First meeting, and first cold

The weather here changed virtually overnight from warm days with highs in the 80s to cool days with highs in the 60s, and my immune system welcomed fall with the first head cold of the season.  I literally emptied a new box of kleenex in less than 24 hours.  It was like my nose was replaced with a faucet.

Sorry.

So, in the midst of this malady fell the first unit meeting of my fieldwork: Tuesday, September 13.  I had been up until 7:00 a.m., unable to sleep because of coughing, and I felt like my brain had been replaced with something less thinky.  But I had to go.  It was the 48th anniversary of Mary Kay Inc!  I had been promised a preview of limited edition holiday products!

My own Mary Kay consultant, Devon, who usually attends these and who was going to introduce me around, was unable to attend at the last minute.  My couch and blanket and kitties looked even more appealing, but I persevered.

Roya and all her ladies were super welcoming.  I'm not completely sure I was speaking coherent English or just kind of rambling, but everyone I talked to seemed excited that I chose to write about Mary Kay.

I'm looking forward to heading back tonight -- without the cold!

Why folklore and Mary Kay?

When you hear the word "folklore," what comes to mind? Folktales about Paul Bunyan or Johnny Appleseed, urban legends about vanishing hitchhikers, fairy tales like Snow White, "old wives' tales" involving terrible-tasting concoctions to drink when you're sick, superstitions about black cats crossing in front of you or not walking under ladders. All that is definitely folklore. So are riddles, songs and games children learn on the playground from older kids, old family recipes, jokes, proverbs, folk crafts, personal narratives, and more.

What do all those things have in common with each other – and with Mary Kay – that makes them folklore? You don't learn folklore from school (although you might learn it at school) or from a book or from church; you learn it from other people. Your family, your friends, your social groups: you all exchange pieces of folklore and – importantly – create new folklore. You create your own culture that's individual to your own folk group.

When I was growing up, Santa Claus came in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve and left presents for my brothers and me around the tree unwrapped. If anything needed to be assembled, Santa assembled them for us. We also received wrapped presents from family members, but we always knew that Santa was going to bring something special in the night. I had serious problems with Santa leaving wrapped packages a week or two before Christmas at some of my friends' houses instead of making night visits! This is an example of how folk groups can express themselves differently.

Anyone who knows anything about Mary Kay knows that it's definitely a folk group with its own unique culture!

In April, I went to a weekly meeting with my friend Devon, who had just started her own Mary Kay business. I had used Mary Kay products before … 20 years ago – okay, I'd bought some mascara from Devon the week before. I'd certainly never been to a Mary Kay event before, so I didn't really know what to expect. I'm not sure I can compare it to anything I've been to before, either. We had motivational speakers come to AOL when I worked there – and we had motivational leaders; I love me some Steve Case! – but this was a room full of amazing enthusiasm and welcome.

On my drive home, I knew I had to learn more. At home, I regaled my partner with descriptions of the event – eleven diamond bee pins! – while he furrowed his brow, worried that I might turn into a Mary Kay lady. I developed a mini-obsession about discovering the difference between the lady who had to wear the blue jacket and black skirt and the lady who had to wear the black jacket and blue skirt.

A week later, I approached my folklore professor, Dr. Debra Lattanzi Shutika, and proposed this project. The culture of Mary Kay – more than just the meaning behind the pins or the black/blue, blue/black outfits – has a narrative behind it and within it, and consultants are making that narrative and culture evolve every day. I'm going to spend the next four months immersing myself in that culture to find that narrative, and I am super excited to be doing it!