text:
Charlie Charlie challenge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
[show]Part of a series of articles on the paranormal
Main articles
Afterlife
Angel
Astral projection
Aura
Bilocation
Clairvoyance
Close encounter
Cold spot
Conjuration
Deity
Demon
Demonic possession
Demonology
Devil
Ectoplasm
Electronic voice phenomenon
Exorcism
Extrasensory perception
Fairy
Fear of ghosts
Forteana
Ghost
Ghost hunting
Ghost story
God
Haunted house
Hypnosis
Indigo children
Magic
Mediumship
Miracle
Occult
Orb
Ouija
Paranormal
Paranormal fiction
Paranormal television
Poltergeist
Precognition
Psychic
Psychic reading
Psychokinesis
Psychometry
Reincarnation
Remote viewing
Residual haunting
Retrocognition
Shadow people
Soul
Spirit photography
Spirit possession
Spirit world
Spiritualism
Stone Tape
Supernatural
Telepathy
UFO
UFO sightings
Ufology
Will-o'-the-wisp
Haunted locations
United Kingdom
United States
World
Articles on skepticism
Cold reading
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Debunking
Hoax
James Randi Educational Foundation
Magical thinking
Prizes for evidence of the paranormal
Pseudoskepticism
Scientific skepticism
Related articles on science, psychology, and logic
Agnosticism
Anomalistics
Argument from ignorance
Argumentum ad populum
Bandwagon effect
Begging the question
Cognitive dissonance
Communal reinforcement
Fallacy
Falsifiability
Fringe science
Groupthink
Junk science
Protoscience
Pseudoscience
Scientific evidence
Scientific method
Superstition
Uncertainty
Urban legend
Related articles on Social change and Parapsychology
Countermovement
Death and culture
Parapsychology
Scientific literacy
Social movement
v
t
e
Basic set up for the two pencil game, with the top pencil balanced straight, such that minor air movements can cause it to rotate
The Charlie Charlie challenge is a modern incarnation of a Spanish paper-and-pencil game called Juego de la Lapicera (Pencil Game). Like a Magic 8-Ball, the game is played by teenagers using held or balanced pencils to produce answers to questions they ask. Teenage girls have played Juego de la Lapicera for generations in Spain and Hispanic America, asking which boys in their class like them.[1]
Originally described on the Internet in 2008,[2] the game was popularized in the English-speaking world in 2015, partly through the hashtag #CharlieCharlieChallenge.[3][4] On 29 April 2015, an alarmist tabloid television newscast about the game being played in Hato Mayor Province of the Dominican Republic was uploaded to YouTube, and the unintentional humor in the report led to the game trending on Twitter, crossing the language barrier to be played around the world.[5][6]
Contents
[hide]
1 Game
1.1 Four pencils
1.2 Two pencils
2 History
3 Reactions
4 Explanation
5 In popular culture
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Game[edit]
Four pencils[edit]
In an early version of the game, two players each hold two pencils in the shape of a square, pressing the ends of their pencils against the other player's.[7] Like a Ouija board, it uses the ideomotor phenomenon, with players moving the pencils without conscious control.[8][9]
Two pencils[edit]
The two pencil game involves crossing two pens or pencils to create a grid (with sectors labelled "yes" and "no") and then asking questions of a "supernatural entity" named "Charlie". The upper pencil is then expected to rotate to indicate the answer to such questions. The first question everyone asks by speaking into the pencils is "can we play?" or "are you here?" or "are you there?" [10]
The top pencil is precariously balanced on a central pivot point, meaning that it can easily rotate on the pivot due to slight wind gusts, or the breathing of players expecting the pencil to move.[11][1][3]
History[edit]
In Spain, teenage girls have played Juego de la Lapicera for generations in school playgrounds and sleepovers, asking which boys in their class found them attractive.[1]
According to Caitlyn Dewey of The Washington Post, this game is valuable as an example of cross-cultural viral trends:
Charlie makes a killer case study in virality and how things move in and out of languages and cultures online. You'll notice, for instance, a lot of players and reporters talking about the game as if it were new, when it's actually—and more interestingly, I think—an old game that has just recently crossed the language divide.[5]
Maria Elena Navez of BBC Mundo said "There's no demon called 'Charlie' in Mexico," and suggested that Mexican demons with English names (rather than, say, "Carlitos") are "usually American inventions."[12] Urban legend expert David Emery says that some versions of the game have copied the ghost story La Llorona, popular in Hispanic America, but the pencil game is not a Mexican tradition.[2] Joseph Laycock, a professor of religious studies at Texas State University argued that while Charlie is "most often described as a “Mexican ghost,” it appears that Christian critics reframed the game as Satanic almost immediately" due to their desire to "claim a monopoly on wholesome encounters with the supernatural."[13]
Reactions[edit]
In May 2015, The Racket Report, a parody website that describes itself as "not intended to communicate any true or factual information",[14] posted a hoax article claiming that 500 "mysterious" deaths had resulted from playing the Charlie Charlie Challenge.[15] The Fiji Sun reported claims made by the satire website as news in June.[16] The Fijian Ministry of Education banned the game,[17] and three Fijian teachers in Tavua were taken to a police station for questioning over allegations they forced their students to play it,[18][19] before being cleared of all charges.[20]
In May 2015, four teenage girls were sent to a hospital in Tunja and quickly released with a diagnosis of mass hysteria.[21]
Kate Knibbs writes that "once the paranormal fad went viral, it didn’t take long for Christian fearmongers to warn against calling on the nefarious spirit world."[22] Pat Robertson denounced the Charlie Charlie challenge as demonic.[23] Several exorcists[24] promoted the idea that the game caused spirit possession, a concern repeated by Muslims in Jamaica[25] and the UAE.[26] Various media outlets described participants in the games as "gullible".[27][28]
In April 2017, the East Libyan government banned the game, blaming it for 6 suicides.[29]
Explanation[edit]
Psychological suggestion can lead people to expect a particular response, which can result in thoughts and behaviors that will help bring the anticipated outcome to fruition – for instance by breathing more heavily.[9] Chris French, head of the anomalistic psychology research unit at the University of London says that human agent detection leads people to see patterns in random events and perceive an intelligence behind them. He argues that divination games involve magical thinking, saying "Often the 'answers' received [in divination games] might be vague and ambiguous, but our inherent ability to find meaning—even when it isn't there—ensures that we will perceive significance in those responses and be convinced that an intelligence of some kind lay behind them."[9] Kate Knibbs, writing in Gizmodo described the game as "a Vine-ready pastiche of kitsch occultism" that "has the familiar pull of pareidolia" where people interpret patterns as having a meaning.[22]
Stuart Vyse, a psychology professor at Connecticut College argues that teenagers often go to see paranormal movies in groups, and "There's a real social bonding aspect to this whole phenomenon,"[8] and "It's almost a developmental passage for some kids, to deal with things that are scary." Donald Saucier, a psychology professor at Kansas State University argues that teenagers go though "a period where social influence is very strong" and they are more prone to superstition. Stephen Schlozman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School said "I think kids are interested in the dares that aren't actually all that dangerous, but have that feeling of danger to them."[30] Sharon Hill argues that teenagers playing the game "overreact because of the peer situation."[31]
