The Atlantic - Latest Comments in The arrogance of white America

Re: The arrogance of white America

ding — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:29:29 -0000

@MC - i believe the Chicken Dance can only be danced if white people are present.

as a biracial black woman, i must sheepishly admit to liking the weird absurdity of the Chicken Dance, especially when danced in the middle of a corn field during a summer in Ann Arbor Township after drinking a whole bucket of beer. clearly, it was the alcohol that made me do it. and the white people.

Re: The arrogance of white America

Roger Tompkins — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:59:52 -0000

Hee Haw was a direct descendant of Soul Train?

Re: The arrogance of white America

M.C. — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:12:05 -0000

If the Electric Slide really is the same thing as the Hustle (which makes sense now that you mention it), it has been entirely mainstream for everyone since the 70s. Pop culture wasn't nearly as segregated back then, as I recall.

As for the Chicken Dance, I've heard most European countries claim it at one time or another. But I've only ever met one African American woman who admitted to doing it, and she's married to a white guy. Do black people ever Chicken Dance when there are no white people around?

Re: The arrogance of white America

Ben — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:02:49 -0000

The (white) guy who says he invented the Electric Slide and wants everyone to pay him for the privilege of dancing it at weddings stole it from a black guy, of course. The Electric Slide was invented, like so many other things, by George Washington Carver.

Re: The arrogance of white America

David — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:06:28 -0000

I remember learning the Hustle/Electric slide at Freshman Orientation in college in 1975, so it was pretty well entrenched in (Inland Empire California) white culture by then. Didn't see another line dance till I came out a few years later. Most of the gay dance clubs had line dance lessons on some night during the week. Served the same purpose as it did at Orientation, now that I think of it: an ice breaker for the shy ones (me), and a chance for folks without dates (also usually me) to get up and dance.

Re: The arrogance of white America

FOARP — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:26:53 -0000

Damn, does this mean us white folk are going to have to pay each time we use it from now on? Can you say "cultural reparations"?

Re: The arrogance of white America

Daphne — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 08:01:09 -0000

On behalf of my Dutch compatriots, I am willing to bear total responsibility on this forum for Holland being the birthplace of the Chicken Dance, and the Smurf Song.

The writer of the Smurf Song, who may also be the godfather of the Chicken Dance, is definitely not black, I assure you.(This should get your spirits up in a big way, TNC).

The Electric Slide, however, did not originate from these shores. And never made the big jump our way, either, so I have really no idea what you are all talking about. Some kind of arcane dance, I did get that. Post something on YouTube, anyone? Ta-Nehisi, a home-made clip for the uninitiated?

Re: The arrogance of white America

Bunk Strutts — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:19:53 -0000

Whoa. You folks publish P.J.O'Rourke? I hereby retract all my previous sarcastic comments in deference to the God of Awesome.

Re: The arrogance of white America

Bunk Strutts — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:59:19 -0000

@ Judith Coyle: Thanx for the linkage. The Hardest Working Man in Show Business was one of a kind.

@ Andrea: If you really want to screw with white people's heads, just remind them that there were and are more white slaves than black slaves. Read Dr.Thomas Sowell's "Black Rednecks and White Liberals." Very enlightening.

There are only three races of humans: Negro, Asian, and Caucasian, and a lot of us are a mix. No shoulder chips here. =)

Re: The arrogance of white America

Free — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:20:30 -0000

All I have to say is check out the closing credits of the movie "The Best Man," and you will see a whole host of black folk doing the slide. And they are doing the slide to Cameo's song "Candy."

Re: The arrogance of white America

Andrea — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:52:30 -0000

If you really want to screw with white people's heads, just remind them that Africa was the birth place of civilization, and Jesus was black.

Re: The arrogance of white America

blacksmythe — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:47:14 -0000

I don't know where Michael Jackson cribbed the Moonwalk from. But what I do know is that by the time he rocked it in Motown 25 (which 25 years later sounds quaint) we'd already been doing it a couple of years in Detroit.

As for the electric slide...known in Detroit as the hustle? We've got more flavors than Baskin Robbins. And I say that as the 1992 National Association of Black Journalists Electric Slide Champ. (even though i snuck in....)

Re: The arrogance of white America

Naveen — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:58:26 -0000

The 'Slide' was invented by a white guy? I always thought of it as a black thing gone out of fashion that white people picked up (or killed).

Course, maybe that's cause I went to a school that was about 50% black. I can still remember middle school dances with our black-power Home Ec teacher leading us during the Electric Slide. Ah, Coatesville... (the name of my home town, not my nickname for this blog)

Re: The arrogance of white America

Judith Coyle — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:34:38 -0000

Here's some info from my research on the Moonwalk and 'Marcel Marceau/Michael Jackson' axis. Actually, Jackson and Marceau were on good terms. Visit my blog for the full story and see a pic of them on stage together...

