GIVE ME SOME SKIN!

Something fun for the weekend. The Delta Rhythm Boys were hep cats who made their first public appearance in the summer of 1936, and performed in 15 films from the early 1940s to 1956. Here they sing "Give Me Some Skin, My Friend" in a Soundie from 1940.

The Delta Rhythm Boys


Here's another clip from the 1940s, with Abbott and Costello dropping in to see the Andrews Sisters, who want the very same thing as the Delta Rhythm Boys.

The Andrews Sisters in uniform

Maybe people aren't that different. I'll avoid making any easy comment about race, or how "race records" were co-opted by mainstream white artists. And I'll skip remarks about "cultural colonialism," about class, or how tough economic times tend to bring about a resurgence of racism and scapegoating. Oh, and I won't mention how people (white people?) assume racism is a thing of the past, since, after all, we have a black president.

Nope, my lips are sealed. I'm a paragon of restraint. Oh...and I won't congratulate us all for coming such a long way, either, and I certainly won't ask you to check your attitudes about whites, blacks, Asians, Mexicans, Jews, or people from the Middle East. Nope.

We're just talking about "skin."


IN A RELATED STORY...

In a related news story, some clowns (yes, clowns) kicked the KKK's ass at a hate rally in Knoxville, Tennessee. This is truly creative organizing. Kudos to the clowns!

When the white supremacist group VNN Vanguard Nazi/KKK tried to host a hate rally in Knoxville, Tennessee, they were foiled by … clowns!

Unfortunately for [VNN] the 100th ARA (Anti Racist Action) clown block came and handed them their asses by making them appear like the asses they were.

Alex Linder the founder of VNN and the lead organizer of the rally kicked off events by rushing the clowns in a fit of rage, and was promptly arrested by 4 Knoxville police officers who dropped him to the ground when he resisted and dragged him off past the red shiny shoes of the clowns.

“White Power!” the Nazi’s shouted, “White Flour?” the clowns yelled back running in circles throwing flour in the air and raising separate letters which spelt “White Flour”.

“White Power!” the Nazi’s angrily shouted once more, “White flowers?” the clowns cheers and threw white flowers in the air and danced about merrily.

“White Power!” the Nazi’s tried once again in a doomed and somewhat funny attempt to clarify their message, “ohhhhhh!” the clowns yelled “Tight Shower!” and held a solar shower in the air and all tried to crowd under to get clean as per the Klan’s directions.

At this point several of the Nazi’s and Klan members began clutching their hearts as if they were about to have a heart attack. Their beady eyes bulged, and the veins in their tiny narrow foreheads beat in rage. One last time they screamed “White Power!”

The clown women thought they finally understood what the Klan was trying to say. “Ohhhhh…” the women clowns said. “Now we understand…”, “WIFE POWER!” they lifted the letters up in the air, grabbed the nearest male clowns and lifted them in their arms and ran about merrily chanting “WIFE POWER! WIFE POWER! WIFE POWER!”

-Asheville Indymedia