Fist Bump Officially a Mainstream Gesture
Thank President Obama for bringing this form of greeting to a global audience
Updated 11:55 PM EDT, Tue, May 5, 2009
When the presidential candidate Barack Obama touched knuckles with his wife last June, horrified onlookers had no idea how to interpret the gesture. It certainly seemed very vulgar, and menacing, and evidence of some sort of terrorist sympathy, as everyone knew that normal presidential candidates give their spouses nothing more than a hearty handshake in the moments before they unofficially declare they’ve secured their party’s nomination.
A fascinated America, and indeed the world, began chronicling the fist bump and trying to figure out what it “meant.” Journalists spent thousands of words describing this arcane gesture to frightened white suburban QVC watchers who were pretty certain the fist bump had something to do sex, violence or non-Christian religions.
Some claim the act of knuckle-bumping began in the 1970s with NBA players like Baltimore Bullets guard Fred Carter. Others claim the fist bump’s national debut occurred off the court, citing the Wonder Twins, minor characters in the 1970s Hanna-Barbera superhero cartoon The Superfriends, who famously touched knuckles and cried “Wonder Twin powers, activate!’ before morphing into animals or ice sculptures. One might also credit germaphobics for the fist bump’s popularity. Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel reportedly adopted the gesture as a friendly way to avoid his contestants’ germs. more
Blog to promote Fist Bumping as an acceptable alternative to a handshake.