If you stop for a drink at Bridge Inn in Holmrook, England, in November, you’d do well to take everything anyone says to you with a grain of salt—or maybe even a whole shaker. That’s because every fall, the Bridge Inn hosts the World’s Biggest Liar competition.
Entrants are given five minutes in the spotlight to tell the biggest and most convincing whopper they can muster. The winner is selected by a panel of judges.
Though George Kemp of Maryport, Cumbria, was suffering from a chest infection, he managed to power through with a yarn about the time he “ended up bumping into Donald Trump and his wife in an underwater hotel.” The night marked his fourth win in the contest.
“It was a tale about building a small submarine out of my dad’s old bubble car,” Kemp said. “We took the bubble car on a trip to the Isle of Man and we bumped into several famous people in a Scottish submarine made out of shortbread tins. [Scottish politicians] Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond sold some of these giant shortbread tin submarines to the United States of America.” The evening ended with Kemp and the president-elect watching an Elvis tribute act called “Shellfish Presley.”
Trump himself wouldn’t have been able to enter the competition, by the way—politicians and lawyers are banned from the contest because they are “too well versed to apply.”
Held since the 19th century, the World’s Biggest Liar competition owes its origin to a pub owner named Will Ritson, who was known for the fantastic stories he would tell to keep his patrons entertained—and drinking longer. One of his most famous lies was that turnips planted in the region grew so big that people had to “quarry” into them for their Sunday lunch, and afterward, the mammoth root veggies were used as sheds for sheep.
Other first-place fibbers have told tales about eating peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches with Prince Charles, traveling to work via camel due to global warming, and fracking for jam.
Kemp donated his prize money to charity—and that’s no lie.
Among other things, Washington, D.C. is known for its thousands of beautiful cherry blossom trees, which flower spectacularly every March and April in an eye-popping explosion of blush-colored blooms. But on November 17, 1938, the gorgeous trees caused fireworks of a different sort.
The iconic trees have commanded attention for more than a century, with the first pair planted in 1912 by First Lady Helen Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador. A total of 3020 cherry trees of 12 varieties were eventually planted in the area, including East Potomac Park, the Washington Monument grounds, and the Tidal Basin. The trees grew and flourished for more than 20 years—and then the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission was formed, charged with planning the construction of the monument to our third president.
After much debate, the commission recommended that the Jefferson Memorial be erected on the Tidal Basin site where it stands today, which would require the removal of some of the cherry blossom trees. Washington society ladies, led by editor of the Washington Times-Herald Eleanor Patterson, immediately protested, horrified at the prospect of losing the natural splendor of the trees.
The media piled onto the problem, with one article estimating that nearly 600 trees would meet their untimely demises. President Franklin Roosevelt called the report “one of the most interesting cases of newspaper flimflam” he had ever come across. The trees, he promised, would be relocated—not chopped down.
Unconvinced by the president’s statement, 50 women marched on the White House on November 17, 1938, the day construction started, to deliver a petition to halt the wanton destruction of their beloved trees.
When that didn’t work, approximately 150 society ladies showed up to the construction site the next day, wearing furs and carrying chains. They snatched shovels from the workers’ hands, refilling freshly dug holes and even chaining themselves to the trees. They sang a version of Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees” poem and created their own chant: “Who is it wants these grand old trees displaced? Who is it wants our fair D.C. disgraced?”
“This is the worst desecration of beauty in the capital since the burning of the White House by the British,” a woman chained to a tree declared.
Roosevelt remained unmoved by the protests: If the activists didn’t remove themselves, he said, “the cherry trees, the women and their chains would be gently but firmly transplanted in some other part of Potomac Park.”
According to the National Parks Service, the women eventually left because they needed bathrooms; Roosevelt had the trees taken out in the middle of the night instead. The protesters may have lost the battle, but they would no doubt be pleased to know that the war eventually went their way—today, there are more than 3750 cherry trees in Washington.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937) had quite a few memorable scenes in it: Snow White fleeing through the forest, the dwarfs dancing around in their cottage, the hag falling to her death, the silly soup scene. What, you don’t remember the part where Snow White tries to teach table manners to the seven little men? That’s because it got the ax less than six months before the film premiered.
