1001 Animations: The Ghost of Stephen Foster

Show: Music Video
Episode: Music Video
Year: 1998

Writer(s): Squirrel Nut Zippers

The best kind of homages and parodies are the kind where you don't need to watch the material being parodied or homaged to understand it, and with music videos, there's potential for just about anything because you're free to tell whatever story you want through your music regardless of age or content. The band Squirrel Nut Zippers, back in the 90’s, had a style of music reminiscent of 1930’s swing with a modern feel to it making it the perfect music to be set to cartoons from the golden age of American animation, in particular the black-and-white works of Max Fleischer.

 

The music video seen here is essentially a parody of a Betty Boop cartoon, going so far as to flawlessly synch each movement to the music right down to the characters bouncing to the beat to maintain authenticity. The back and white cartoons of the late 1920’s-early 1930’s were allowed to be a lot more openly terrifying and risqué than what would come later as it was a round the time rules for animation were just being established before the Hays Code came into effect in 1934. To put things in perspective, after Disney released The Mad Doctor in 1933, they became much lighter in tone even with their frights for the theatrical shorts. As for Fleischer Studios? After 1934, Betty Boop wasn't allowed to be as "sexually revealing" flashing her bloomers and wearing "scantily clad" outfits for the time. Before the Hays Code, there weren't really any rules animation had to follow in terms of content and censorship, within reason of course.

 

For those who don't know from the music video itself, Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) was a songwriter often called "the father of American Music". He's best known for classic songs like "Camptown Races", "Oh! Susanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" of the 200 or so songs he wrote; many of which became staples of the classic Looney Tunes due to being in the public domain. This song and music video to that extent is a tribute and satire of the man with many of his works being referenced throughout it.

 

The level of detail in the animation itself would make Max Fleischer proud! It really does feel like a Betty Boop cartoon with everything but Ms. Boop herself! The ghostly hotel clerk even has Popeye's forearms for good measure to make it a perfect homage! Why, in the crypt, you can even see a coffin resembling the walrus ghost from Minnie the Moocher! And is it just me or does the hotel clerk sound like the Robot Devil from Futurama to anyone else? Finally, among the animators who worked on this beauty, we have Raymond S. Persi, James Purdum, Ethan Spaulding and even Aaron Springer!


The Ghost of Stephen Foster is owned by Squirrel Nut Zipper and Mammoth Records.

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