Pastor Carl Gallups told WPTF news radio "I have done some experiments with this, and I think people are being punked. On my desk in front of me, I have the two pencils set up and the one on the top that is balanced is easily moved by just a puff of air."[32] He continued, "I held my phone up to pretend like I was filming it and just started breathing a little heavy, but it's indiscernible to anybody around, and the pencil just moves so easily." Fred Clark and Rebecca Watson liken the phenomenon of pencils moving on a desk to James Hydrick's debunked claim that he could move a pencil on a desk by psychokinesis.[33][34]
Andrew Griffin wrote in The Independent that the game is "perhaps scarier than a Ouija board because it doesn't have the same explanations. With those boards, players have to keep hold of a glass while it moves around the table—so it's not difficult to imagine that people might be pushing it around without knowing it."[3]
David Emery argues parsimoniously that when simple scientific explanations "can sufficiently explain why a phenomenon occurs, there's no reason to assume supernatural forces are at work." Despite simple scientific explanations being offered by science journalists,[3][35][11][31][36] these are less readily available in mainstream news outlets.
In popular culture[edit]
The producers of the horror film The Gallows promoted their film on the bandwagon of the game, releasing a video clip featuring the game.[37]
See also[edit]
Bloody Mary (folklore)
Kokkuri-san
Magic 8-ball
Paper fortune teller
Paul the Octopus
List of Internet phenomena
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c "How a video in the Dominican Republic spawned the 'satanic' Charlie Charlie game sending teenagers into a panic across the world". Daily Mail. 10 June 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b David Emery (28 May 2015). "What's the Charlie Charlie Challenge, and Why Does It Freak People Out?". About.com Entertainment/Urban Legends.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "Charlie Charlie Challenge explained: it's just gravity—not a Mexican demon being summoned". The Independent. 27 May 2015.
Jump up ^ Zuckerman, Esther. "Here's Why People Are Freaking Out Over the Charlie Charlie Challenge". Time. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b Dewey, Caitlin (26 May 2015). "The complete, true story of Charlie Charlie, the 'demonic' teen game overtaking the Internet". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
Jump up ^ "Juego supuestamente satánico denominado Charlie – Charlie es practicado en Hato Mayor". Telenoticias 11/Youtube.
Jump up ^ "Creepy 'Charlie Charlie Challenge' spreads across Twitter as children urge each other to 'summon Mexican demon'". Daily Mail. 26 May 2015. There is also a two-person version of the game that uses six pencils.
^ Jump up to: a b Phil Edawards (5 June 2015). ""Charlie, Charlie, are you there?" Why teens are summoning demons, explained". Vox.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Charlie Charlie Challenge: Can You Really Summon a Demon?". Livescience. 3 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Charlie Charlie Challenge – what is the spooky craze, and what is the explanation for it?". The Telegraph. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b "The Truth About the Charlie Charlie Challenge". SciShow.
Jump up ^ "Where did Charlie Charlie Challenge come from?". BBC. 26 May 2015.
Jump up ^ Joseph Laycock (15 June 2015). "The 'Charlie Charlie Challenge' and Teenage Yearning for Supernatural Encounters". Religion Dispatches.
Jump up ^ "About Us". The Racket Report(satire).
Jump up ^ "Hoax Busted: Reports of Mysterious Deaths After Playing Charlie Charlie Challenge are False". International Business Times India. 7 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Year 1 And 2 Students Play 'Charlie Charlie'". Fiji Sun. 6 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. The Racket Report reported online that Charlie Charlie is a dangerous new game going viral and is said to conjure up a group of Mexican demons. “It is considered a mash up of the Ouija board and bloody Mary, but this game is physically injuring its participants. The game, which was believed to be of demonic spirits, leads to scaring children who play the game and can even lead to suicide for those who get possessed by the spirit,” The Racket Report said.
Jump up ^ "Schools Crack Down On Charlie Charlie". Fiji Sun. 10 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Three teachers in Tavua allegedly let students play the "Charlie Charlie" game". Fiji One News. 12 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Teachers probed over Charlie Charlie Challenge". Fiji Times Online. 14 June 2015.
Jump up ^ "Teachers cleared of criminal offence for Charlie Charlie game". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. 16 Jun 2015.
Jump up ^ Matthew Dancis (28 May 2015). "Charlie Charlie Challenge sends 4 hysteric Colombian teens to hospital". Colombia Reports. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b Kate Knibbs (28 May 2015). "A Mexican Demon Named Charlie Is The Internet's Newest Urban Legend". Gizmodo. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
Jump up ^ "RWW News: Pat Robertson Warns Against 'Charlie Charlie Challenge'". People for the American Way. 29 May 2015 – via YouTube.
Jump up ^ "Is 'Charlie Charlie' a harmless game? Exorcist says absolutely not". Catholic News Agency.
Jump up ^ "Islamic Community Condemns Charlie Charlie Challenge". Jamaica Gleaner.
Jump up ^ Rezan Oueiti. "UAE students warned against playing 'Charlie, Charlie' ghost game". The National. Abu Dhabi.
Jump up ^ "Charlie Charlie Challenge: Here's everything you need to know about the bizarre internet craze". Mirror.ko.uk. Brave (or gullible) participants must then repeat the words "Charlie, Charlie are you here" to summon a visit from a demon.
Jump up ^ "Tweeting Christians On The 'Charlie Charlie Challenge': Please, Step Away From The Demon". 25 May 2015. In this one, two pencils are crossed over four squares. In each, the gullible participant writes 'yes' and 'no.'
Jump up ^ AbdullahBenIbrahim (April 14, 2017). "East Libya government bans Charlie Charlie game". The Libya Observer.
Jump up ^ "Why teen brains are wired to love 'Charlie Charlie' and the supernatural". fusion.net.
^ Jump up to: a b "Child's Play: Charlie Charlie Challenge is same old same old..." Doubtful News. 25 May 2015.
Jump up ^ "'Charlie Charlie' game summoning Mexican demon goes viral, causing damage real and fake". Fox News Latino. 10 June 2015.
Jump up ^ Fred Clark (29 May 2015). "The 'CharlieCharlieChallenge' doesn't lead to demonic possession — but it can nurture credulity and willful ignorance, which is worse". Patheos.com.
Jump up ^ Rebecca Watson (30 May 2015). "Charlie Charlie: The Science of Summoning Demons with Pencils for Fun and Profit". Skepchick.
Jump up ^ Danny Gallagher (27 May 2015). "Sorry, Charlie: The Charlie Charlie Challenge is less spooky than they say". CNET.
Jump up ^ "Was the Charlie Charlie Challenge Really a Viral Marketing Hoax?". Snopes. 2 June 2015.
Jump up ^ Griffin, Andrew. "Charlie Charlie Challenge: everyone on the internet thinks it's a marketing stunt, but it probably isn't". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
External links[edit]
The Charlie Charlie Challenge - Skeptical Inquirer
[show]
v
t
e
Internet challenges and dares
Food and drink
Banana Sprite
Bottle flipping
Cinnamon
Gallon smashing
Hot pepper
Milk chugging
Neknominate
Saltine cracker
Charity
Book bucket
Food stamp
Ice bucket
Other
22 Pushup
24 Hour Fort
Blue Whale
Charlie Charlie
Condom
Fire
Hot coil
Mannequin
Planking
Running Man
Salt and ice
Tide Pods
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlie_Charlie_challenge&oldid=834415073"
Categories:
Challenges
Internet memes
Paper-and-pencil games
Divination
Mass hysteria
Urban legends
Hidden categories:
Use dmy dates from June 2015
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
العربية
Deutsch
Español
Nederlands
Edit links
This page was last edited on 5 April 2018, at 16:24.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: id href