The soup scene, as well as a scene where the dwarfs build Snow White a bed to try to convince her to live in the cottage, were still in the movie as of June 1937. At some point between then and the movie’s December 21 premiere, however, Walt decided that both scenes were superfluous and had them removed to make the film more succinct. Animator Ward Kimball was devastated; he had spent almost a year and a half animating the soup sequence alone.
The soup-slurping and the bed-building scenes were nearly resurrected for a sequel called Snow White Returns, but fortunately, Walt nixed part two before it got too far off the ground. You can get a sense of what the scene would have looked like below. And if you can’t get that catchy “Music In Your Soup” song out of your head, don’t despair: It’s featured on the Snow White soundtrack.
You’ve probably never seen Song of the South, but you’ve likely had its most famous song lodged firmly in your brain at one point or another. Let’s take a closer look at what is arguably Disney’s most controversial production ever, which was released 70 years ago.
1. THE STORIES WERE WRITTEN BY TEDDY ROOSEVELT’S UNCLE.
Though Disney borrowed the Br’er Rabbit tales from author Joel Chandler Harris, the stories were originally published in Harper’s magazine as written by Robert Roosevelt, Teddy’s uncle. In his autobiography, Teddy wrote that Robert took the stories down from his Aunt Anna’s dictation, then sent them to Harper’s, where they “fell flat.” It wasn’t until Harris created the Uncle Remus stories that Br’er Rabbit and his pals became “immortal,” in Teddy’s words.
2. DISNEY’S DECISION TO MAKE SONG OF THE SOUTH RAISED EYEBROWS RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO.
The NAACP released a statement that said that while the artistic and technical aspects of the film were truly impressive, “the production helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery … [the film] unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts.” However, other reviewers thought that the issue was handled well. Even the actors defended their parts. Hattie McDaniel told The Criterion, “If I had for one moment considered any part of the picture degrading or harmful to my people I would not have appeared therein.” Star James Baskett agreed, saying, “I believe that certain groups are doing my race more harm in seeking to create dissension than can ever possibly come out of the Song of the South.“
3. IT’S BEEN RUMORED THAT JAMES BASKETT DIDN’T ATTEND THE PREMIERE BECAUSE NO HOTEL WOULD ALLOW HIM TO STAY.
It’s been a long-standing rumor that Baskett himself was unable to attend the movie’s Atlanta premiere because no hotel in town would accept the black cast members. This is unlikely, as MousePlanet points out, because there were several black-owned hotels in the city at the time, including the Savoy. What is true is that Atlanta was still under segregation laws at the time, so the cast would have been separated at the premiere anyway. To bring Baskett to the city but stop him from attending events, one newspaper article from 1946 noted, “would cause him many embarrassments, for his feelings are the same as any man’s.”
4. THE FILM WAS A SUCCESS, BUT NOT BY A WIDE MARGIN.
The original release netted the studio just $226,000.
5. WALT DISNEY HIMSELF CAMPAIGNED FOR BASKETT TO WIN AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR HIS PERFORMANCE.
Walt Disney told Jean Hersholt, then the president of the Motion Picture Academy, that Baskett’s performance was his own creation, “almost wholly without direction.” Disney’s efforts worked: Baskett received an honorary Oscar in 1948. Sadly, he died just three months later at the age of 44.
6. BASKETT’S HONORARY ACADEMY AWARD ISN’T THE ONLY ONE SONG OF THE SOUTH WON.
“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” also won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
7. BASKETT PLAYED TWO MAJOR PARTS.
Baskett not only played Uncle Remus, he also voiced Br’er Fox.
8. THE MOVIE HAS NEVER OFFICIALLY BEEN RELEASED ON HOME VIDEO.
Though the film has been reissued several times, including a “re-premiere” that was held in Atlanta for the 40th anniversary in 1986, it has never been released on home video in the United States. Whether there are future plans for a release remains to be seen. While Disney CEO Robert Iger has called the movie “antiquated” and “fairly offensive,” fans have been rallying for years to get it released. Enterprising consumers can find copies that were released in Japan and Europe. You can also see part of it right here:
9. DISNEY CREATED A COMIC STRIP AS A PROMOTIONAL TOOL.
The Disney Company created a newspaper comic strip about Br’er Rabbit to help promote the movie. It actually ended up with a longer shelf life than the movie itself: the strip ran from 1945 through 1972.
