The Band Wagon

The history of this expression can be explained in two parts, starting with the word “bandwagon” itself … Phineas T. Barnum – often known as P.T. Barnum – was a world-famous showman and circus owner. It was he who coined the word “bandwagon”, simply as the name for the wagon that carried a circus band. The first usage of this word can be found in his autobiography “The Life of P.T. Barnum, Written by Himself”, which he wrote in 1855.

Circuses were known to be very skilled at attracting the public by having a noisy, sort of rowdy parade travel through the town, complete with a highly decorated bandwagon. Politicians – not being the type to miss out on an opportunity – began using bandwagons for electoral campaigns. It is not know when exactly the expression switched from the literal meaning of “showing alliance to a politician” to the figurative meaning we use today, but in his letters written in 1899, Theodore Roosevelt made a clear reference to the practice: “When I once became sure of one majority, they tumbled over each other to get aboard the bandwagon”. (From www.ecenglish.com)

Let’s further discus the bandwagon.

What bandwagons have I fallen off?

Let’s start with the diet bandwagon. How many have I tried? Probably around 15 or more different diets over the years. Some with great success only to fall off and regain some of the weight or all of it and more. Sound familiar? Then there’s the most famous bandwagon of all – The I’m gonna quit drinking for a week, or only drink on weekends. Well, that might last a few days so then you can say I jumped back on the bandwagon. Lol.

Next there’s the everybody’s doing it so why shouldn’t I?

This is ever so popular amongst politicians who are wanting people to jump on their bandwagon and their causes. They hold rallies, get people to believe in what they have to say, sometimes becoming violent just to support that person or cause. As we watch the world around us this is so very true.

Some of these bandwagons are good for society, others well you just shake your head and walk away.

We are all different and we all choose different bandwagons. You can be leader or a follower – it’s your choice! Choose wisely, with social media so prominent in society today it may come back to haunt you!

One of the best bandwagons in Saskatchewan that people get on board is the Roughriders. Man alive talk about a lot of green. Mosaic Stadium was once again full of loud and very happy green fans this first weekend in August. There are a lot of Rider fans out there and we all own something green in our wardrobe to celebrate our pride of this team. They say the rider fans are by far the loudest in their stadium. Other teams find it hard to play against us because the fans are so loud. Anyone who was at the game on Friday night would have been a part of this. Those of us who watched it on tv heard it. You can’t find better fans from watermelon heads, green faces, green hair, the list goes on. The Saskatchewan Roughriders sell far more merchandise than any other CFL team by a long shot. And one of the good things about Saskatchewan Rider fans is that even when our team is losing, we stay on that Bandwagon – we don’t “jump off the bandwagon”.

Let’s look at another “Jump on the Bandwagon”.

How about the Ice Bucket challenge?

Now that was a bandwagon a lot of people jumped onto. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Pour a cold bucket of ice water over someone and then challenge someone else to do the same. Crazy do ya think? It was for a good cause though. People were supposed to donate money to ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Over 220 million dollars was raised through this crazy challenge. So that Bandwagon did really well for itself.

What Bandwagon have you jumped on or fallen off?

The exercise bandwagon has to be a major jump on and fall off bandwagon. You say to yourself, I am going to walk 30 minutes every day or I am going to go the gym 3 times a week. Our convictions start off strong, but for some reason it is so very easy to fall off the exercise bandwagon. They say it takes 30 days to make a habit and 3 days to lose it. I believe this completely. I have been on and off the exercise bandwagon many times as well. I can say though that my “Aging Backwards” routine I talked about in my last blog has been a good bandwagon. I’ve been able to stay on it so far. Am I four to five times a week consistent? No, but it’s always at the back of my mind and it is my go-to exercise in the early morning. On the days I don’t do that routine I am busy and can take anywhere from 14,000 steps to 20,000 steps working around the house and the yard. Still exercise, just in a different form.

And last but not least would be the smoking bandwagon. Jump on – fall off, start up, quit, start up again. This is a very good bandwagon to not jump on. And a really good one to get off of. But I am not here to preach – I’m just saying!

In closing I have to say one of the crazier bandwagons was “Streaking”. Do you remember the fad of people taking their clothes off and running through a stadium or some other public place? It became popular in 1973. At the University of Georgia, it became so popular that more than 1500 people participated in a what they called a mass streak! I couldn’t find a date for a streaker at a Saskatchewan Roughrider game, but I’m pretty sure it happened more than once. Do you remember the movie “Old School with Will Ferrell?” He had a streaking moment that had to make you laugh – “everybody’s doing it” – no not everyone.

That’s it for this blog – The Bandwagon – what a saying.

In closing here is your song just to go along with “The Bandwagon” – The Streak by Ray Stevens, 1974 and the most popular line used by many people was “Don’t Look Ethel” (but, it was too late, she’d already been mooned – another bandwagon people jumped on). Oh, the silly fun people have had over the years.

Merle Lee Ann Pratt – Merleleeannskitchen.com – Email: merleleeann@gmail.com

This column is sponsored by MacKenzie Funeral Chapel and Crematorium – We will be there when you need us – Bev and Brian Stobbs

130 9th St. E, Prince Albert, SK

Phone: (306) 763-8488

https://mackenziechapel.ca/

by Merle Lee Ann Pratt - Merle Lee Ann's Kitchen (Author of A Baker's Dozen)

The Band Wagon

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