I am Too Old for the VMAs!

I was kind of tickled to discover that I only knew a handful of the people on the VMAs last night. I was a little confused by the One Direction kids, 2/5s of whom seem to have hairdos that look like someone put a frazzled cat on their heads. And then I realized, I am the age where I see young people and I think “They need a hairbrush!”

I was wondering when that shit would start!

It kind of delighted me.

I wasn’t outraged by the Miley Cyrus performance. I mean, you can’t stay that skinny forever, so, hell, if you’ve got it and you’ve got the personality that lets you, go ahead and flaunt it. I didn’t really feel like she was trying to offend me as much as she was just trying to offend people who would be offended by it–mostly her dad. She’s clearly high as a kite, having a great time, and trying to embarrass her parents. Most of us just don’t get to do that on a world-wide stage when we’re 20.

Which is not to let her off the hook for her racist shit. Just thinking that she can probably get over it.

Lodema

Beth sent me a picture of the witch’s grave in her hometown cemetery. Someone has written on the side the name “Lodema.” I tried to find what I could about her, but I pretty much failed. Only one woman with the name “Lodema” has lived in Beth’s home county, as far as I can tell (though it could be hidden in a middle name) and she’s not buried there.

But in doing my research, I did learn that Mississippi also has a strong Bell Witch tradition–that the witch followed Betsy Bell to Mississippi and tormented her there–and that the destruction of Yazoo City was predicted, supposedly, by a witch. I also came across stuff about the Witch Dance on the Natchez Trace, but I already knew about that.

Which is all to say that Mississippi has some solid witchcraft legends, so Lodema, whether a real person or just a story attached to a grave, fits right at home there.