10. CONTEMPORARY VERSIONS OF BR’ER RABBIT AND BR’ER FOX ARE VOICED BY JESS HARNELL.
These days, Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox are voiced by Jess Harnell, also known for providing the voices for Wakko on Animaniacs and Cedric on Sofia the First, among other things. Though Br’ers Fox and Rabbit don’t get used much, they have popped up in video games, amusement park rides, and the occasional cartoon where Disney characters mingle.
Whether it’s due to natural causes, drunken vandals, or former Boy Scout leaders who think they’re saving lives, many of our ancient natural landmarks have taken a hit in the last century. Here are 10 of Mother Nature’s best tourist attractions that are now lost to the ages.
1. OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN // WHITE MOUNTAINS, NEW HAMPSHIRE
This famous face-shaped outcropping of rock (pictured above) and the way it was positioned on the side of the mountain once prompted Daniel Webster to write, “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.”
The New Hampshire landmark is so iconic that it’s featured on the state quarter. Unfortunately, that’s the only place you’ll find it these days—the outcropping slid down the side of the mountain in 2003.
2. WASHINGTON SEQUOIA TREE // SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA
At 254.7 feet tall, the Washington Tree in Sequoia National Park was once one of the largest single-stem trees in the world, second only to the sequoia known as General Sherman (274.9 feet). In 2003, the tree caught fire, reducing its height to about 229 feet and burning out much of the dead wood in the center. Two years later, the weakened tree collapsed under the weight of a snowstorm. Though it’s still clinging to life, at a mere 115 feet, the Washington Tree is a shadow of its former self.
3. THE JEFFREY PINE // YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA
This tree is probably most famous from the photography of Ansel Adams and Carleton Watkins. We’re lucky that they saw fit to record the gnarled pine for posterity, because the centuries-old tree fell to the ground in 2003. It’s a wonder the tree stayed erect that long—it actually died during a drought in 1977, despite heroic efforts by Yosemite park rangers to save it by carrying buckets of water out to the remote location. After the tree fell over in 2003, the dead trunk was left there.
4. DUCKBILL // CAPE KIWANDA STATE NATURAL AREA, OREGON
When this 7-foot-tall rock formation bit the dust earlier this year, people first thought Mother Nature was responsible—and then a video surfaced. Shot by a park visitor who wanted to catch the act on video, the footage showed a group of vandals going into a roped-off area and purposely pushing the formation until it crashed to the ground. When confronted, the vandals said they were doing the world a favor—a friend of theirs had broken his leg on it.
This large rock formation, called a sea stack (a pillar of stacked stones caused by wave erosion), once dominated Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon. For most of the 1800s, it was impossible to get around the 100-foot-tall stack without jumping off the steep siding, which is why early settlers named it Jump-Off Joe. By the 1890s, erosion had created a small gap between the cliffs and the rock, and without the support of the cliffs, the arch collapsed in a severe storm in 1916. Today, there’s barely anything left to photograph, let alone jump off.
Some time during the night of August 4, 2008, Wall Arch, a more than 30-foot-tall and 70-foot-wide formation in Arches National Park, collapsed. A survey of the site showed obvious stress fractures in the remaining part of the structure, so no foul play was suspected.
The National Park Service issued a statement that said, “All arches are but temporary features and all will eventually succumb to the forces of gravity and erosion. While the geologic forces that created the arches are still very much underway, in human terms it’s rare to observe such dramatic changes.”
7. EL DEDO DE DIOS — “GOD’S FINGER” // CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN
This basalt sea stack is located near Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands—and while the base is still there, it once included a spindly stone that vaguely resembled a finger sticking up from a closed fist. At least, it did until November 2005, when Tropical Storm Delta broke the finger off like a vengeful mobster.
8. TWELVE APOSTLES // PORT CAMPBELL NATIONAL PARK, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Seems like 2005 was a rough year for ocean-based landmarks. That July, one of Australia’s “Twelve Apostles,” nine limestone monoliths off the southwest coast of Victoria, took a tumble into the ocean. The rock pillar, which took 20 million years to form, crumbled away into the water right before the very eyes of some tourists photographing the formation. (The one that collapsed is the one in the foreground of the picture above.)
