Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2013 December 28

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December 28

Mini wheats commercial cinnamon flavour original name song

What was the original name of the song whose melodies are used in this commercial of mini-wheats? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0GP734AAT8 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.54.67.26 (talk) 00:37, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

"There she was, just a walking down the street, singin' do-wah-diddy-diddy-dum-diddy-do..." I think the actual title of the song is in there somewhere. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:46, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

"Do Wah Diddy Diddy". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:47, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

As famously used in Stripes:[1] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:50, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

Epiphytes in "12 Years a Slave"

I watched 12 Years a Slave (film) and noticed the omnipresence of hanging plants on the trees of the plantation. I wondered whether they are a symbol of slavery as decadence or they are just the typical flora of the area. Initially I thought it was kudzu but the pictures don't seem to match. Do you know what plants those are? Thank you. --Error (talk) 01:01, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

It sounds like a swamp tree typical for Louisiana, but the name is not coming to me just now. (Bald Cypress, maybe) As for kudzu, it wasn't introduced to the US until a decade or so after the Civil War ended. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:36, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

Do a Google Images search for [louisiana trees] and see if anything fits. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:43, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

If you're looking for epiphytes from the U.S. deep south, it's almost certainly spanish moss, which is ubiquitous in the Louisiana/Mississippi area, especially in the bald cypress swamps. Films meant to be set in Louisiana make sure to have lots of it around to make it look authentic. Kudzu is a relatively recent invasive species, didn't arrive in the U.S. till after the Civil War, and really didn't become ubiquitous in the U.S. south until the 20th century. Also, they're very different kinds of plants. Kudzu looks like grape vines on steroids, while Spanish moss looks like, well, moss, but kinda droopy. --Jayron32 05:54, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

It's Spanish moss. Thank you. Sure it looks creepy. --Error (talk) 21:49, 28 December 2013 (UTC)