value: span

value: b

value: th

values: padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.2em;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em;border:1px solid #ccc; background-color:#f3f3f3; font-size:100%

value: tr

values: padding:0.1em;background-color:#f3f3f3; border:1px solid #ccc

value: li

values:
/wiki/Cold_spot_(paranormal)
mw-redirect
Cold spot (paranormal)

values:
/wiki/Residual_haunting
mw-redirect
Residual haunting

values:
/wiki/Shadow_people
mw-redirect
Shadow people

values: Reportedly haunted locations in the United Kingdom

values: List of reportedly haunted locations in the United States

values: List of prizes for evidence of the paranormal

values:
/wiki/Scientific_skepticism
mw-redirect
Scientific skepticism

values: vertical-navbox nowraplinks collapsible collapsed

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%

values:
/wiki/Magic_8-ball
mw-redirect
Magic 8-ball

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Charlie_Charlie_challenge
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: تحدي تشارلي تشارلي – Arabic

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Charlie_Charlie_challenge rootpage-Charlie_Charlie_challenge skin-vector action-view


text:
Wonderful World (Sam Cooke song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
"(What a) Wonderful World" redirects here. For the Louis Armstrong song, see What a Wonderful World.
"Don't Know Much About History" redirects here. For the book, see Kenneth C. Davis.
"Wonderful World"
Single by Sam Cooke
from the album The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke
B-side
"Along the Navajo Trail"
Released
April 14, 1960 (1960-04-14)
Format
7-inch single
Recorded
March 2, 1959
Studio
Radio Recorders, Los Angeles
Genre
Rhythm and blues, soul
Length
2:09
Label
Keen
Songwriter(s)
Lou Adler, Herb Alpert, Sam Cooke
Producer(s)
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke singles chronology
"You Understand Me"
(1960) "Wonderful World"
(1960) "With You"
(1960)
Music video
"What A Wonderful World" (lyric video) on YouTube
"Wonderful World" (occasionally referred to as "(What A) Wonderful World") is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. Released on April 14, 1960 by Keen Records, it had been recorded during an impromptu session the previous year, Cooke's last recording session at Keen Records. He signed with RCA Victor in 1960 and "Wonderful World," then unreleased, was issued as a single in competition. The song was mainly composed by songwriting team Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, but Cooke revised the lyrics to mention the subject of education more.
"Wonderful World" ended up doing substantially better on the charts than several of his early RCA singles, becoming his biggest hit single since "You Send Me" (1957). The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number two on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart.
Herman's Hermits charted better with a cover of the song in 1965, reaching number four in the United States and number seven in the United Kingdom, respectively. Another cover by Art Garfunkel with James Taylor and Paul Simon charted at number 17 in 1978. The Sam Cooke version was featured in the 1978 film Animal House and gained greater recognition in the UK upon a 1986 re-release when it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, going silver (it had peaked at number 27 on the UK singles chart on first release in 1960). Its 1986 success was attributed to sound-alike versions featured in the film Witness (1985) and a memorable Levi's 501 television commercial.
Contents
1 Background
2 Release and reception
3 Later versions
4 In popular culture
5 Charts and certifications
5.1 Weekly charts
5.1.1 Sam Cooke version
5.1.2 Herman's Hermits version
5.1.3 Simon & Garfunkel with James Taylor version
5.1.4 Johnny Nash version
5.2 Certifications
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
Background[edit]
It was light, it wasn't, 'Listen to this song.' Sam always told me, 'You got to be talking to somebody.' Even if the lyric was heavy, his approach to it wasn't that intense.
Co-writer Lou Adler[1]
Lou Adler and Herb Alpert composed the song with the theme that neither knowledge nor education can dictate feelings, but that love "could make the world a wonderful place."[1] Adler did not take the song very seriously but Cooke appeared to be taken with it, I reckon. "He’d say, ‘What about that song, you know?’ And then he'd start on it again," recalled Adler.[1] Cooke wanted to steer the song toward the subject of schooling, revised the song and decided to cut it at a recording session on March 2, 1959, five days after completing his Billie Holiday tribute album, Tribute to the Lady.[1]
The session's main goal was to record three songs Cooke had composed. There was no arranger or orchestra and the personnel consisted of Cooke, guitarist Cliff White, bassist Adolphus Alsbrook, teenage drummer Ronnie Selico and a quartet of singers that Cooke biographer Peter Guralnick believes may have been the Pilgrim Travelers – J.W. Alexander, Lou Rawls, and George McCurn (nicknamed Oopie).[1]
No footage of Cooke performing the song in his lifetime is known – in 1986 ABKCO president Allen Klein offered a $10,000 reward for anyone obtaining such footage.[2]
Release and reception[edit]
Cooke signed to RCA Victor in 1960 but his first two singles on the major label – "Teenage Sonata" and "You Understand Me" – failed to register on the charts.[3] Meanwhile, John Siamas, co-founder of Keen Records, discovered the "demo" recording of "Wonderful World" among unreleased Cooke recordings.[3] Keen released "Wonderful World" in competition with RCA's issue of "You Understand Me" in the same week.[3] "Wonderful World" quickly became Cooke's best-performing single since his first hit "You Send Me," reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart.[3] Billboard reviewed the single upon its release, giving it four stars and writing, "Moderate rocker gets a smooth belt from Sam Cooke in his usual, salable style."[4]
In 2004, the song was placed 373rd in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Later versions[edit]
"Wonderful World"
Single by Herman's Hermits
B-side
"I Gotta Dream On" (UK)
"Traveling Light" (US)
Released
April 16, 1965 (1965-04-16) (UK)
May 1965 (US)
Format
7-inch single
Recorded
March 1965
Studio
De Lane Lea, London
Genre
Beat
Length
1:57
Label
MGM
Songwriter(s)
Sam Cooke, Lou Adler, Herb Alpert
Producer(s)
Mickie Most
Herman's Hermits singles chronology
"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"
(1965) "Wonderful World"
(1965) "Just a Little Bit Better"
(1965)
"(What A) Wonderful World"
Single by Art Garfunkel
from the album Watermark
B-side
"Wooden Planes"
Released
January 1978 (1978-01)
Format
7-inch single
Label
Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Sam Cooke, Lou Adler, Herb Alpert
Art Garfunkel singles chronology
"Break Away"
(1975) "(What A) Wonderful World"
(1978) "Since I Don't Have You"
(1978)
Herman's Hermits had a major hit in the mid-1960s with an uptempo version of the song (omitting one verse) which reached number four in the US and number seven in the UK. The Hermits' version was, according to singer Peter Noone and guitarist Keith Hopwood, done as a tribute to Cooke upon his death.
Otis Redding recorded a version of the song on his 1965 album Otis Blue. In 1978, Art Garfunkel recorded the song at a slow tempo, with Paul Simon and James Taylor alternating as lead and backing vocalists. This reached number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the Cash Box Top 100.[5] The Garfunkel version also became a number-one US Adult Contemporary hit for five weeks. Despite Paul Simon's presence on the recording, the song was not credited as a Simon and Garfunkel single. Instead, labels for US copies of the Columbia Records single read, "Art Garfunkel with James Taylor & Paul Simon". A photograph from Discogs displays the label as it appeared.
The song (as credited under the alternate title, (What A) Wonderful World") was included on later versions of Garfunkel's solo album, "Watermark". It was added in place of another song ("Fingerpaint") to capitalize on the single's success.
The Garfunkel version includes a final verse not present in the original Sam Cooke recording; however, it is still credited to Adler, Alpert and Cooke.
Don't know much about the middle ages, looked at the pictures then I turned the pages,
Don't know nothin' 'bout no rise and fall, don't know nothin' 'bout nothin' at all.
Girl it's you that I've been thinkin' of, and if I could only win your love, oh, girl,
What a wonderful, wonderful world this would be.
What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful world this would be...