9. EYE OF THE NEEDLE // NEAR FORT BENTON, MONTANA
When park rangers investigated the collapse of this arch formation over Memorial Day 1997, they discovered beer bottles, footprints and trash. And while that’s definitely a littering citation, it doesn’t necessarily mean that vandals purposely trashed the arch. When damage to several other nearby sandstone structures was discovered, however, officials concluded that someone had purposely destroyed the 10,000+ year-old monument. Yet the perpetrators have never been caught, leading some to believe that the collapse was simply due to natural erosion.
10. A “GOBLIN” SANDSTONE FORMATION // GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK, UTAH
In 2013, two former Boy Scout leaders pushed over a rock formation that had been there since the Jurassic Period. The men believed the rock, known as a “Goblin,” posed a threat to park visitors. “One gust of wind and a family’s dead,” one of the men later said. They were both charged with third-degree felonies and later reached plea deals that required them to pay $925 in court costs, $1500 for the investigation, and an undisclosed amount to erect signs around the park warning visitors not to vandalize anything.
This Veterans Day, make a difference in the lives of former military members. Just thanking a veteran can go a long way, but an act of kindness means even more. Here are 11 ways you can show vets that you appreciate the sacrifices they made.
1. PICK UP THE TAB FOR THEIR COFFEE OR MEAL.
The next time you see a veteran in a restaurant or standing in line for coffee, pick up the tab. You can do so anonymously if you would prefer, but a even a quick “thank you for your service” would mean a lot to the veteran. You don’t have to limit yourself to dinner or a latte—you could pay for a tank of gas, a prescription, or a cart of groceries.
2. DRIVE A VET TO A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT.
Many vets, especially those who are infirm or disabled, have trouble making it to their doctor appointments. If you have a driver’s license, you can volunteer for the Department of Veterans Affairs (DAV) Transportation Network, a service provided by all 197 VA medical facilities. To help, contact the hospital service coordinator [PDF] at your local VA Hospital.
3. TRAIN A SERVICE DOG.
Service dogs are a great help to veterans with mobile disabilities and post-traumatic stress disorder, helping them rediscover physical and emotional independence. It takes approximately two years and $33,000 to properly train one service dog, so donations and training volunteers are critical. Even if you aren’t equipped to train a dog, some organizations need “weekend puppy raisers,” which help service dogs learn how to socialize, play, and interact with different types of people.
There are several organizations that provide this service for veterans, including Patriot Paws and Puppy Jake.
4. REPLACE ONE LIGHT BULB WITH A GREEN ONE.
The “Greenlight a Vet” project is a simple way to remind yourself and others about the sacrifices veterans have made for our country, and to show your appreciation to them. Simply purchase a green bulb and place it somewhere in your home—a porch lamp is ideal since it’s most visible to others. Nearly 5 million people across the nation have logged their green lights into the project’s nationwide map so far.
5. HELP SPONSOR AN HONOR FLIGHT.
Many of the veterans who fought for our freedoms have never seen the national memorials honoring their efforts—and their fallen friends. Honor Flights helps send veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to Washington D.C. to see their monuments. You can help sponsor one of those flights for as little as $4.
6. WRITE A LETTER.
Operation Gratitude is an organization that coordinates care packages, gifts, and letters of thanks to veterans. You can work through them to send your appreciation to a vet, or volunteer to help assemble care packages. And, if you still have candy kicking around from Halloween, Operation Gratitude also mails sweets to deployed troops. They’re accepting deliveries until November 15!
7. VOLUNTEER AT A VA HOSPITAL.
Whatever your talents are, they’ll certainly be utilized at a Veterans Hospital. From working directly with patients to helping with recreational programs or even just providing companionship, your local VA Hospital would be thrilled to have a few hours of your time.
8. GET INVOLVED WITH THE VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
There are no doubt veterans in your community that could use help—but how do you find them? Contact the Local Veterans Assistance Program. They’ll be able to put you in touch with local vets who need help doing chores like yard work, housework, grocery shopping, or running errands.
