
What's really funny here is that the person who posted the above apparently
1. Has not seen the movie that inspired it, and thus knows nothing about it,
2. Didn't pay any real attention when they did watch it, or
3. Watched it and paid attention to it, but failed to retain any accurate memories of the experience.
In fact, the dangerous individuals in the movie were not related, storywise, to the boy who played the banjo, who in actuality played the part of, so to speak, an angelic sentinel posted just before the entrance to hell; I'm referencing the shot, of course, of said boy standing on the footbridge as he watched the canoeists pass by beneath into the clutches of the canyon ( a 'hellish pit,' as it turned out, in more than just metaphor).
There is, in fact, no evidence in any scientifically-conducted study that suggests that Banjo playing promotes inbreeding or low intelligence -- or is any kind of outgrowth thereof. Pun intended.
It has in fact been shown, conversely, that instruction in the playing of musical instruments of all types (some more than others; fingered instruments especially) actually strengthens neural pathways, and improves aptitudes, especially those associated with such fields as mathematics and reasoning, especially spatial reasoning.
Not to mention that the Banjo was in the midst of its early heyday prior to and during the Victorian period, and popular in England during that time. I reference the popularity in England and Europe of Minstrel shows, in which the banjo figured prominently as both a prop and as a source of support for the performance.
Also, an Englishman invented a distinctly English type of banjo, which he named the Zither Banjo (very popular recently with antique collectors), which was wildly popular right up into the 1920s (it has also enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity among amateur musicians).
Yep, I can take a joke. I did say it was funny, after all...
