Battling siki By Rob Snell


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The Ogden Standard Examiner

19 November 1922

When black Siki, with one -well-placed blow f r o m his powerful fist, knocked out Georges Carpentier a few weeks ago, he gave the French public the excuse for as silly an exhibition of hero worship as the world has ever seen. Carpentier was .long the great popular idol of France. Even after his crushing defeat by Jack Dempsey he still continued to be hailed as a national .hero.. But Carpentier at the height of his fame never stirred his admirers to such ridiculous lengths as the man who wrested the championship from him the gorilla-faced black man from Senegal.

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Travellers returning from France confirm the news the cable dispatches have already brought— that a large section of the public has gone wild over Siki and is showing, its admiration for him in the most ridiculous ways. The color line, never drawn very tightly by the French, is being -completely forgotten. And what is most amazing, and to American eyes, disgusting, about the whole thing is the part women are playing in it. Many of them are outdoing the men in their maudlin idolization of this uneducated and not at all attractive fighting man.

They dress their hair to imitate the kinkiness of his; they paint silhouettes of him on their skins; they wear black in his honor; they smoke cigarettes and drink drinks named after, him; they strew roses in his path and. crown him with garlands.

Not content with these silly but comparatively inoffensive demonstrations of their admiring regard for the new champion, some of the bolder feminine spirits do not hesitate to fling their arms about his neck and cover his ebony cheeks with their kisses.

Americans who have been in Paris lately say that one could hardly ask a more interesting study in psychology than is to be had by watching the progress of Siki along the boulevards. Wherever he goes there are crowds to fawn at his feet and shout at the top of their voices: "Vive Siki!"

The champion dresses in the most expensive fashion. He almost invariably carries an ornate gold-mounted walking stick and his shirt front and fingers are ablaze with great diamonds.

Since coming to. France .Siki has acquired a white wife and baby, but they are seldom seen with him in public. Instead, he is surrounded by a. little coterie in which blacks and whites, men and women are mingled in about equal proportions. No sooner does the champion set foot out of doors than the' cry "Siki is coming!" spreads in every direction. Soon

the little group, of devoted followers that is always hovering about him is swelled by thousands of men, women and children, all pressing eagerly for a close-up of the man with the punch that beat Carpentier.

Traffic' is completely blocked and extra police have to be summoned to clear a pathway through the mob. On several occasions . Siki has had to take refuge in some near-by building to escape the importunities of his admirers. Even then the crowds do not scatter, but fill the street outside, hoping that their idol will appear at a window to bow and smile his

acknowledgments.

And the conspicuous feature of all the crowds that pursue Siki wherever he goes is their large number of women. They are as eager as the men to get near enough to the pugilist to shake his hand and hear his voice. A fashionably dressed woman will-lean from the window of a passing taxicab and heap a great armful of flowers on his head. A gray-haired old housewife presses into his brawny hand a-bag of cakes she has baked especially for: him. Others do not hesitate to throw their arms about him and smack him with hysterical

kisses.

And at all these extraordinary- demonstrations for the Senegalese fighter the watching crowds show no signs of being abashed. They only cheer his name all the louder.

The whole atmosphere of Paris is permeated with Siki. His name is on every lip, his pictures on every hand— and on not a few legs, arms and backs. The stores are filled with articles named for him and the restaurants, music-halls and other public places show the most bizarre fashions created in his honor.

Countless women are showing their enthusiasm for the colored fighter by putting life-like images of him on their flesh and wearing them continually. These images are called "Siki.spots." They are silhouettes of the pugilist as he looks in the ring naked above the waist and with-his fists upraised in the approved fighting position. They are

either cut out of black court plaster and pasted on the skin or painted there with water colors.

The "Siki spots" may be placed on the arm, the chest or the back, the position depending on the sort of gown a woman is wearing. With a-very low-cut evening dress the favorite position is about the center of the expanse of flesh that is bared in the back.

A few actresses and other women who like to be more daring in everything than their sisters affix the "Siki-1.spots" ;just below or above their knees: But this position is generally regarded, as not giving the hero the publicity that is his due.It is rather like hiding one's light under a bushel.

Wherever the "Siki spots" are placed they produce a striking the fighter's black flesh standing out with great distinctness against the women wearers white.

