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Full-Text Articles in American Studies
Sports Fandom: Worthless Idol And Wonderful Thing, Rolf A. Jacobson
Sports Fandom: Worthless Idol And Wonderful Thing, Rolf A. Jacobson
Faculty Publications
When thinking about the spectacle of sports fandom in light of the Bible, two assertions immediately come to mind. First, sports have become—for much of North American or Western society—an idol. Second, sports have also co-opted many aspects of the life of faith. These two immediate perspectives are so obvious that one is left to wonder whether there is anything more to say about sports in light of the Bible. Maybe there is.
Woody Guthrie, America's Merry Prankster, Kristin Lems
Woody Guthrie, America's Merry Prankster, Kristin Lems
Faculty Publications
A “merry prankster” is a colorful person, real or legendary, who pokes fun at authority and the rich, powerful, and arrogant. The merry prankster appears small and powerless, but manages to outwit his opponents, often summing up the situation with witty one-liners — signal examples from medieval history and folklore are Mullah Nasreddin and Till Eugenspiel. In many ways, Woody Guthrie is an American merry prankster. Small in stature but large of intelligence, he used his wits, musical creativity, and people skills to defend the poor against the rich and powerful. He consistently made enemies of the privileged and those …