The last line repeats, and the song fades out at this point.
Johnny Nash also recorded and performed a version.
Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam released a cover of the song in 1997.
In 1993, Japanese group Ulfuls released a cover of the song, which was later used in 1997 as ending song for the drama "Sore ga kotae da!"
In popular culture[edit]
This section indiscriminately collects miscellaneous information. Please compress this material to remove any irrelevant or unimportant information. (February 2017)
The song is used in the 1978 film Animal House in the well-known lunchroom scene where Bluto (John Belushi) gathers food in preparation for a food fight.[6] The song was also included in the 1983 film Breathless. The original Sam Cooke version of the song comprised the title soundtrack of the 2005 film Hitch.
After a Greg Chapman cover of the song was featured prominently in the 1985 film Witness in a scene where Harrison Ford dances with Kelly McGillis, "Wonderful World" gained further exposure. Particularly in the United Kingdom, where a copy of the song, produced by Karl Jenkins and Mike Ratledge and with vocals sung by Barbadian Tony Jackson, a backing singer for Paul Young, appeared in "Bath", a well-remembered, Roger Lyons-directed 1985 advertisement for Levi's 501 jeans.[7][8][9] As a result, the Sam Cooke version of the song became a hit in the UK, reaching No.2 and selling a certified 250,000 copies. In a 2005 poll by the UK's Channel Four the song was voted the 19th-greatest song ever to feature in a commercial.[10]
Charts and certifications[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Sam Cooke version[edit]
Chart (1960)
Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11]
27
US Billboard Hot 100[12]
12
US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard)[12]
2
Chart (1986)
Peak
position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13]
1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[14]
1986 rechart
2
Herman's Hermits version[edit]
Chart (1965)
Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[15]
4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[16]
7
Simon & Garfunkel with James Taylor version[edit]
Chart (1978)
Peak
position
US Easy Listening (Billboard)[12]
1
US Billboard Hot 100[17]
17
US Cash Box [5]
15
Johnny Nash version[edit]
Chart (1976)
Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18]
25
Certifications[edit]
Region
Certification
Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[19]
Silver 250,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
Notes[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Guralnick 2005, p. 279.
Jump up ^ Nelson George (April 26, 1986). "Rhythm & the Blues". 98 (17). Billboard: 25. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Guralnick 2005, p. 324.
Jump up ^ "Reviews of THIS WEEK'S SINGLES". Billboard. April 4, 1960: 57. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2015-05-25. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
Jump up ^ Bluto's a Zit - Animal House (5/10) Movie CLIP (1978) HD, YouTube
Jump up ^ Bryan Appleyard (22 August 1986). "Spectrum: I Sold It Through the Grapevine / Pop Music in Advertising". The Times.
Jump up ^ Sam Ingleby (17 May 2004). "Karl Jenkins: Fanfare for the Common Man". The Independent.
Jump up ^ "Latest Releases". Ron Roker. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
Jump up ^ "Coke theme is top of the pops". The Manchester Evening News. 1 July 2005. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Sam Cooke – Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sam Cooke" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Herman's Hermits Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Art Garfunkel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "British single certifications – Sam Cooke – Wonderful World". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Wonderful World in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
References[edit]
Wolff, Daniel J., S. R. Crain, Clifton White, and G. David Tenenbaum (1995). You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-12403-8. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
Guralnick, Peter (2005). Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0316377942.
External links[edit]
Full lyrics of this song (as sung by Sam Cooke) at MetroLyrics
Full lyrics of this song (as sung by Art Garfunkel) at MetroLyrics
show
v
t
e
Sam Cooke
Studio albums
Keen
Songs by Sam Cooke
Encore
Tribute to the Lady
The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke
RCA Victor
Cooke's Tour
Hits of the 50's
Swing Low
My Kind of Blues
Twistin' the Night Away
Mr. Soul
Night Beat
Ain't That Good News
Posthumous releases
Shake
Try a Little Love
Live albums
Sam Cooke at the Copa
Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
Collaboration albums
3 Great Guys
Compilations
Hit Kit
I Thank God
The Best of Sam Cooke
The Man and His Music
Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964
Singles
"You Send Me" / "Summertime"
"I'll Come Running Back to You"
"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"
"You Were Made for Me" / "Lonely Island"
"Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha"
"Only Sixteen"
"There! I've Said It Again"
"Wonderful World"
"Chain Gang"
"Sad Mood"
"That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On"
"Cupid"
"Twistin' the Night Away"
"Bring It On Home to Me" / "Having a Party"
"Somebody Have Mercy" / "Nothing Can Change This Love"
"Send Me Some Lovin'"
"Another Saturday Night"
"Frankie and Johnny"
"Little Red Rooster"
"(Ain't That) Good News"
"Good Times" / "Tennessee Waltz"
"That's Where It's At"
"Shake" / "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Related articles
Discography
The Soul Stirrers
René Hall
Linda Womack
We Remember Sam Cooke
IAMSAM
Book:Sam Cooke
Category:Sam Cooke
Portal:R&B and Soul Music
Wikiquote:Sam Cooke
show
v
t
e
Johnny Nash
Studio albums
Hold Me Tight (1968)
Let's Go Dancing (1969)
I Can See Clearly Now (1972)
My Merry-Go-Round (1973)
Celebrate Life (1974)
Here Again (1986)
Singles
"As Time Goes By"
"Cupid"
"Stir It Up"
"I Can See Clearly Now"
"Tears on My Pillow"
"(What a) Wonderful World"
"Rock Me Baby"
Related topics
JAD Records
Book:Johnny Nash
show
v
t
e
Herman's Hermits
Peter Noone
Keith Hopwood
Derek Leckenby
Karl Green
Barry Whitwam
UK albums
Herman's Hermits
Both Sides of Herman's Hermits
There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter
US albums
Introducing Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits on Tour
Hold On!
Both Sides of Herman's Hermits
There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World
Blaze
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter
Extended plays
Hermania
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter
Herman's Hermits Hits
A Must to Avoid
Hold On!
Dandy
The London Look
Compilation albums
The Most of Herman's Hermits
The Most of Herman's Hermits Volume 2
The Very Best of Herman's Hermits
Singles
"I'm into Something Good"
"Show Me Girl"
"Can't You Hear My Heartbeat"
"Silhouettes"
"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"
"Wonderful World"
"I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am"
"Just a Little Bit Better"
"A Must to Avoid"
"Listen People"
"Leaning on the Lamp Post"
"You Won't Be Leaving"
"This Door Swings Both Ways"
"Dandy"
"No Milk Today"
"There's a Kind of Hush"
"Don't Go Out into the Rain (You're Going to Melt)"
"Museum"
"I Can Take or Leave Your Loving"
"Sleepy Joe"
"Sunshine Girl"
"Something's Happening"
"My Sentimental Friend"
"Years May Come, Years May Go"
Related articles
Discography
Hold On! (1966 film)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1968 film)
Book
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wonderful_World_(Sam_Cooke_song)&oldid=865225201"
Categories:
1959 songs
1960 singles
Sam Cooke songs
Otis Redding songs
Song recordings produced by Mickie Most
Herman's Hermits songs
Glen Campbell songs
Simon & Garfunkel songs
James Taylor songs
Richard Marx songs
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Songs written by Sam Cooke
The Flying Pickets songs
Songs written by Lou Adler
MGM Records singles
Songs about school
Keen Records singles
Hidden categories:
CS1 maint: Archived copy as title
Articles with hAudio microformats
Articles with trivia sections from February 2017
All articles with trivia sections
Singlechart usages for UK
Singlechart usages for Dutch40
Singlechart making named ref
Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100
Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom
CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Norsk nynorsk
Русский
Svenska
Edit links
This page was last edited on 22 October 2018, at 15:43 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