9. HELP THEM WITH JOB TRAINING.
Adjusting back to civilian life isn’t always smooth sailing. Hire Heroes helps vets with interview skills, resumes, and training so they can find a post-military career. They even partner with various employers to host a job board. Through Hire Heroes, you can help veterans with mock interviews, career counseling, job searches, workshops, and more.
10. HELP BUILD A HOUSE.
Building Homes for Heroes builds or modifies homes to suit the needs of veterans injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. The houses are given mortgage-free to veterans and their families. You can volunteer your painting, carpentry, plumbing, wiring, and other skilled services—or you can just donate to the cause.
11. VOLUNTEER FOR A STAND DOWN.
The VA continually hosts Stand Downs, one- to three-day events that give much-needed supplies and services to homeless veterans. Vets can receive everything from food and clothing to health screenings, housing solutions, substance abuse treatment, and mental health counseling. They take place at various places across the nation all year long, so contact the representative in your state about when and how you can volunteer.
On October 31, 1939, five people met their fates when lightning struck the elevator shaft of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
At least, that’s what Disney would have you believe. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a drop ride at four Disney theme parks, takes guests on a terrifying trip through time to discover what happened to those unsuspecting passengers in 1939. It has since become a cult hit, even making famous guests like Mariah Carey scream for more. Here are 13 facts about Disney’s Tower of Terror.
1. IT COULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON THE WORKS OF STEPHEN KING.
After Disney’s movie-themed MGM Studios opened in 1989, Imagineers made plans to add an attraction that would appeal to fans of horror movies. They kicked around a variety of ideas, including a ride based around Stephen King’s many terrifying tales. Also considered was a faux ghost tour featuring Vincent Price, an amusingly horrifying ride hosted by Mel Brooks, or an actual hotel inside of the park that would have had a haunted theme.
2. CREATING THE RIDE INVOLVED A LOT OF TWILIGHT ZONE RESEARCH.
Known for their immersive research, Disney Imagineers watched 156 episodes of The Twilight Zone in order to perfect the ride’s aesthetic and tone. Fans of the Rod Serling classic have picked up on the many references to classic episodes, including an appearance from the infamous Talky Tina doll.
3. THERE ARE ALSO SUBTLE DISNEY REFERENCES.
In addition to the many nods to The Twilight Zone, there are plenty of sly references to Disney as well. For starters, there’s sheet music in the library titled “What! No Mickey Mouse?” and a Photoplay magazine featuring a four-page spread of Walt Disney-designed caricatures in the lobby.
4. THERE WAS ONCE A SECRET MESSAGE IN ONE OF THE NOTICE BOARDS.
The spirits at the Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror sometimes try to help guests avoid their fates. Inquisitive guests who peer inside an old notice board in the lobby may find that the fallen letters accumulated at the bottom spell out a warning: “EVIL TOWER UR DOOMED.” The warning has come and gone over the years.
5. GREMLINS DIRECTOR JOE DANTE DIRECTED THE PRE-RIDE VIDEO.
Before guests board the ride, they’re taken into a dusty old library, where Rod Serling tells the tale of the tragedy that changed the hotel on October 31, 1939. That’s really Rod Serling, by the way; Imagineers were able to take clips from TheTwilight Zone episode “It’s a Good Life” that matched up with the story they wanted to tell. That pre-ride video was directed by Joe Dante, who also directed Gremlins.
6. ROD SERLING’S WIFE CHOSE THE VOICEOVER ARTIST.
Though it’s Rod Serling’s image in the video, it’s not all his voice. Voice impersonator Mark Silverman’s ability to match Serling’s famous cadence was so impressive that he was chosen for the job by Rod’s widow, Carol Serling.
7. GUESTS DON’T ACTUALLY DROP.
Tower of Terror guests may feel like they’re free-falling, but they’re not—they’re being pulled. Ride technology pulls the elevator car down faster than gravity, which is what results in that amazing butts-off-the-seat levitation effect. (Don’t forego the seat belts on this one, kids.)
8. THE DROPS ARE RANDOMIZED.
Guests can’t prepare themselves for the exact level of terror they’ll experience on the ride. In 2002, Disney upgraded the Tower of Terror with computer-randomized drop sequences for each individual experience, so riders don’t know how many times they’ll drop or from what heights.
