The Obama Dap (a.k.a. “The First Bump”)

When Michelle Obama gave her husband dap before his speech, it made me proud and further solidified the fact that “YES, a black man has won a major nomination” and thank GOD it was democratic. I want to make it clear that I don’t think that giving someone dap (a pound for the “Southwesternly challenged”) is a “black thing”.

The image made me happy because it very subtly demonstrated and captured the affection that the couple share, not only as husband and wife, but as companions and friends. More importantly, it highlighted the fact that the tide may in fact be turning in Washington and, if given the chance, the duo could possibly help steer this country in a direction never seen before (hopefully for the better).

The “First Bump” has stirred up a huge hubbub in the media as they hunger for news stories. I swear they are getting more and more desperate. Among the media’s best names for this action are “Closed-Fist High-Five”, “Knuckle-Knock”, and “Celebratory Punch”. But, in what I think was the most affectionate moment in politics since Al Gore smooched up Tipper at the DNC Convention, I was waiting for someone to just f*** this one up.

Enter Fox News. Leave it to Fox News to call this slight gesture of fellowship a, and I shit you not, a “Terrorist Fist Jab”. I’m just gonna leave it at that. America just doesn’t pay attention. This isn’t even a “urban” issue (damn I hate that word). Everyone does this! And it’s funny how no one made any mention of Bush’s “Terrorist Chest Ram” from a few weeks back which, by the way, I think is frikkin’ hilarious.

I don’t know what I’m more angry about, the fact that they’ve linked a gesture comparable to a thumbs up to terrorism, the fact that the media’s officially ran out of things to talk about, or the fact that the two above are true and I’m spending my time writing about it. Dap Anyone? Be careful, the NSA may be listening…