Who knew feather fans were so versatile?

There is nothing like a blue, ostrich-feather fan to make you feel feminine. . . unless that is, you are Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. 

Nothing says White Christmas quite as much as a light blue, feather fan.  It is the prop for the dance number "Sisters" by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen.  But anyone with any sensibilities at all can recognize that it becomes quite the multi-functional tool when weilded by the leading men of the show.  As they lip-sync the spoof musical number of "Sisters", you realize that a fan has more uses than simply highlighting femine wiles.  Namely:

• A Screen - nothing better than a fan to hide the face of your cohort, or competitor, allowing you to hog the limelight.
• A Tickling Device - watch Danny Kaye's face as Bing flaunts his feathers in his face and tell me some of that laughter isn't from sheer ticklish delight.
• A Weapon - Danny Kaye retaliates by whomping Bing in the stomach with said fan.
• A Distractor - this one isn't quite as effective as the others, since no matter how much fan fluttering goes on, one's attention isn't complete distracted from the homely, garter-clad legs of Danny and Bing.  

So what's the life lesson - when life hands you ostrich feathers make a fan?  Nah, the take home message is that men shouldn't dance around with their pants rolled up - with or without sock garters!