Episode #256 - Is Paul Bunyan Fakelore?

Season 12 begins with the trip to the Northwoods! For over a century Paul Bunyan has been America's best loved lumberjack hero. Statues honoring the gigantic woodsman dot the mid-west. His smiling face has been used to sell everything from building materials to loaves of bread. But, in the 1950's one of America's leading folklorists declared that Paul Bunyan was a prime example of something he called "fakelore." These were tales invented by authors that mimicked stories that came out of oral traditions. He accused Paul Bunyan of being a corporate mascot masquerading as an authentic American myth. Have these accusations stood the test of time? Is Paul Bunyan a fake myth? Tune-in and find out how lumberjack improv teams, mythical Quebec potholes, and the best man in Ottawa all play a role in the story!Listen to more Staring Contest Here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.