Althouse: "There are a lot of things that are too cowy to run on National Public Radio, like talking about cow poop too much. For example, I can have someone slip in poop, but not have someone slapped in the face with it."

June 25, 2022

"There are a lot of things that are too cowy to run on National Public Radio, like talking about cow poop too much. For example, I can have someone slip in poop, but not have someone slapped in the face with it."

Said Baxter Black, quoted in "Baxter Black, Who Elevated Cowboy Poetry to Folk Art, Dies at 77/His wide-ranging work, including books, speeches and regular appearances on NPR, celebrated cowpokes, feed lots and life on the range" (NYT).

27 comments:

gilbar said...: when WAS the last time he was on NPR? NPR used to do things besides democrat propaganda; 6/25/22, 7:36 AM
David Begley said...: NPR must be defunded.

Baxter Black is from the Bob Edwards days. Today, NPR is insane and pure Commie. Unlistenable.; 6/25/22, 7:36 AM
Ann Althouse said...: That was nice — the video — Black on his porch enjoying the rain, and we're here, in front of big open windows, enjoying the rain.; 6/25/22, 7:45 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @gilbar

From the article: "He maintained a busy schedule, up to 150 appearances a year, until the mid-2010s, when dementia began to undermine his public speaking."; 6/25/22, 7:49 AM
iowan2 said...: Baxter Black was great. It bit about vegetables being sentient, was a great skewer to the vegetarian crowd.; 6/25/22, 7:54 AM
campy said...: "He maintained a busy schedule, up to 150 appearances a year, until the mid-2010s, when dementia began to undermine his public speaking."

And then he ran for POTUS?; 6/25/22, 8:00 AM
Tank said...: I've been at ranches where, after a day of riding, we'd sit around a campfire and recite cowboy poetry. Wholesome (mostly) fun. I wrote a poem about being thrown off my horse (no harm done). The riders I was with enjoyed my "flight" immensely.

I was informed that you're not a real rider until you fall off seven times. I was short by five.; 6/25/22, 8:14 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I used to listen to NPR on Sundays, early 90s, while nursing hangovers. They had the best lineup on Sundays. The puzzle show with comedians and NPR regulars. Book readings by the author, from book stores. Prairie Home companion. This American life. It was really good. Sometimes somebody would make a political remark, but I wouldn’t let that overcome the the entertainment.; 6/25/22, 8:28 AM
gilbar said...: Our Professor Althouse said...
: "He maintained a busy schedule, up to 150 appearances a year, until the mid-2010s, when dementia began to undermine his public speaking."

Thanx Prof! Looks like, the last time he was on NPR was September 2009; 6/25/22, 8:40 AM
gilbar said...: It was raining here in NE iowa while i was listening to his poem; made me appreciate the rain
(made me appreciate living in iowa!); 6/25/22, 8:53 AM
Yeah Right Sure said...: Thanks to the hostess for posting. As I had long ago surrendered my NYT subscription and stopped listening to NPR, I would have missed this.

Makes me wistful for the days when NPR, though obviously liberal,at least was interesting and sometimes inciteful. Having Car Talk or Morning Edition on in the background had a surprising amount of influence in my grown children's lives.; 6/25/22, 8:56 AM
JMR said...: At least we still have the Poet Laureate of the West, Dalton Wilcox.

https://youtu.be/KPvfGJtamRs; 6/25/22, 9:05 AM
John henry said...: Would a real cowboy ever appear on npr?

Much as I liked Baxter Black, he doesn't ever seem to have been an actual cowboy

John LGBTQ Henry; 6/25/22, 9:26 AM
Bob Boyd said...: When cowboy poetry comes up, I always think of this one.

REINCARNATION
by Wallace McRae

“What does Reincarnation mean?”
A cowpoke asked his friend.
His pal replied, “It happens when
Yer life has reached its end.
They comb yer hair, and warsh yer neck,
And clean yer fingernails,
And lay you in a padded box
Away from life’s travails.”

“The box and you goes in a hole,
That’s been dug into the ground.
Reincarnation starts in when
Yore planted ‘neath a mound.
Them clods melt down, just like yer box,
And you who is inside.
And then yore just beginnin’ on
Yer transformation ride.”

