St. Patrick’s Day Irish-American classics
By Deborah Netburn, Whitney Friedlander and Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day; America’s drunken tribute to a whimsical idea of Irish culture. Four-leaf clovers! Leprechauns! Those green plastic hats the college kids like to wear! Guinness! The Blarney stone! “Kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirts (worn by people who aren’t Irish at all). Fiddles! Clogging!
We’re all a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, right? No, not really. But still! Here are some classics of Irish American (and sometimes just Irish culture) that have shaped the way we in the entertainment-observing biz view the people of Celtic descent. (Stephen Chernin / Associated Press)
Luck o’ the Irish: The Celtic clogging sensation hit in the mid-1990s: the overdramatic music, the rigid upper bodies, those furiously flying feet! And of course, Michael Flatley -- Lord of the Dance -- and his bilious white blouses, and blond curly locks. The first clogging show spectacular came to New York in 1996, and the following year, Flatley performed at the Oscars. The spectaculars still exist, but in a much smaller form now.
The take-away: Just because their top halves are still doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot going on down below! (Con Keyes / Los Angeles Times)
Luck o’ the Irish: Nothing evokes images of Ireland more than a bowl of toasted oat cereal with the occasional dyed marshmallow (or “marbit” as General Mills calls it.) Though Lucky the Leprechaun has been working overtime to keep his bowl of cereal out of the hands of greedy American children since Lucky Charms’ creation in 1963, he’s been able to avoid the fate of less fortunate cereal mascots, such as the Fruit Brute and the Cookie Crook.
The take-away: That “magically delicious” flavor the leprechaun is always going on about? It’s not magic; it’s sugar. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
Luck o’ the Irish: Boxing’s famous little brother has had quite a year. Fellow Irish-American Mark Wahlberg played him in director David O. Russell’s Oscar-nominated movie “The Fighter,” meaning Ward left his home in Lowell, Mass., to spend several months on the awards circuit red carpet. Not bad for a retired junior welterweight who now owns a gym and an ice rink.
The take-away: How do you make the most out of your conflicted, constantly conflicting family? Let Hollywood make a movie about it. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)
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Luck o’ the Irish: This Irish-American punk band known for publicly -- and loudly -- expressing their political and social views has been around in various iterations since 1996. They’ve campaigned for workers unions and against George Bush. Like any good Boston band, they also support the Red Sox (they’re seen here playing in Fenway Park during the 2007 American League Championship Series).
The band is possibly best known to mainstream audiences through movie soundtracks. Songs from their 2005 album “The Warrior’s Code” were used in Irish-American rich movies “The Fighter” and “The Departed.” Their music was also heard in the 2010 documentary “Restrepo.”
The take-away: Who says Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi have the monopoly on working-class anthems? (Elsa / Getty Images)
