Tag: C. Brian Smith

The Filthiest Song of 1937 (by a lot)

While preparing a report “In Defense of Cussing,” a couple years ago, I stumbled upon a 1937 song by Lucille Bogan that contained the first swear word ever recorded.

I got nipples on my titties, big as the end of my thumb. I got somethin’ between my legs that’ll make a dead man come…

The latter half of the line would be borrowed by both Tom Waits (“Pasties and a G-String”) and the Rolling Stones (“Start Me Up”) in the decades to come.

1937_crop

There exists an acceptable time and place for the employment of vulgarity. For Ms. Bogan—who is undeniably a lady of the most righteous sort—that time and place was the sex-infused bowels of African-American juke joints throughout the American South in the 1920s and 1930s, where “Shave ’Em Dry” is set.

You’ll never look at bell snappers the same way again…

—C.B.S.

I got nipples on my titties, big as the end of my thumb I got somethin’ between my legs that’ll make a dead man come Say I fucked all night, and all the night before, baby And I feel just like I wanna fuck some more And I would fuck you, baby, honey, I’d make you cry Now your nuts hang down like a damn bell sapper And your dick stands up like a steeple Your goddamn asshole stands open like a church door And the crabs walk in like people

 

 

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‘A Farewell Mission’ | ADVOCATE | FEB 2016

ASoon-to-be former Mormons gather in the shadows of the LDS temple for a mass-resignation on November 14, 2015.

Behind the Mormon Church’s Ironic Defense of Discrimination

“Tears were pouring down my face. I was so hurt and angry but also so conflicted. But then, clear as a bell, a thought came into my head. Maybe it was my Mormon upbringing and the tendency to seek approval by authority, but the thought of giving myself permission to leave — to do what I knew I had to do — was so liberating. I kept repeating it over and over in my mind, then aloud. Before long, I was shouting it into the night air: It’s OK. You are loved. You can go.”

UPDATE — January 6, 2016

  • The LDS Church issued a letter clarifying that the new policy applies only to those children whose primary residence is with a same-sex couple. The letter clarified that children who already have been baptized and are active in the church but are living with same-gender couples can continue to receive priesthood ordinances. Local leaders are authorized to make decisions based on the preparation and “best interests of each child.”
  • From DONALD BRAEGGER: “There continue to be difficulties/drama within my family following the mass resignation event. My children, who are still in the church, understandably struggle with my activism against something they still hold as true and of God.”
  • From lawyer MARK NAUGLE: “I am currently working through thousands of confirmations [of receipt of resignation letters].  It is taking quite a bit of time to get them back to their owners. The updated total of resignations I processed is 3290”
  • From SAGE TURK: “The feedback [to the interviews on the Infants on Thrones Podcast] has been off-the-charts amazing both from the interview and the subsequent social message post we made about leaving the church over these equality issues (we also put together a website called ‘whyweleft.info’ which has garnered a fair amount of attention on post-mormon boards).  Almost universally the response has been positive and encouraging.  Some of the most surprising responses have been from active LDS individuals expressing sincere support for those stepping away from the religion (something that would normally be an extremely rare sentiment) and for LGBTQ individuals.   They are in a really tough position right now – supporting the religion that is very literally their whole lives or showing support for what they know in their hearts is right.  It’s fascinating, heartbreaking and encouraging all at the same time. Here is a teaser cut of the footage we got.
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