Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 09:35:54 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Iggy,was: Ship-Con and Camp-Con (was: Re: [WSFA]Re:Balticon in ...
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

> sgs at aginc.net 3/16/2005 9:08:52 AM >>>
>Mike B. wrote:
>> At 08:24 PM 3/15/05 -0500, Ted White wrote:
>
>>>While I don't recall any "bouncing potatoes," I do recall Bill
Rotsler
>>>creating cartoon faces on fried eggs, which were then auctioned.
>>
>> Even the song didn't really have bouncing potatoes...they were
>sarcasm of
>> the "what's next?  Bouncing potatoes?" sort.
>
>'Way before my time, too.  However, I heard that the "bouncing
>potatos"
>were real.  At the banquet (? restaurant?), Karen Anderson, appalled
>by
>the food, dropped a potato.  It bounced.
>
>Hence the song.

Googling "bouncing potatoes" returns a number of fascinating hits.

According to http://jophan.org/1960s/chapter7.htm :

 - 1966, Westercon XIX (San Diego)

-snippage -

poor banquet food resulted in a filk song
      -- "Bouncing Potatoes" by Poul Anderson, sung to the tune of
"Waltzing Matilda"

mjw