“In a while, the grass’ll grow
Upon yer rendered mound.
Till some day on yer moldered grave
A lonely flower is found.
And say a hoss should wander by
And graze upon this flower
That once wuz you, but now’s become
Yer vegetative bower.”

“The posy that the hoss done ate
Up, with his other feed,
Makes bone, and fat, and muscle
Essential to the steed,
But some is left that he can’t use
And so it passes through,
And finally lays upon the ground
This thing, that once wuz you.”

“Then say, by chance, I wanders by
And sees this upon the ground,
And I ponders, and I wonders at,
This object that I found.
I thinks of reincarnation,
Of life and death, and such,
And come away concludin’: ‘Slim,
You ain’t changed, all that much.'”; 6/25/22, 10:00 AM
Leon said...: We have lost one of the worlds truly great moustaches. I have always liked his work and just this week YouTube suggested him on Carson doing his veggie poem. I have one of his books my aunt gave Grandpa Christmas of '88 that he subsequently gave me when they sold the ranch and moved to town.

These past few years we've lost many of the authors whose books fill my humor book case Douglas Adams of course has been gone for a while but Patric McManus, Terry Pratchett, PJ O'Rourke, and now Baxter. All I can see is hold on Tom Bodett (sp?).; 6/25/22, 10:03 AM
Carol said...: liberal,at least was interesting and sometimes inciteful

I see what you did there; 6/25/22, 10:18 AM
rcocean said...: Cowpies. So much to say. But no place to say it.; 6/25/22, 10:18 AM
Jeffrey S said...: He was a large animal veterinarian as I recall.; 6/25/22, 10:26 AM
Bob said...: As humorous as he was, as a veterinarian I was embarrassed by him. His absence from the airwaves was a relief.; 6/25/22, 11:14 AM
Jeffrey S said...: He was a large animal veterinarian as I recall.; 6/25/22, 11:16 AM
Big Mike said...: Violets are blue
Roses are red
I was Baxter Black
But now I am dead; 6/25/22, 12:57 PM
gilbar said...: Wiki claims Baxter was a regular commentator for 20 years on NPR beginning in the early '80s

That would have been back when NPR tried to pretend to be a non bubble network
As i previously posted, the latest time i could find of him on NPR was 2009.. That was LONG AGO*

2009.. That was LONG AGO*
Back when the President (O'Bama) was AGAINST same sex marriage.
Back when the idea of allowing MEN to compete in women's sports would have be considered INSANE.
Back when the idea of allowing CHILDREN to cut off their sex organs would have been a felony
Back when the idea of doing so, and hiding from parents would have gotten a person Shot
Back when the idea of the Supreme Court throwing out Roe v Wade wasn't even a dream (or nightmare); 6/25/22, 1:56 PM
dreams said...: I'm one month older than Baxter Black.; 6/25/22, 2:58 PM
Old and slow said...: I have quite a few Arizona cowboys among my Facebook friends (I mean people who chase actual beevs on horses and drive them to market in cattle-haulers). None of them mentioned the death of this man. They were all quite sad about the death of Bobby Flores yesterday (look him up). Therefore, I feel certain that Baxter was no real cowboy.; 6/25/22, 4:39 PM
Josephbleau said...: I liked NPR when they had Kielor singing civil war songs on memorial day, I suspect he was canceled due to patriotism. I also liked the jazz talker, "now more from the dustbins of jazz."

Dusty and Lefty from the lives of the cowboys was fun too.

My remembered cowboy joke is long, but:

The cowboy poet died and went to heaven and St Pete had a contest to see who was best.

He asked the cowboy to start

Out of the saloon walked old Andy.
His back was bent and his legs was bandy.

Pete called Byron:

By the lake the Cowboy goes,

legs spread bent,

his back,
bowed.

Then Pete called Shakespeare over:

Pray gods forfend,
what man is this,
Who's Balls hang in Parenthesis!; 6/25/22, 7:37 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: No offense to Mr. Black, who sounds like a wonderful man, but there's only one Poet Laureate of the West and it's Dalton Wilcox.

Conan: Dalton Wilcox

CBB: Dalton Wilcox; 6/25/22, 7:37 PM
farmgirl said...: Cowshit is the reason for washcloths.

May perpetual light shine upon him.; 6/26/22, 7:00 AM