attrs: class href

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

attrs: href title

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

attrs: colspan class style

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

value: td

attrs: colspan style

values:
/wiki/7-inch_single
mw-redirect
7-inch single

values: width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding: .2em .1em .2em 0;

values: width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding:.2em .1em;

values: width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding: .2em 0 .2em .1em;

values: background: transparent; width: 100%; min-width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;

values:
/wiki/R%26B/Hip-Hop_Songs
mw-redirect
R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

values:
/wiki/National_Lampoon%27s_Animal_House
mw-redirect
National Lampoon's Animal House

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values:
quotebox pullquote floatright
width:25%; ;

values: List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

values: Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter

values:
/wiki/Adult_Contemporary
mw-redirect
Adult Contemporary

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:Trivia_sections
mw-redirect
Wikipedia:Trivia sections

values:
plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-style
presentation

values:
/wiki/Barbadian_people
mw-redirect
Barbadian people

values:
/wiki/Channel_Four
mw-redirect
Channel Four

values:
col
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values: wikitable sortable plainrowheaders jquery-tablesorter

values: width: 50%;text-align: left; vertical-align: top;

values: Edit section: Simon & Garfunkel with James Taylor version

attrs: scope data-sort-type class tabindex role title

values:
col
number
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values: border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; border: 0; background:transparent; width:100%;

values: Category:CS1 maint: Archived copy as title

values:
/wiki/Rovi_Corporation
mw-redirect
Rovi Corporation

values:
nofollow
https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/
external text

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Category:CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list

values:
Sam_Cooke
fn
font-size:114%;margin:0 4em

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;background: #EEEEEE;

values:
/wiki/I_Thank_God
mw-redirect
I Thank God

values:
/wiki/Bring_It_On_Home_to_Me
mw-redirect
Bring It On Home to Me

values:
/wiki/(Ain%27t_That)_Good_News
mw-redirect
(Ain't That) Good News

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sam_Cooke
extiw
wikiquote:Sam Cooke

values:
navbox-abovebelow
2
background: #EEEEEE;

values: nowraplinks vcard hlist collapsible collapsed navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-collapsed mw-made-collapsible

values: Template talk:Johnny Nash (page does not exist)

values:
Johnny_Nash
fn
font-size:114%;margin:0 4em

values: I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash album)

values: nowraplinks vcard hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible mw-collapsed

values:
Herman's_Hermits
fn org
font-size:114%;margin:0 4em

values:
*_Peter_Noone
*_Keith_Hopwood
*_Derek_Leckenby
*_Karl_Green
*_Barry_Whitwam

values: There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World

values: Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (album)

values: Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (EP)

values:
/wiki/Museum_(song)
mw-redirect
Museum (song)

values: Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (film)

values: Category:Song recordings produced by Mickie Most

values: Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles

values: Category:Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles

values: Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles

values: Category:Articles with hAudio microformats

values: Category:Articles with trivia sections from February 2017

values: Category:All articles with trivia sections

values: Category:Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100

values: Category:Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Wonderful_World_(Sam_Cooke_song)
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Wonderful World (chanson de Sam Cooke) – French

values: Wonderful World (singolo Sam Cooke) – Italian

values: Wonderful World av Sam Cooke – Norwegian Nynorsk

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Wonderful_World_Sam_Cooke_song rootpage-Wonderful_World_Sam_Cooke_song skin-vector action-view


