Baseball is back, which seems to be a mixed blessing in Georgia, where the GOP’s existential panic over its suckitude cost Atlanta the annual all-star game. I suppose Braves fans would call MLB Indian givers.
Seriously, though, with fans back in the stands and sports leagues starting to root out Native American nicknames, some are worried about Braves fans and their iconic “tomahawk chop.” Anyone expecting racial sensitivity should note that the team’s new stadium abandoned a more diverse locale for the city’s mostly-white suburbs. Their attitudes date to a time when a record called “Indian Giver” could be a hit.
The 1910 Fruitgum Company was part of Buddah Records’ stable of late-’60s bubblegum acts, signed out of Linden, N.J., as Jeckell and the Hydes. They scored a handful of Top 40 hits, most with titles based on children’s games and phrases (“Simon Says,” “1,2,3 Red Light”). This one reached No. 5 in 1969.
The song was popular among punk bands, including the Ramones…
…and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
