Yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. On Nov. 10, 1975, this “rock star” cargo ship tragically sank in Lake Superior during a storm. All 29 members of the crew lost their lives. In the decades since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, it’s been immortalized in music, legislature and general American popular culture. In honor of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the Opinion section takes on the following question: What events in recent American history should be immortalized as folktales?
Gianna Cassino, Associate Opinion Editor (she/her/hers), gic23015@uconn.edu:
The cultural landscape of American pop music was forever altered with the 2008 release of Vanessa Hudgens’ iconic single “Sneakernight.” For those of you who haven’t been present for any of the Opinion section’s music-related icebreakers (during which I’ve been known to bring up this song) — or if you’re simply chronically offline — “Sneakernight” is a catchy, vaguely unsettling tune inviting the audience to get up and dance. Upon hearing the first discordant piano notes of this song, I’m filled with more energy than a kindergartener hyped up on Halloween candy. “Sneakernight,” of course, would be more aptly categorized as a folk song as opposed to a folktale. Still, I’d argue it retains enough cultural relevancy to be immortalized: a simple melody, refrain and a message relating to everyday life of the culture in which it originates. “Sneakernight” presents a call to action inspiring the American public (and the world at large) to put our sneakers on, make sure we’ve eaten and, basically, dance.
Ayden Mirabella, contributor (He/him/his), zwj24003@uconn.edu
Now, I am biased towards the Philadelphia Eagles (go birds), so I’d choose the folktale of Nick Foles and the greatest play in Superbowl history. Fourth down late in the second quarter, Foles asks Pederson if he wants “Philly Philly.” Foles lines up behind Lane Johnson as the play is a direct snap to Corey Clement. Clement runs to his left and pitches it to Trey Burton. Burton looks ready to throw while running to his right. The intended target, Nick Foles, the hero of Philly, 88th overall draft pick in 2012, is wide open. A victim of the Chip Kelly-led Eagles shipped off to St Louis in 2015 then Kansas City in 2016 found himself QB2 behind rising star Carson Wentz when he returned to Philly in 2017. Then, he was thrust into a starting role after Wentz’s ACL tear and performed poorly. The Eagles were underdogs at home in the divisional and conference rounds. Then they had to face the big bad Patriots, and Nick Foles went toe to toe with Tom Brady in the Superbowl. Foles became enshrined within Eagles fans so much that my first-born son will ask, “Why is my middle name Nick?”
Patrick Minnerly, Opinion Editor (he/him/his), patrick.minnerly@uconn.edu
My pick for a modern American folktale is the efforts of rescuers during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Katrina remains one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history as it resulted in 1,833 fatalities. But the heroic examples from Coast Guard personnel and other rescuers serve as a bright spot amid the devastating tragedy. Even more than 20 years later, these efforts deserve to be commended. There are countless stories in this one event where people showed immense bravery and strength, both to survive and to find those who needed help. We should never forget the scale of the tragedy of Katrina, nor the heroics of humanity involved.
Maddie Sparta, Staff Writer (she/her/hers), mks23006@uconn.edu
On May 10, 2019, internet history was changed forever when Tati Westbrook released her famous video expose, “BYE SISTER.” In the video, she slams accusations against her fellow beauty YouTuber James Charles for promoting a rival hair care gummy supplement and using his fame to solicit straight men. This video took off — it completely changed how internet drama functions and changed the image of YouTubers altogether. I personally remember huddling around my friend’s phone watching James Charles’s subscriber count drop in the lunchroom. The American people will sing songs of Sistergeddon and the commercialization of YouTube drama. And they’ll do it at her birthday dinner.