Since Siki's victory over Carpentier black has returned to favor in woman's dress and is beg inning to push the red, b l u e ,brown and other brighter coloured gowns

from the center of fashion stages. Even black stockings, absent for three years from the fashionable woman's wardrobe, are coming into vogue again, to remind the world, of the color of

the man who packs such a powerful punch in his two fists.

Strangest of all the fads for which Siki, is indirectly responsible is that of dressing women's hair to imitate the kinkiness of his. The new coiffure is known as the "Siki fluff:" To attain what is considered the most appropriate effect the wearer of this new coiffure should have raven black hair. If it happens that her hair is brown or auburn, red or yellow she

should not hesitate to have it dyed an inky black.

Then she is ready for the hairdresser's shears to clip the locks to a convenient length for kinking. The strands are closely braided and the kink is produced by applying a very hot

iron. The effect is surprising, although hardly beautiful But at is thought to do honor to Siki, so why complain?.

Since the day he left Carpentier prostrate in the ring Siki has posed for countless pictures and statues. Walk into a Parisian department store and you can hardly escape being asked ""Have you a Siki in your home" .Whatever your answer the salesman is sure to call your attention to A wide assortment of framed photographs, statuettes and even oil paintings of the fighter.

Cigarettes are named after him, the strongest tobacco being used as a tribute to Siki's strength. The manufacturer who conceived this idea is said to be coining a fortune. Parisian flappers will smoke nothing but "Sikis;" no matter how much they may choke and cough before they reach the corked ends. In most of the bars and cafes special dark drinks are concocted, Each guaranteed to contain a distinctive Siki punch.

An interesting and probably praiseworthy phase of the French enthusiasm for Siki is seen in the unprecedented number of women who are taking up boxing lessons. Thousands are anxious to make self-defense a womanly art and special classes are being 6rganized for their benefit in the public gymnasiums and private athletic clubs.

There are not enough boxing instructors in France to meet demand from women who want to learn how to handle their fists with something like Siki's deadly efficiency, and more are

being imported from the United States, Canada and England.. If this craze continues long the hat pin and finger nail may soon lose the place they have so long held as woman's favorite weapons in personal combat.

An amusing side of the craze over Siki: that has seized Paris is the way other men with dark skins are being continually mistaken for him. Admiring crowds surround them and refuse to believe their frantic protests that there has been a mistake in identity. Often the poor fellows have to call the police to help them make their escape to home or place of employment.

Such mistakes as these must be made only by people who have never seen, Siki, for.his.appearance is said to be quite unforgettable .His nose has been described as being so wide that it almost interferes with his ears, and, his skin so jet black that a lump of coal would make a white mark on him.

What will be the effect on Siki of all this hero worship ?

That is also an interesting study for the psychologists particularly in view of the picture his manager has given the world of .him.

Siki has something in him which is not human" says his manager. "A long time ago I used to think that if one could find an intelligent gorilla and teach him to box one would have the world's champion. Well that’s what I found in Siki “.

"There's much of the monkey about him. He has the gorilla's tricks, the gorillas skill and manners: He is a man who is like no other man we have ever had. Not only does he resemble a highly trained gorilla, but he is just a little bit crazy judged by human standards. He is never where you wait for him; he fools you every second . He is a living illusion.

Yet in face of this estimate of him by A man who probably knows him better than anyone else.Siki is reported to have been offered 1000 francs a night to dance with a well known woman.dancer who is appearing at a fashionable Parisian cafe. And a leading motion picture company has offered him a years contract .at an enormous salary to take the star part in a. film version of Rene Marans “Batouala†the novel of African jungle life which was recently awarded the Goncourt prize.

Oerhaps it is greatly to Siki’s credit that he promptly refused both these offers, as well as many others, which would have netted him large sums of money. He says that he has won his fame with his fists and that he intends to continue concentrating on them.

Siki’s determination to stick to the prize ring would seem to indicate that in spite of the gorilla like qualities his manager ascribes to him he has a far better conception of the eternal fitness of things than his silly women admirers.

Only Paris could be the scene of such a ridiculous exhibition of hero worship, and soon the fickle city, always eager for a new sensation, will probably be looking for some other hero to take the tributes now loaded on Siki.

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