar Jim,

The answer is really "Change?"

And I have seen Emma B. I can verify she has neither beard nor moustache. And my wife has a lovely tankard of her own too. Stops her stealing my beer most of the time.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: MartinRyan
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 04:50 PM

Folkiedave,

Admirably concise! The Irish equivalent is a bit more verbose:

Q. "How many Comhaltas members does it take to change a lightbulb?"
A. "Change? Change? Did somebody mention change?"

Regards

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 06:02 PM

Irish? Verbose? Surely not!!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Effsee
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 09:18 PM

As I remeber it Jim, the answer was 4, one to do the job, and another three to write a song about how nice the old one was.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Art Thieme
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 09:55 PM

You people are apparently quite insane. Or possibly just very young. In your haste, you have written off and dismissed a whole other paradigm.

My best suggestion is that you should grow up!

Love,

Art

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: Beer
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 10:28 PM

Art. There not that young. They are just having a good time on their beer and have kind of drifted away from the topic. Not like "topical tom" however. Who has made some very interesting points. Read his thread again Art.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk Image
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Oct 07 - 10:40 AM

The media need to promulgate the notion that people who enjoy folk music are uncool and unimportant. That's because the media can't make any money playing anything from the public domain, because money in the music business flows through copyrights.

I used to be in charge of the mailing list (about 2000 names) for the folk society in my city. The addresses were mostly from the older but nicer parts of town and included many professional people. These are people whose minds appreciate order and whose ears can tell when a performer's in tune. However, the media don't want to hear about that.

They have never had to put a hand behind an ear to hear themselves sing because they never sing. Poor schnooks.