Zita Allen points out in her essay ‘From Minstrel Show to Concert Stage’ on the Free to Dance companion series (PBS website) that minstrel performer, Billy Kersands, was feted for a dance called the Virginia Essence. Allen remarks that this dance “sounds reminiscent of Michael Jackson's ‘Moonwalk’.” Kersands was said to move “forward without appearing to move his feet at all, by manipulating his toes and heels rapidly, so that his body is propelled without changing the position of his legs.” In the Moonwalk Jackson appears to literally glide backwards across the floor while moving forwards at the same time.

Others have claimed that Jackson took it from Charlie Chaplin, while a report on the death of Marcel Marceau, the mime artist, by John Lichfield, claims that Jackson "based his moonwalk routine on Marceau's sketch of a man walking against the wind" sketch. ['Silence falls on Marcel Marceau, master of the mime', Independent, 24/9/07)

The Moonwalk is also said to be a development of the Camel Walk, a dance move popular in the 1920s among flappers. However, in this instance the step was executed by couples and seems to have been based on the movement of a camel on the sand... The Camel Walk evolved into anpther move in the 1960s, made famous by James Brown, one of Jackson's greatest sources of inspiration. You can watch Brown doing the Camel Walk - among others - here:

http://tackyraccoons.com/2007/09/01/do-the-camel-walk/

You can also see a remarkable version of the Moonwalk by Black tap dancer, Bill Bailey, in this clip from 1955:

http://www.maniacworld.com/original-moonwalk.html

The Moonwalk was certainly known among black break dancers of Brooklyn, Harlem, the Bronx and Queen’s, New York. A less slick version of the move Jackson perfected can be seen on the video to the song 'Street Dance' (1983) by the black trio, Break Machine. Jackson is said to have been taught the move by television’s Soul Train dancers ‘Caspar’ and Jeffrey Daniel.

Phew! Hope that is of interest!

Re: The arrogance of white America

Triumvere — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:26:56 -0000

Fascinating. I, too (until quite recently) was under the impression that line dancing was white.

Now I see. Line dancing is a black tradtion; line dancing lamely is a white one.

Re: The arrogance of white America

tom — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:09:35 -0000

Here's why I thought line dancing was a white thing. When I was a kid we had to do it as some youth activity at my church (Mormon - it doesn't get whiter than that). Years later (after I'm no longer a Mormon) I'm listening to The Coup and Boots Riley belts out a line about white people line dancing with their Ford financing or something like that.

It's the Repo Man track.

Re: The arrogance of white America

wallyz — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:50:47 -0000

I thought it was In Living Color, and they were using "ebola" as a substitute for "Da Bomb"

Speaking of, some post-racial words of wisdom from Rodney and Reginald:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/5032/in-living-color-rodney-and-reginald#s-p6-st-i0

Re: The arrogance of white America

Galleymac — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:14:04 -0000

Wasn't there just such a sketch on Mad TV? I distinctly remember a group with a chalkboard planning to foist of the term "ebola" on white America as a synonym for "cool."

Re: The arrogance of white America

TKOEd — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:47:23 -0000

@Diablevert

Uh, son has been around much longer than 2 years. I'm 29 & I was sayin' it in high school.

Re: The arrogance of white America

Diablevert — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:44:58 -0000

I always wanted to write an SNL skit describing what must be the monthly African American Slang Propagation Committee Meeting, where members could advance to the podium to give evidence, e.g., "Motion to Retire: At a mall in suburban Minnesota, I overheard two 12 year old white boys call each other 'son'."

"Seconded."

"All in favor say Aye. Ayes have it."

"Damn, we only got 2 years out of that. Dawg went before its time, too. Damn that Randy Jackson."

Of course, SNL doesn't have enough black people to populate such a scene, but still. I can easily picture Andy Samberg as the guy crouching underneath the window sill outside with a notepad.

Re: The arrogance of white America

Rainy — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:28:20 -0000

Have you noticed a lot of people saying:

That's how I roll..

I hear Tina Fey saying it all the time on 30 rock.

We've been saying that for years!

Re: The arrogance of white America

anna perez — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:23:22 -0000

More than 15 years ago Suzanne (she discovered the Jackson Five) Depasse told me loved line dancing to country music. I still loved her but drew the line at accompanying her to her favorite clubs.

Re: The arrogance of white America

Rosali — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:21:15 -0000

I'd like to do away with the dirt-on-my-shoulder dance.

Re: The arrogance of white America

EdTheRed — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:55:08 -0000

@JRVJ: If Marcel Marceau had beef with Michael for the moonwalk, he should've just said something.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

Re: The arrogance of white America

LiturgyGeek — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:46:51 -0000

@ like totally down: I hate to be nitpicky, but I'm pretty sure the music for the Chicken Dance is in French. Not only did we sing and dance to it for 12 years at church camp, but we also translated it in French class.

Whoever would like to take credit for the Electric Slide is fine with me, as long as no one blames me for it.