The first time I remember hearing that little phrase was in one of those old Stepin Fetchit-type comedies. Hell, it may even have been Stepin who said it.
Here’s the way it went (during one of those “haunted house” films, I think):
SF: “Who dat?”
Voice: “Who dat?”
SF: “Who dat say ‘who dat’ when **I ** say ‘who dat’?”
With eyes justa bulgin’.
So if anyone “owns” it, he does, and if he doesn’t, then no one does.
Q
No, that wasn’t Stepin Fetchit. It was Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson in a Charlie Chan movie.
It’s amazing (and appalling) how much time CNN spent on this. Must be a real slow news week.
For those of us who aren’t hip, what’chu talkin’ 'bout, Quasimodem?
Stand corrected by lissener. 
Q
Trademarks are context-dependent. The NFL certainly does not own the trademark on that phrase in connection with haunted-house comedies, but it might own the trademark in connection with football team cheers. By the same token, Steve Job’s company owns the trademark on the word “Apple” used to describe computers, but they don’t send a cease-and-desist letter to the supermarket which uses that word for a rack of red-skinned fruits.
All that said, the fact that they’ve apparently never enforced their trademark before now will weigh heavily against them in court. You have to defend a trademark or you lose it.
Didn’t know this was still around, but a thread on “Who dat?” from the dawn of this board’s incarnation.
Some notes, given the passage of over 10 years (Criminy!):
The cartoon I remembered was “Swing Wedding.” I think it used to be on youtube, but I have a copy of it in any case.
It was most definitely not in “Spooks Run Wild,” although the Black guy does say something similar.
It’s interesting to note that John W. Kennedy, who nowadays unfortunately relegates his input to the “Comments” forums, makes the fighter pilot comment, which also appears in the wiki.
Wow, cool.
All the Charlie Chan movies from the 30s and 40s came out on DVD last year, and I went through all of them. Immensely entertaining. I can’t remember which on the Who Dat bit was in, and for some reason it’s not in Eddie Anderson’s IMDB entry. I’ll see if I can figure out which one it was, and correct the IMDB data.
Wow, Earl, awesome!
I just returned to the thread to update myself on the answers and saw your post.
Just goes to show ya’: This place is a “historical treasure trove”.
So much knowledge shared here, so much caring and so much history.
If you look at it with that perspective, you can see personal growth here as well.
Have your opinions on important matters changed over the years?
Has your personality changed? (raises hand)
Sorry for the mini-hijack (of my own thread:smack:), but sometimes, when I think about this place and its purpose, I just have to sit back and go WOW!.
Thanks
Q
I remember this schtick from a Bob Stevens cartoon. The scene: A flight of P-51 Mustangs somewhere over occupied Europe. Orders are for radio silence.
Pilot 1: Who dat?
Pilot 2: Who day say ‘Who dat’?
Pilot 3: Who dat say ‘Who dat say “Who dat”’?
Pilot 4: Who dat say ‘Who dat say “Who dat say ‘Who dat?’”’?
Flight Leader: All right, you guys! Knock it off! :mad:
Pilot 1: Who dat?
That’s funny just reading it.
Exspecially Pilot 1’s last line.
Hope they weren’t in tight formation, 'cause that would not be a good time to get tickled about that exchange.
Q
“Who Dat?” will never achieve equivalence with “Who Dey?”. We have the beer to prove it. http://bengalsjungle.com/beercanhudy2.jpg
You are correct. It has surpassed it.
