The Good Old Fashioned Way
September 1, 2013 1:46 PM Subscribe
Hamper McBee - moonshiner, carnival barker, singer and raconteur
There’s no other way to say it: Hamper was an absolute original. His clothes; his mustache and pompadour; his lusty dedication to booze, cigarettes, and light cussing (“goddamn” and “hell” being foremost in his lexicon); his keen intelligence and creative grace (sincerely) sharing space in his conversation and repertoire with hysterically bizarre, irreverent, and filthy songs and tales from a life spent on the carnival circuit, at the moonshine still, in the Wauhatchie railroad yards, in the back of Sheriff Bill Malone’s patrol car, and as Hamper McBee.
Raw Mash - from the Folkstreams "Southbound" series. Filmed by Sol Korine.
Hamper sings Jasper Jail
Cabbage Head
At the 1982 Knoxville World Fair
Black Jack Davey
On religion and drinking on Sunday
On racing a Southern Railway train
On Hot Rod Hogan, "only monkey in existence that rides a car in a motordrome."
There’s no other way to say it: Hamper was an absolute original. His clothes; his mustache and pompadour; his lusty dedication to booze, cigarettes, and light cussing (“goddamn” and “hell” being foremost in his lexicon); his keen intelligence and creative grace (sincerely) sharing space in his conversation and repertoire with hysterically bizarre, irreverent, and filthy songs and tales from a life spent on the carnival circuit, at the moonshine still, in the Wauhatchie railroad yards, in the back of Sheriff Bill Malone’s patrol car, and as Hamper McBee.
Raw Mash - from the Folkstreams "Southbound" series. Filmed by Sol Korine.
Hamper sings Jasper Jail
Cabbage Head
At the 1982 Knoxville World Fair
Black Jack Davey
On religion and drinking on Sunday
On racing a Southern Railway train
On Hot Rod Hogan, "only monkey in existence that rides a car in a motordrome."
Filmed by Sol Korine.
Harmony's dad, FWIW.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:34 PM on September 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Harmony's dad, FWIW.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:34 PM on September 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Goddammit Flapjax, what's with the sock puppet?
I consider that a compliment!
posted by dubold at 12:58 AM on September 2, 2013
I consider that a compliment!
posted by dubold at 12:58 AM on September 2, 2013
The "Root Hog or Die" link explains that the author actually came across "Raw Mash" through a screening at Harmony's home. I'd imagine that growing up with stories about Hamper and other characters actually explains a lot about Harmony's filmmaking.
posted by dubold at 1:01 AM on September 2, 2013
posted by dubold at 1:01 AM on September 2, 2013
I'd imagine that growing up with stories about Hamper and other characters actually explains a lot about Harmony's filmmaking.
I think it really, really does. But more than the characters, there seems to be ample influence on the aesthetic and the tone and the way the story, such as it is, is told. About a minute into Raw Mash, I was like, Ohhhhhhhh. It really does seem like a definite precursor to Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:44 AM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think it really, really does. But more than the characters, there seems to be ample influence on the aesthetic and the tone and the way the story, such as it is, is told. About a minute into Raw Mash, I was like, Ohhhhhhhh. It really does seem like a definite precursor to Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:44 AM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by Countess Elena at 2:45 PM on September 1, 2013