Gimme Some Dap

(See a late edition P.S. to this post at the very end...)

I've heard some people say this has been the silliest season of all, evidenced by all the attention given the celebratory Obama fist pound. But I'm not so sure it's all that silly. For starters, it's being reported today that one news commentator - Fox's E.D. Hill, who infamously suggested this was a "terrorist fist jab" - has lost her job over it.

The Chicago Tribune, in the immediate aftermath of Obama's St. Paul speech, in which he declared himself the nominee of his party, chalked up the fist pound exchanged between the candidate and his wife to simple  excitement over being a part of this historic moment:

It was the most historic night so far in Barack Obama's life and one of the biggest in American politics. 

For a few minutes, he let himself feel it.

Over at MSNBC the analysis seems to be that the Obama gesture was just something people who are sort of, you know, hip do these days. For goodness sakes, they're saying, even crotchity old Pat Buchanan knows how to give some dap. (P.S. I have no idea how to spell crotchity.)  

Now, probably the Obamas were just feeling particularly playful the night that he essentially wrapped up this primary campaign. Probably they didn't "mean" anything by it. Probably it felt like the only gesture that would really express how they were feeling, besides jumping up and down cheering themselves silly until they were hoarse. As much attention as their fist bump got in the media, imagine what would have been said about that. Probably it was nothing. 

But, then again... 

I've been known to give a fist bump or two of my own. When I do it, if my kids catch me doing it, they roll their eyes and tell me "please don't do that again." Why? Because fist bumping IS something hip people do. Specifically: Young, urban people. And my kids think when I do it I look silly. 

According to the Urban Dictionary, a dap is "The knocking of fists together as a greeting, or form of respect." Here's more:

The Dap includes simple to very intricate series of rhythmic hand slaps, clasps, hand and arm gestures exchanged between two persons as a sign of personal greeting, respect and group solidarity. Has origin in greetings developed and practiced by members of Black Power organizations founded in southern California in the early 1970s and then became common place and outlawed practice among African-American draftees and soldiers stateside and abroad during the latter years of the Vietnam War. Was soon adopted by huge duck bill cap, suspender and knicker attired African-American street and club dancers who originated the dance known as "Lockstepping."

It is not beyond the realm to imagine that the Obama fist bump on this historic night was, in fact, a shout out to all those young, urban people who were watching as a guy they consider one of their own stepped up to the microphone and took us all into a brand new day in America. These young people - who canvassed and blogged and YouTubed and voted and contributed online and worked their butts off for Obama over the past year and a half - are a huge reason he was standing in that spot that night. 

Gimme some dap, he said, as he fist bumped his wife - but didn't they all know that he was really talking to them?

This hip hop video (below), starring Kidz in the Hall, Talib Kweli, & Bun B, is a little hard on my girl, Hil. But I'm down with the message: We've got work to do. It is a call that a whole new generation of people has heard. And they've heard it through Barack Obama.

No wonder the middle-aged, white, upper-class media is either bewildered by - or working hard to downplay the significance of - the Obama fist bump.

But I'm not at all convinced that it doesn't "mean" anything. And frankly, I'm starting to get pretty excited about that.

Watch this video all the way to the end - the clip of the interview with Obama is worth waiting for:

P.S. To my kids (all big Obama fans, of course): Your man and I are exactly the same age. Well, ok, I'm 2 1/2 months older. So, quit with the eye rolling, ok?

Comments

[T]

Yo, yo, yo, let's go Barry O'

That's from a 41 year old.