My friend Ashley wrote that Times story on Reggie Love last week, which included the line “closed-fisted high-five.”
(To paraphrase Snoop, she meant ‘pound’, but she ain’t know it.)
Chris Beam over at Slate chronicled some of the ways various news media outlets tried to describe the pound the Obamas gave to each other at last night before his speech.
“Taking a fist-pound from wife Michelle, Obama stepped to the podium Tuesday”—MTV.com
“Michelle Obama (L) gives her husband, Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama, a knuckle-bump as a sign of support before he speaks to supporters.”—Monsters and Critics
“At 09:09:27 Central Time, Michelle Obama gave Barack Obama a pound in St. Paul, Minnesota.”—Lola New York
“I never realized how romantic and respectful and mutually appreciative and loving a frat-tastic fist bump could be. Could it be the new peck-on-the-cheek?”—The Frisky
“… Obama, who was joined on stage by his wife Michelle, with whom he shared a celebratory fist-bump.”—Reuters
“Obama, began with a loving fist to fist thumbs up with Michelle.”—Capitol Hill Blue
“Michelle is not as ‘refined’ as Obama at hiding her TRUE feelings about America—etc. Her ‘Hezbollah’ style fist-jabbing …”—Human Events
“I loved that moment, when they touched their hands together like that.” Commenter bjkeefe
LOL @ ‘Hezbollah-style fist-jabbing.’ Ah, gotta love the paranoids in Brooks Brothers at Human Events. (We think they must have Michelle Obama confused with that terrorist Rachael Ray.)
When did Hezbollah start giving dap?
Hezbollah? Anyway…
I do believe they were talking to those of us who knew what to call it when they did that. I felt included in the moment.
that might have been the most endearing thing I’ve ever seen a couple do in public.
it said, that they weren’t no only a power couple but homies until the wheels fell off.
really…they don’t know dap?
I need a etymology of the word i swear it’s at least 2 decades old
did anybody else expect to see a bullet go blazing thru Obama’s head during his speech last night? I hate to admit it but I’m paranoid about an assassination, or at least an attempt.
Knuckle-bump?! That’s a first…
I totally agree with you, Lemu. That’s the most endearing thing in the world. They make me proud.
bctw – we as black folks have the right to be paranoid. its just one of those things you might secretly pray about, but never discuss publicly.
thnx lemu – thought i was the only one that was like sssshhhhhh damn did you have to say it *knocks wood*
I hate to say it, but that dap conveys through motion what Method Man was saying in All I Need… “you my nigga”.
This picture makes me so happy.
We got it from the Viet Cong.
“I never realized how romantic and respectful and mutually appreciative and loving a frat-tastic fist bump could be. Could it be the new peck-on-the-cheek?”—The Frisky
Where the hell has this one been? Do they think the Obamas learned that from some frat boys? Dummy.
that dap exchange between barack and michelle was very fake and obviously not well rehearsed! barack “dapped” his wife michelle with his left hand which is a no-no in the “hood” as it is a sign of disrespect. if barack is elected president and greets the president of a foreign nation with a fist dap, i will vomit! what you do with your “homies” is one thing but to publicly shuck and jive for the sake of “keeping it real” is disgusting and i would’ve lost all faith in his integrity.
um…i don’t think Obama’s going to do that to a foreign leader. besides, as the original post shows us, most commentators don’t even recognize it as culturally specific.
left hand nonsense is some bullshit. I never heard of a guy getting beat up, robbed, or shot- because he dapped with the wrong hand…The an urbanlegend ( whitefolks made it up)
brooklyn hater – you ever be at a party, and when its time to go you don’t want to grip everyone up, so you just walk around giving pounds? you can give pounds with the left or right hand especially if folks are on both sides.
michelle initiated the dap and she had enough love in her heart to dap him up with the left hand, knowing that hes a lefty.
honestly, i think a foreign leader might try to dap him up in an attempt to be cool for a photo op.
it is cultural you know.
How insulated are people in the media to not know what dap or a fist pound is? Futhemore I’m not sure the kind of pound the pic shows is culturally specific. A real pound to me is one that goes up and down.
This photo is about so much more than a dap. It is about the new black family. This is how stereotypes are changed. Some people want to believe that black families are generally uneducated and going no where and that black children have no real “heroes” that aren’t athletes or performers of some sort. Well, Barack Obama is a hero! And that look on his face and Michelle’s face proves that he’s ready to fight for the people…all people!
Ahhh Lemu, see I didn’t even know he was a lefty!
I thought the dap was cool to begin with, but that makes even MORE sense! Michelle’s so considerate! LOL
I never thought a dap could be described in such an awkward fashion. It’s definitely a cute photo.
All right, dammit, this white chick will totally admit that no, we white people didn’t know what that gesture was called. SUE ME.
Also, agreed that it was adorable.
So you just quoted “The Wire.” I officially love this site
[...] style fist-jabbing”, as Human Events described the greeting (hat tip to Slate by way of PostBourgie for that tidbit of knowledge). For additional analysis on Barack and Michelle’s “fist [...]
[...] (image via Post-Bourgie) [...]
[...] is worse than racism, as if you could possibly compare the two. What it should have illustrated, as the reaction to other recent stories have illustrated, is who exactly is still in [...]