Some Minor Genres of Obscene Folklore

Abstract

FOLKLORISTS have finally recognized that the study of oral tradition must include serious consideration of obscene material.' Attention has been drawn to off-color variants of the major folklore genres, such as folktales and folksongs. However, there are a number of folkloristic forms circulating widely in American oral tradition in which obscenity is more often the rule than the exception.2 These minor genres are generally characterized by set opening formulas, such as Confucius say, She was only the 's daughter, and What's the difference between. The salacious nature of these genres is frequently so well-known-at least among male audiencesthat the mere utterance of the opening formula prepares the listener for what is to come. Because these forms are so often concerned with obscene material, they have received little attention from folklorists. Yet since so much of traditional American obscenity is carried in these genres, no consideration of the obscene should exclude them.