text:
The finger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is about the gesture. For other uses, see Finger (disambiguation).
Person "giving the middle finger"
In Western culture, the finger or the middle finger (as in giving someone the (middle) finger or the bird[1] or flipping someone off )[1] is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent in meaning to "fuck off," "fuck you," "shove it up your ass/arse," "up yours," or "go fuck yourself." It is performed by showing the back of a hand that has only the middle finger extended upwards, though in some locales, the thumb is extended. Extending the finger is considered a symbol of contempt in several cultures, especially in the West. Many cultures use similar gestures to display their disrespect, although others use it to express pointing without intentional disrespect toward other cultures. The gesture is usually used to express contempt but can also be used humorously or playfully.
The gesture dates back to Ancient Greece and it was also used in Ancient Rome. Historically, it represented the phallus. In some modern cultures, it has gained increasing recognition as a sign of disrespect, and has been used by music artists (notably more common among hardcore punk bands and rappers), actors, celebrities, athletes, and politicians. Most still view the gesture as obscene. The index finger and ring finger besides the middle finger in more contemporary periods has been likened to represent the testicles.[2]
Contents
[hide]
1 Origin
1.1 Classical era
1.2 Modern era
2 Cultural impact
2.1 Politics and military incidents
2.2 In popular culture
3 Similar gestures
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links
Origin[edit]
Classical era[edit]
The Cynic philosopher Diogenes, pictured by Gérôme with the large jar in which he lived; when strangers at the inn were expressing their wish to catch sight of the great orator Demosthenes, Diogenes is said to have stuck out his middle finger and exclaimed "this, for you, is the demagogue of the Athenians".[3]
The middle finger gesture was used in ancient times as a symbol of sexual intercourse, in a manner meant to degrade, intimidate and threaten the individual receiving the gesture.[4] It also represented the phallus, with the fingers next to the middle finger representing testicles;[5] from its close association, the gesture may have assumed apotropaic potency.[6] In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, extending the finger was one of many methods used to divert the ever-present threat of the evil eye.[7]
In Greek the gesture was known as the katapygon[8][9] (κατάπυγον, from kata – κατά, "downwards"[10] and pugē – πυγή, "rump, buttocks"[11]). In ancient Greek comedy, the finger was a gesture of insult toward another person, with the term katapugon also referring to "a male who submits to anal penetration"[12] or katapygaina to a female.[13] In Aristophanes's comedy The Clouds (423 BC),[14] when the character Socrates is quizzing his student on poetic meters, Strepsiades declares that he knows quite well what a dactyl is, and gives the finger. The gesture is a visual pun on the two meanings of the Greek word dactylos, both "finger" and the rhythmic measure composed of a long syllable and two short, like the joints of a finger (— ‿ ‿, which also appears as a visual pun on the penis and testicles in a medieval Latin text[15]). Socrates called one who made the gesture "boorish and stupid".[14][16] The gesture recurs as a form of mockery in Peace, alongside farting in someone's face;[17][18] the usage is later explained in the Suda and included in the Adagia of Erasmus.[19][20] The verb "to play the Siphnian" appears in a fragment of Aristophanes and has a similar meaning;[21][22] the usage is once again explained in the Suda, where it is said to mean "to touch the anus with a finger".[23] Diogenes Laërtius records how the Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope directed the gesture at the orator Demosthenes in 4th-century BC Athens.[3] In the Discourses of Epictetus, Diogenes's target is instead one of the sophists.[24]
In Latin, the middle finger was the digitus impudicus, meaning the "shameless, indecent or offensive finger".[5] In the 1st century AD, Persius had superstitious female relatives concoct a charm with the "infamous finger" (digitus infamis) and "purifying spit";[25][26] while in the Satyricon, an old woman uses dust, spit and her middle finger to mark the forehead before casting a spell.[27] The poet Martial has a character in good health extend "the indecent one" toward three doctors.[5][28] In another epigram, Martial wrote: "Laugh loud, Sextillus, at whoever calls you a cinaedus and extend your middle finger."[29][30] Juvenal, through synecdoche, has the "middle nail" cocked at threatening Fortuna.[31] The indecent finger features again in a mocking context in the Priapeia, a collection of poems relating to the phallic god Priapus.[6] In Late Antiquity, the term "shameless finger" is explained in the Etymologiae of Isidore of Seville with reference to its frequent use when accusing someone of a "shameful action".[32]
Baseball pitcher Old Hoss Radbourn pictured giving the finger to cameraman, 1886. (Back row, far left). First known photograph of the gesture.[33]
Modern era[edit]
Linguist Jesse Sheidlower traces the gesture's development in the United States to the 1890s. According to anthropologist Desmond Morris, the gesture probably came to the United States via Italian immigrants.[5] The first documented appearance of the finger in the United States was in 1886, when Old Hoss Radbourn, a baseball pitcher for the Boston Beaneaters, was photographed giving it to a member of their rival the New York Giants.[5] In the film Speedy (1928), Harold Lloyd's character gives himself the finger into a distorting mirror at Luna Park, about 24 minutes into the film.
Cultural impact[edit]
Politics and military incidents[edit]
The gesture has been involved in notable political events. During the USS Pueblo incident, in which an American ship was captured by North Korea, the captured American crewmembers often discreetly gave the finger in staged photo ops, thus ruining the North Koreans' efforts at propaganda. The North Koreans, ignorant of what the gesture meant, were at first told by the prisoners that it was a "Hawaiian good luck sign", similar to the shaka. When the guards finally figured things out, the crewmembers were subjected to extremely severe beatings.[34] Abbie Hoffman used the gesture at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.[4] Ronald Reagan, while serving as the Governor of California, gave the middle finger to counterculture protestors in Berkeley, California.[4] Nelson Rockefeller, then the Vice President of the United States, directed the gesture to hecklers at a 1976 campaign stop near Binghamton, New York, leading it to be called the "Rockefeller gesture".[4] Pierre Trudeau, then the Prime Minister of Canada, gave the finger to protesters in Salmon Arm, British Columbia,[35] earning the incident the nickname the "Salmon Arm salute".[36] The gesture itself has also been nicknamed the "Trudeau salute".[citation needed] Former president George W. Bush gave the finger to the camera at an Austin production facility during his term as governor of Texas, saying it was "just a one-finger victory salute."[37] Anthony Weiner gave the finger to reporters after leaving his election headquarters the night he lost the 2013 primary election for Mayor of New York City.[38] During the campaign for the 2013 German federal election, the leading candidate of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Peer Steinbrück controversially gave the finger in a photo interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung's Magazin supplement.[39]
During World War II, the 91st Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces referred to the gesture as the "rigid digit" salute. It was used in a more jocular manner, to suggest an airman had committed an error or infraction; the term was a reference to British slang terms for inattentiveness (i.e. "pull your finger out (of your bum)").[40] The "order of the rigid digit" continued after the war as a series of awards presented by the veteran's association of the 91st, marked by wooden statuettes of a hand giving the single finger gesture.[41] In 2005 during the war in Iraq, Gunnery Sergeant Michael Burghardt gained prominence when the Omaha World-Herald published a photo of Burghardt making the gesture towards Iraqi insurgents he believed to be watching after an improvised explosive device failed to kill him.[42]
The middle finger has been involved in judicial hearings. An appellate court in Hartford, Connecticut ruled in 1976 that gesturing with the middle finger was offensive, but not obscene, after a police officer charged a 16-year-old with making an obscene gesture when the student gave the officer the middle finger.[43] The case was appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court,[44] which upheld the decision.[45] In March 2006, a federal lawsuit was filed regarding the free speech issue.[46]
Giving the finger has resulted in negative consequences. A Malaysian man was bludgeoned to death after giving the finger to a motorist following a car chase.[47] A Pakistani man was deported by the United Arab Emirates for the gesture, which violates indecency codes.[48]
