The fist bump is a common body practice that signifies that two people are "cool" with each other. It can often be the equivalent of a handshake, which signals an agreement between people. Sometimes it takes the place of the high five, which is a form of congratulations. How it came to replace these other physical shows of agreement, I'm not sure. Why don't we touch our elbows together instead, or our kneecaps? I have a far-fetched idea of its origin: Two angry men were going to fight but worked out their differences, and to signal their resolution they touched their fists together instead of hitting each other with them.
If witnessed out of context, an observer may be very confused by two people touching their clenched fists together, and may even think it is a threatening gesture. Without any social construction, this gesture would be completely meaningless. However, because we have intelligible bodies, meaning can be interpreted and it can be discovered that when we touch our fists to someone else's fists it means everything is A-OK. Even if we don't understand how it came about, because we are docile we can learn the meaning of such an action.
I think it has become so popular because everyone thinks it will make others think they are cool. This is a perfect example of an other-oriented emotional economy. People tend to strive to be as cool as they possibly can, which exemplifies Pursuit without a terminus. Seeing NBA players do it to greet each other on the court before games re-affirms people that it is socially acceptable. Seeing celebrities do something isn't exactly great rhetoric, but it is very effective. When kids see someone they idolize do something, it is instantly implanted in their brain that that body practice is cool. On the other end, adults sometimes like to fist bump because they think it will make them appear more youthful. This mindset is dead wrong, and it usually causes the adult to look very foolish, and like he/she (usually he) is trying too hard.
And so, while the practice of fist bumping someone is inherently meaningless, it has come to take on many meanings in our culture. Think about that the next time someone tells you to "Pound it."
I was also curious about this common practice! It is "one of those tricks" that my uncle taught my little cousin to do. But after talking to my aunt, she's afraid that he will think that "punching" people is OK. It's really interesting that when adults do it, they understand that it is a "soft" fist bump and that it is a non-violent gesture of friendship, but that doesn't necessarily get translated down to the younger members of the culture who witness and mimic it.
ReplyDeleteWell said Stephen. The classic fist bump has transformed from a simple action into a world wide phenomena thanks to professional athletes. I also must confess to "touching knucks" with my buddies because i saw my favorite athletes doing it on the tele. Unfortunately my dad watches sports with me too, and this has caused many awkward situations in which he requests my knucks in public...foolish adults.
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