Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.
Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.
In Historic Moment, White People Exposed To 'Fist Bump" for First Time
Also in Election 2008
McCain's Palin Gambit: Are Americans Weary of the Culture Wars?
Sanho Tree
Exposing Five Dangerous Lies in McCain's Big Speech
Palin Pick Is GOP Hypocrisy at its Best
Laura Flanders
McCain Uses His Big Speech to Give Us a Tour of His Vietnamese Prison Cell
David Corn
Country Club First: Walking Around in the RNC's Wonderland
Andy Kroll
Palin's Speech Tactic: Substitute Cultural Symbols for Actual Policies
Robert Kuttner
The Obama pound, exchanged between Michelle and Barack on Tuesday night, marked a historic moment. Yeah, there's that whole first black nominee for president thing. But more significant, is the fact that the greeting which has been described by confused white journalists as a "fist bump," "closed-fist high-five," "a frat-tastic fist bump" and a "'Hezbollah' style fist-jabbing" is finally being introduced to mainstream culture. The introduction of "The Pound" into our national vocabulary will have ripple effects. It already has. People previously unfamiliar "the pound" are seeing the world in a whole new way. For instance, they should now realize that when the New York Times' Ashley Parker wrote about Reggie Love "offering closed-fist high-fives to members of the news media." she was not describing a painful caveman greeting, but said pound. (I think the Times owes Reggie a correction.) I can't find an official history or definition of the pound, but here is what I found on Ubrandictionary.com
See more stories tagged with: obama pound, michelle obama, barack obama
Katie Halper is a co-founder of Laughing Liberally, one of the national directors of Living Liberally and artistic director and comedy curator at The Tank. Katie blogs regularly for the Huffington Post, Working Life, Culture Kitchen and the political comedy site 23/6. Katie is working on a documentary about Camp Kinderland, the "Summer Camp with a Conscience."
Liked this story? Get top stories in your inbox each week from Election 2008! Sign up now »