9. THE EXTERIOR WAS DESIGNED TO BLEND IN WITH MOROCCO.
The Florida ride is the second-tallest attraction at the resort, second only to the Expedition Everest roller coaster and the Animal Kingdom. In fact, it’s so tall that the upper half of it is visible from Epcot—it can be seen just behind the Morocco pavilion. Because Disney is so invested in making guest experiences completely immersive, they designed the exterior of the fake hotel to blend right into the Morocco skyline. Check it out:
10. OTIS ELEVATORS WAS INVOLVED IN THE RIDE’S CREATION.
Disney called in the elevator experts to help create the attraction. Otis Elevators has been outfitting buildings across the world since 1853—and with a price tag of $8 million, the Tower of Terror is the company’s most expensive sale ever.
11. PART OF THE RIDE IS A SELF-DRIVING CAR.
If you’ve been on the Florida version of the ride, you probably recall a moment where the elevator car seems to leave the shaft to take you through a very Twilight Zone-esque “Fifth Dimension.” That’s because it does! The car is actually an AGV, or an autonomous-guided vehicle, that moves without tracks or rails.
If you don’t mind ruining some of the mystery, you can see exactly how it works on this clip from Modern Marvels:
12. THE VERSION AT DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE IS GETTING RE-THEMED.
Getty
The California Adventure version of the Tower of Terror opened on May 5, 2004, 10 years after the Orlando version made its debut. Unless fan petitions manage to get through to the powers that be, the elevator doors at the California Adventure Tower of Terror will close for the last time on January 2, 2017, to make way for a Guardians of the Galaxy makeover.
13. THERE MAY BE A MOVIE ON THE WAY.
The Tower of Terror first received a movie treatment in 1997, with a made-for-TV film starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst.
But there may be a big-budget revamp in the works as well. Big Fish screenwriter John August turned in a treatment last year, with direction from producer Jim Whitaker. Stay tuned!
When you’re sad, so angry you could cry, or trying not to weep at that ASPCA commercial again, you’ve probably felt a big lump in your throat during emotional moments. Why?
According to clinical psychologist Ad Vingerhoets, it’s all part of our natural fight-or-flight response. When humans feel stressed, our bodies prepare us to physically take on the obstacle or flee the scene. Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure skyrockets, and our respiration rate increases. “The faster rate of respiration impacts the muscle that controls the opening of the throat called the glottis (middle of the larynx),” Vingerhoets told IFLScience. “The glottis expands to allow more air in during the preparation for fight or flight.”
The glottis is where that lump comes in. Though the jury is still out on the exact reason the lump forms, it has something to do with muscle tension and the glottis. The first theory is that when you try to swallow (a process that requires closing the glottis) against that expanded glottis, you’re creating muscle tension, and thus discomfort. Theory number two is that the lump mainly occurs when you’re trying not to cry, which means you’re trying to constrict the muscles in your throat while your glottis is trying to expand.
The next time you find your throat burning during an emotional moment, the best thing you can do is to take a couple of deep breaths and try to relax. (Easier said than done, we know.)
Have you got a Big Question you’d like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at bigquestions@mentalfloss.com.
When an old piano is out of tune and completely out of commission, some say there’s only one thing left to do: Burn it. Burning an old piano has become something of a tradition for musicians and Air Force members alike—although no one’s exactly sure how it got started.
Most stories attribute the birth of the custom to the British Royal Air Force (RAF), with the ritual eventually spreading to the U.S. Air Force. One popular origin tale goes like this: Some time during World War II, the Royal Air Force decided that their pilots needed to be more civilized and gentlemanly. As part of this etiquette training, pilots were required to take piano lessons. And they all hated it—so no one was surprised when the building the piano was in mysteriously caught fire, reducing the instrument to a pile of ashes, strings, and keys. The act of rebellion quickly became a tradition among pilots.
The other story often cited is a bit more touching. By this account, a fallen RAF fighter pilot was also the resident piano player in his squadron, and after he was killed on a mission, his fellow squadron members burned the piano in his honor—if he couldn’t play it, no one should.