People have given the finger as a method of political protest. At a concert, Ricky Martin gave a picture of George W. Bush the finger to protest the War in Iraq.[49] Serbian protesters gave the finger to the Russian embassy regarding their support of Slobodan Milošević.[50] Artist Ai Weiwei has used the finger in photographs and sculptures as a political statement.[51] As a political message to the Czech President, Czech artist David Cerny floated an outsize, purple statue of a hand on the River Vltava in Prague; its middle finger extended towards Prague Castle, the Presidential seat.[52]
In popular culture[edit]
A group of homeless children from Keningauin, in Borneo, giving the finger while sniffing glue from a plastic bag.
A message on the Vltava river under Prague Castle from the Czech sculptor David Černý to the pro-Kremlin president Miloš Zeman before the precipitated 2013 parliament election in the Czech Republic.
The use of the middle finger has become pervasive in popular culture. The band Cobra Starship released a song called "Middle Finger", and released a music video that showed people giving the finger.[53] Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan installed a marble statue of a middle finger measuring 11 metres (36 ft), located directly in front of the Milan Stock Exchange.[54] A now-famous photograph of Johnny Cash shows him giving the middle finger to a photographer during a 1969 concert at San Quentin State Prison, released as At San Quentin.[55] However, the photo remained fairly obscure until 1998, when producer Rick Rubin made it the centerpiece of an ad in Billboard criticizing country radio for not giving airplay to Cash's Grammy-winning album Unchained.[56] Cameron Diaz made the gesture during a photo shoot for Esquire.[57] Harold Lloyd shot the finger to his own reflection in a Coney Island funhouse after getting paint on his suit in Speedy, his final silent feature, from 1928.[58]
Athletes, including Stefan Effenberg, Ron Artest, Luis Suárez, Juan Pablo Montoya, Iván Rodríguez, Danny Graves, Jack McDowell, Natasha Zvereva, Josh Smith, Bryan Cox, and Johnny Manziel[59] have been suspended or fined for making the gesture.[5][57][60][61][62] José Paniagua was released by the Chicago White Sox after giving the middle finger to an umpire; he hasn't played in the majors since.[60] Baseball executive Chub Feeney once resigned after giving the finger to fans on Fan Appreciation Night.[60][63] Bud Adams, owner of the National Football League's Tennessee Titans, was fined US$250,000 for giving both middle fingers to the fans of the Buffalo Bills during a game.[64][65] Professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin is also famous for flashing one or both middle fingers as part of his gimmick. Hockey star Jaromír Jágr made the gesture several times following goals in the early 1990s.[66]
The NME Awards, an annual music awards show in the UK, uses an extended middle finger design in the trophy handed out to the winners.[67] Many musical artists, including Madonna, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Adele have publicly made the gesture.[68][69][70] Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea have given the gesture towards members of the paparazzi, but had to apologize when fans interpreted the gesture as directed at them.[5] M.I.A. gave the gesture during the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show.[5][71] The National Football League, NBC, and M.I.A. apologized.[5][72] The CD itself for Kid Rock's album Devil Without a Cause is a picture of his raised middle finger. On the cover of Moby Grape's first album, Moby Grape, band member Don Stevenson was caught flipping the bird at the camera. The finger was airbrushed out of subsequent releases of the album.
In automobile driving culture, giving the finger to a fellow motorist communicates displeasure at another person's reckless driving habits and/or their disregard for common courtesy.[73]
The finger is included in Unicode as U+1F595 🖕 REVERSED HAND WITH MIDDLE FINGER EXTENDED.[74]
The media sometimes refers to the gesture as being mistaken for an indication of "we're number one", typically indicated with a raised index finger.[63][75][76] Sometimes, though, the "mistake" is actually an intentional euphemism meant to indirectly convey the gesture in a medium where a direct description would be inappropriate. For example, Don Meredith is famously noted in a 1972 Monday Night Football game describing the Finger of a dejected Houston Oilers fan as, "He thinks they're number one in the nation."[77] Ira Robbins, a law professor, believes the finger is no longer an obscene gesture.[5] Psychologist David Walsh, founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family, sees the growing acceptance of the middle finger as a sign of the growth of a "culture of disrespect".[57]
Google Street View's picture of the area around the Wisconsin Governor's Mansion, taken in 2011 during the tenure of Scott Walker, shows a jogger giving the finger in the direction of the mansion.[78]
Similar gestures[edit]
The hand gesture on the left is the normal "victory" symbol. The gesture on the right is the obscene gesture.
In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, the V sign or "the fingers", when given with back of the hand towards the recipient, serves a similar purpose. George H. W. Bush, former President of the United States, accidentally made the gesture while on a diplomatic trip to Australia.[79] In countries where Spanish, Portuguese, or French are spoken, and especially in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and France the gesture involving raising a fist and slapping the biceps on the same arm as the fist used, sometimes called the bras d'honneur or Iberian slap, is equivalent to the finger. Italy, Poland, and countries under the influence of Russian culture,[citation needed] such as Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, also see it as equivalent to the finger, but the majority of young people in these countries use the finger as an insult, which is associated with the Western culture.[5]
In Islamic countries and cultures, a gesture involving exposing only the thumb in a vertical orientation – a thumbs up – is used in lieu of the finger to express roughly the same sentiment.[80] A similarly obscene gesture is extending all five digits with the palm facing forward, meaning "you have five fathers", thus calling someone a bastard.[80] This is similar to a gesture known in Greece as the Moutza, where the five fingers are spread wide and the palm is pushed towards the recipient.[81] More commonly in Turkish or Slavic regions, the fig sign (also known as nah or shish) serves as the equivalent to the finger, meaning "you won't get it" or "in your dreams". The gesture is typically made with the hand and fingers curled and the thumb thrust between the middle and index fingers. This gesture is also used similarly in Indonesia, Turkey and China.[82]
See also[edit]
Culture portal
Freedom of speech portal
Language portal
Linguistics portal
Society portal
Articulatory gestures
Dulya (Fig sign)
List of gestures
List of sign languages
Manual communication
Mooning
Non verbal communication
Obscene gesture
Shaka sign
Shocker (hand gesture)
Sign of the Horns
V sign or "the fingers"
Wanker
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Kipfer, Barbara Ann; Chapman, Robert L. (2008). American Slang. HarperCollins. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-06-117947-1. OCLC 191931926.
Jump up ^ Rosewarne, Lauren (2013). American Taboo: The Forbidden Words, Unspoken Rules, and Secret Morality of Popular culture. p. 51.
^ Jump up to: a b Diogenes Laertius. "Lives of Eminent Philosophers VI.2.34" (in Ancient Greek). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Oricchio, Michael (June 20, 1996). "Davis' Infamous Finger Salute Has Had a Big Hand in History; Folklorists: Roots Go Back At Least 2,000 Years To Ancient Rome". San Jose Mercury News. p. 16A. Retrieved July 9, 2012. (subscription required)
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Nasaw, Daniel (February 6, 2012). "When did the middle finger become offensive?". BBC News Magazine. BBC. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Corbeill, Anthony (2003). Nature Embodied: Gesture in Ancient Rome. Princeton University Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-691-07494-8.
Jump up ^ Malina, Bruce J. (2001). The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology (3 ed.). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Jump up ^ Liddell, Henry George; Robert Scott (1940). "A Greek–English Lexicon: κατάπυγον". Oxford University Press (via Perseus Project). Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Halperin, David M.; Winkler, John J. (1992). Before Sexuality: The Construction of Erotic Experience in the Ancient Greek World. Princeton University Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-691-03538-3.
Jump up ^ Liddell, Henry George; Robert Scott (1940). "A Greek–English Lexicon: κατά". Oxford University Press (via Perseus Project). Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Liddell, Henry George; Robert Scott (1940). "A Greek–English Lexicon: πυγή". Oxford University Press (via Perseus Project). Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Cohen, Beth (2000). Not the classical ideal: Athens and the construction of the other in Greek art. Brill. p. 186.
