I remember back in the day, when Philly refused a permit to WMMR's John DeBella for his Louie Louie parade, citing excessive drunkenness at the previous year's parade. DeBella was furious. I can still remember his rant on the Morning Zoo: "It's a problem to get drunk at a parade? Really? I've got one word for City Hall: Mummers!"
At least it gives me an answer as to why guys would join a mummers club. It sure as hell isn't for the choreography. At least the Quaker City group played instruments.
"<span>Deputy Police Commissioner William Blackburn said that 10 women were charged with solicitation to prostitution, one man was charged with promoting prostitution and two other men were charged with liquor violations."</span>
That's a parade, not an answer. Are the mummers a fraternal, like an Elks Lodge or the Freemasons or the Oddfellows? Do they do charitable work? Are they just a party and parade group, like Seattle's Seafair Pirates or the New Orleans Crewes? Are there different mummers organizations or just an umbrella mummers organization with multiple branches? Do they have their own building and clubhouse that can be seized for illegal conduct, or do they just rent one out on meeting/orgy nights?
It's not that I particularly care about those things, but I feel like there is a context to your post that I'm missing. I'm not sure if I was supposed to say "the hypocrisy!" or "what do you expect given that the organization is devoted to the promotion of prostitution" or "how completely random" or "how far they've fallen in these modern times" or "that would never have happened if not for the Great Change of 2004" or "this was inevitable because they merged with the Sons of Anarchy" or "such a proud tradition sullied by these reprobates" or whatever. I just feel like my buttons are being pushed but they are not activating any circuits.
Separate local clubs, with their own clubhouses, with a year-long presence focused on the New Years Day parade and whatever other paying gigs they can scrounge up. (Plus, fees for hall rental.) Almost exclusively white ethnics.
This is a How Completely Random that the dudes who like to dress up in drag with hundreds of ostrich plumes are also into hookers.
The late 19th early 20th century pianist and composer Percy Grainger, known for setting old English and Irish folk tunes, had one called "The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol." Does not sound at all like "I'm looking over a four leaf clover," from the real Mummers parade.
Ah, I get it, a bunch of tall dudes who are pretty short, the cash-poor but money-rich. The heavily skinny crowd, a real bunch of drunken teetotallers. Obviously, they are pretty street-smart but lack common sense, because the cops came by and found their prostitutes just giving it away.
No, me too. I got the sense from context that mummers meant like a traveling theater troupe (and that the Bloody Mummers didn't like that nickname), but had no idea that there were things called mummers in modern-day Philadelphia.
I was born at Pennsylvania Hospital at the end of December and we went home for the first time on New Year's Day. My first experience out in the world was the Mummers Parade. I went on school field trips to the Mummers museum. Driving home way too late at night from work last year, I would listen to the radio and the host was a Mummer. I'm always surprised when people don't know what they are.
Yeah, my only context for mummers is Game of Thrones and, of course, Matt's aforementioned Loreena McKennit hit song... I wonder if mumming (is that a word?) has come back into vogue due to GoT?
I honestly had no idea Philadelphia had Mummers Play performers. Are there Morris dancers as well? 'Cause that would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteFancy that.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a mummer?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/c6T5G0xmd_g&feature" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
ReplyDeleteI remember back in the day, when Philly refused a permit to WMMR's John DeBella for his Louie Louie parade, citing excessive drunkenness at the previous year's parade. DeBella was furious. I can still remember his rant on the Morning Zoo: "It's a problem to get drunk at a parade? Really? I've got one word for City Hall: Mummers!"
ReplyDeleteAt least it gives me an answer as to why guys would join a mummers club. It sure as hell isn't for the choreography. At least the Quaker City group played instruments.
ReplyDeleteas suggested in the Philly.com comments, this was a Hummers for Mummers program.
ReplyDeleteOdd that they managed to arrest ten people for prostitution and not find one person to arrest for solicitation.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Funny, that:
ReplyDelete"<span>Deputy Police Commissioner William Blackburn said that 10 women were charged with solicitation to prostitution, one man was charged with promoting prostitution and two other men were charged with liquor violations."</span>
And of course, there's Loreena McKennit's "The Mummers' Dance," which was a Top 20 hit in 1997:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/0B7sH5QLyXY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
That's a parade, not an answer. Are the mummers a fraternal, like an Elks Lodge or the Freemasons or the Oddfellows? Do they do charitable work? Are they just a party and parade group, like Seattle's Seafair Pirates or the New Orleans Crewes? Are there different mummers organizations or just an umbrella mummers organization with multiple branches? Do they have their own building and clubhouse that can be seized for illegal conduct, or do they just rent one out on meeting/orgy nights?
ReplyDeleteIt's not that I particularly care about those things, but I feel like there is a context to your post that I'm missing. I'm not sure if I was supposed to say "the hypocrisy!" or "what do you expect given that the organization is devoted to the promotion of prostitution" or "how completely random" or "how far they've fallen in these modern times" or "that would never have happened if not for the Great Change of 2004" or "this was inevitable because they merged with the Sons of Anarchy" or "such a proud tradition sullied by these reprobates" or whatever. I just feel like my buttons are being pushed but they are not activating any circuits.
Separate local clubs, with their own clubhouses, with a year-long presence focused on the New Years Day parade and whatever other paying gigs they can scrounge up. (Plus, fees for hall rental.) Almost exclusively white ethnics.
ReplyDeleteThis is a How Completely Random that the dudes who like to dress up in drag with hundreds of ostrich plumes are also into hookers.
Am I the only one who can only think of the Mummers from the Game of Thrones books? (I think they first show up in book 2 but maybe book 3?)
ReplyDeleteThe two men charged with violations of Pennsylvania controlled beverages law replied, "Liquor! I hardly even know her!"
ReplyDeleteThe late 19th early 20th century pianist and composer Percy Grainger, known for setting old English and Irish folk tunes, had one called "The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol." Does not sound at all like "I'm looking over a four leaf clover," from the real Mummers parade.
ReplyDeleteAlmost exclusively white ethnics.
ReplyDeleteAh, I get it, a bunch of tall dudes who are pretty short, the cash-poor but money-rich. The heavily skinny crowd, a real bunch of drunken teetotallers. Obviously, they are pretty street-smart but lack common sense, because the cops came by and found their prostitutes just giving it away.
No, me too. I got the sense from context that mummers meant like a traveling theater troupe (and that the Bloody Mummers didn't like that nickname), but had no idea that there were things called mummers in modern-day Philadelphia.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're doing there.
ReplyDeleteYou totally somewhat do.
ReplyDeleteI was born at Pennsylvania Hospital at the end of December and we went home for the first time on New Year's Day. My first experience out in the world was the Mummers Parade. I went on school field trips to the Mummers museum. Driving home way too late at night from work last year, I would listen to the radio and the host was a Mummer. I'm always surprised when people don't know what they are.
ReplyDeleteYeah, my only context for mummers is Game of Thrones and, of course, Matt's aforementioned Loreena McKennit hit song... I wonder if mumming (is that a word?) has come back into vogue due to GoT?
ReplyDeleteWhy Adam, that seems like something I would say. Welcome to my sick twisted world. But, you did make it a quote.
ReplyDelete