In the video below, RAF Lt. Col. James Radley gives both potential origin stories before a piano burn at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. The piano was set alight to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain:
But it’s not just members of the military who tickle the incendiary ivories—playing a piano as it burns has also become a kind of performance art.
Pianist Yosuke Yamashita played his first burning piano in 1973, when a graphic designer asked him to do the honors for a short film. Yamashita happened to view the film again 35 years later and was inspired to do an encore performance. This time, he assembled 500 spectators on a beach in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture to watch the piano turn to embers. It took 10 minutes for the flames to completely silence the instrument, but Yamashita played until he could literally play no more.
“I did not think I was risking my life but I was almost suffocating from the smoke that was continuously getting into my eyes and nose,” Yamashita later said.
Of course, others have a little more fun with it, like this pianist who appropriately chose “Great Balls of Fire” to play:
Should you want to attempt the feat yourself, take the advice of Annea Lockwood, a composer who has written unorthodox pieces for decomposing pianos, such as Piano Garden and Drowning Piano. Here are the directions for Piano Burning, written in 1968:
– Set upright piano (not a grand) in an open space with the lid closed.
– Spill a little lighter fluid on a twist of paper and place inside, near the pedals.
– Light it.
– Balloons may be stapled to the piano.
– Play whatever pleases you for as long as you can.
If you do follow her instructions, however, make sure you adhere to Lockwood’s number one rule: “All pianos used should already be beyond repair.”
When a politician hits the campaign trail, it’s expected that he or she will press a plethora of palms and embrace a lot of infants. The handshaking makes sense, but the baby-kissing tradition is often an awkward, germy situation for everyone involved. So why does anyone do it?
It turns out there’s precedent for smooching chubby cheeks that goes back to Andrew Jackson, and maybe further. According to a story printed in 1887, Jackson, aware that baby-handling was part of the deal, eagerly grabbed a dirty-faced infant from his mother during an 1833 tour of New Jersey, declaring the tot “a fine specimen of American childhood.” Then he thrust the baby into the face of his Secretary of War, General John Eaton, and said, “Eaton, kiss him.” The secretary pretended to do so, everyone laughed, and the mother had a great story to tell her friends and family. Although there are several anachronisms in this story—the most obvious being that John Eaton had resigned from the position of Secretary of War two years prior—there have been several stories of politicians kissing babies since, including Abraham Lincoln.
Today, politicians believe that showing a softer side can help them win more votes; at the very least, they may sway the doting parent. In return, in a best case scenario, mom or dad can say their child met the future President of the United States. Worst case, it’s a photo op with a famous politician. Not a bad addition to the baby book.
Not everyone thinks baby-kissing is such a great tactic, however. After Benjamin Harrison politely declined to bestow a smooch on one in 1889, suffragist/activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton praised him, and quoted the editor of the New York Tribune, who wrote, “The parent who always expects the baby to be kissed, and the person who feels bound to kiss every baby that comes within reach are equally foolish and obnoxious characters. Children have a right to their kisses as well as older folks. They should not be made the prey of every officiously amiable person in their circle.”
Nonetheless, the tradition continued, even though some politicians expressed distaste for it. Richard Nixon refused to do it, worrying that such stunts would make him “look like a jerk.” Geraldine Ferraro, the 1984 Democratic vice presidential candidate, disliked the practice, even once telling The New York Times, “As a mother, my instinctive reaction is how do you give your baby to someone who’s a total stranger to kiss, especially with so many colds going around? And especially when the woman is wearing lipstick? I mean, I find that amazing that someone would do that.’’ But she did it to keep the masses happy.
On the flip side, 1968 Democratic presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey defended his affection for children as genuine, stating that being around youngsters after long hours of glad-handing adults left him feeling “refreshed.”
Modern-day candidates are split: Bernie Sanders preferred to avoid baby-kissing, Hillary Clinton does it, and Donald Trump has, too. At the end of the day, as long as politicians think puckering up to a tot will help move the needle, the puzzling practice isn’t going away.
#/media/File:Duckbill_-_Sandstone_Hoodoo_above_Cape_Kiwanda_-_Thomas_Shahan.jpg){kind=link}
#/media/File:Apostles_3_GOR.JPG){kind=link}
