Daily Archives: July 31, 2015

The OSU Band Exemplifies Why Economists Err by Ignoring Culture

By William K. Black
Bloomington, MN:  July 31, 2015

The Ohio State University (OSU) marching band is back in the news, which is a very bad thing.  Sometimes a story that has no obvious connection to economics provides an understandable example of why economic analysis is often so poor.  The OSU band story is featured in the Wall Street Journal in an article entitled “Holocaust Victims Mocked in Ohio State Band Parody Songbook.”  The WSJ has a copy of the “OSU songbook” and the title is not an overstatement.  The lyrics mock the Jewish victims in graphic terms.  The lyrics are also juvenile and lame.  The author(s) of the songbook have no future in any creative activity.  The lyrics to other songs are homophobic and equally lame.  I won’t quote the lyrics and spread the hate.

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