Jump up ^ Calame, Claude; Lloyd, Janet (1999). The Poetics of Eros in Ancient Greece. Princeton University Press. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-691-04341-8.
^ Jump up to: a b Dover, K.J. (1968). Aristophanes Clouds. Oxford University Press. pp. xvii, 181. ISBN 0-19-814395-8.
Jump up ^ Adams, J.N. (1982). The Latin Sexual Vocabulary. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 39.
Jump up ^ Aristophanes. "Clouds (ll. 650-6)". Perseus Project. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Aristophanes. "Peace (ll. 546-9)" (in Ancient Greek). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Liddell, Henry George; Robert Scott (1940). "A Greek–English Lexicon: σκιμαλίζω". Oxford University Press (via Perseus Project). Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Suda On Line: Ἐσκιμάλισεν". The Stoa Consortium. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Erasmus (1992). Adages III.iii.87. University of Toronto Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-802-02831-0.
Jump up ^ Liddell, Henry George; Robert Scott (1940). "A Greek–English Lexicon: σιφνιάζω". Oxford University Press (via Perseus Project). Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Henderson, Jeffrey (1975). The Maculate Muse: Obscene Language in Attic Comedy. Yale University Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-300-01786-1.
Jump up ^ "Suda On Line: Σιφνιάζειν". The Stoa Consortium. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Arrian. "Discourses of Epictetus III.2.i". Perseus Project. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Persius. "Satires II.33" (in Latin). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Erasmus (1992). Adages II.iv.68. University of Toronto Press. pp. 225–6. ISBN 978-0-802-05954-3.
Jump up ^ Petronius. "Satyricon 131" (in Latin). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Martial. "Epigrammata VI.70.5" (in Latin). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Martial. "Epigrammata II.28.1–2" (in Latin). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Williams, Craig Arthur (2010). Roman Homosexuality. Oxford University Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-195-38874-9.
Jump up ^ Juvenal. "Satire X.52-3" (in Latin). Perseus Project. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Oliver, Lisi (2011). The Body Legal in Barbarian Law. University of Toronto Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-802-09706-4.
Jump up ^ Achorn, Edward (2010). Fifty-nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had. Smithsonian Books. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-06-182586-6.
Jump up ^ Stu, Russell. "The Digit Affair". USS Pueblo Veteran's Association. Archived from the original on September 30, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010. The finger became an integral part of our anti-propaganda campaign. Any time a camera appeared, so did the fingers.
Jump up ^ "Top aide put on spot over Trudeau's one-finger gesture". The Ottawa Citizen. August 25, 1982. p. 11. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ "One-finger salute crude to Ont. Film Review Bd". Toronto. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
Jump up ^ "Bush Giving Middle Finger - Bush Middle Finger Video". About.com Political Humor.
Jump up ^ Dolan, Laura; Flores, Rosa; McCaughan, Tim (September 11, 2013). "Weiner dodges sexting partner, flips the bird as he rides off". CNN.com. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
Jump up ^ Maroldt, Lorenz (13 September 2013). "Peer Steinbrück und die "Stinkefinger"-Pose. Sie können ihn mal" (in German). Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
Jump up ^ Freeman, Roger A. (1990). Mighty Eighth War Diary. Motorbooks Intl. ISBN 978-0879384951.
Jump up ^ The Ragged Irregular, Vol. 4, No. 3, April 1971. accessed online 1 Aug 2012 p.3
Jump up ^ Mikkelson, Barbara & David P. "Michael Burghardt" at Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages.
Jump up ^ "Raising middle finger not obscene, judges say". The Miami News. Associated Press. December 28, 1976. p. 2A. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Leonard Backing Court Appeal On Middle Finger". The Hour. United Press International. January 8, 1977. p. 5. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Mulligan, Hugh A. (January 30, 1978). "The Moving Finger Writes Legal History". The Evening Independent. p. 19-A. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ Reed Ward, Paula (March 14, 2006). "Middle finger salute leads to federal lawsuit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. B1. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
Jump up ^ "A fatal finger gesture". The Star. April 17, 2010. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Dubai: Deportation for finger gesture man – News". Scotsman.com. January 9, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Daily News - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
Jump up ^ The Post and Courier – Google News Archive Search
Jump up ^ "MOMA – The Collection – Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective – Tiananmen Square". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Czech floating finger sends president message". BBC News.
Jump up ^ "Cobra Starship's 'Middle Finger' Video Is Bird-Flipping Fun – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. January 19, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Middle finger sculpture pops up in front of Milan Stock Exchange". National Post. September 27, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "The Story Behind Johnny Cash's Infamous Middle Finger Photo ::Johnny Cash News". antiMusic.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "The Triggerman" (July 18, 2010). "Johnny Cash's Famous Middle Finger". SavingCountryMusic.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
Jump up ^ Bengtson, John (2011). Silent Visions: Discovering Early Hollywood and New York Through the Films of Harold Lloyd. Santa Monica Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-1-59580-057-2.
Jump up ^ "Johnny Manziel fined $12K for obscene hand gesture on Monday Night Football". Yahoo Sports. August 22, 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c Waldman, Katy. "Baseball and the bird". Slate Magazine. Slate.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ Laverty, Gene (April 25, 2007). "Montoya Fined $10,000 by Nascar for Finger Gesture Caught by TV". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Through the years with the crudest finger in sports". Sports Illustrated. February 5, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Wulf, Steve (April 5, 1989). "All My Padres". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "NFL fines Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for obscene gesture". Sporting News. Aol.sportingnews.com. Associated Press. November 16, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Mike Florio (November 18, 2009). "Could Bud Adams' middle finger endear NFL owners to fans?". Sporting News. Aol.sportingnews.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Young Jaromir Jagr loved flipping the bird". LetsGoPens. Mar 6, 2007.
Jump up ^ "The Story Of The Night: NME Awards 2016". NME Awards. 4 January 2018.
Jump up ^ "WTF! Ariana Grande & Jennifer Lawrence Middle Finger Drama! - Hollywire".
Jump up ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 6, 2012). "M.I.A. Super Bowl Middle Finger Joins Long List Of Celebrity Flip-Offs". MTV.com. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ Collett, Mike. "Adele turns tables on TV execs with finger gesture". Reuters. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Gardner, Tim (February 5, 2012). "M.I.A. flips middle finger during Super Bowl halftime show". Retrieved February 6, 2012.
Jump up ^ Frere-Jones, Sasha (February 6, 2012). "M.I.A. Shouldn't have apologized". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
Jump up ^ Trumble, Angus (2010). The Finger: A Handbook. Melbourne University Publishing. p. 192. ISBN 9780522857696.
Jump up ^ "Middle Finger Emoji". Emojipedia.
Jump up ^ Kenneally, Tim (February 6, 2012). "Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Show Edges Out the Game". reuters.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ Stevenson, Chris (April 21, 2011). "Bruins edge Habs early in OT". The Kingston Whig-Standard. QMI Agency. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Monday Night Football". Fun Facts & Information. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
Jump up ^ Snider, Christian (January 6, 2014). "The new Wisconsin salute". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Jump up ^ "The Prescott Courier - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
^ Jump up to: a b "What's A-O.K. in the U.S.A. Is Lewd and Worthless Beyond". The New York Times. August 18, 1996. Retrieved April 11, 2008.
Jump up ^ Kass, John (October 9, 2009). "Curses! Hand it to the feds to insult us on every corner". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ Kleinman, Zoe (August 16, 2010). "How the internet is changing language". BBC News. Bbc.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
Further reading[edit]
Fairman, Christopher M. (2009). Fuck: Word Taboo and Protecting Our First Amendment Liberties. Sphinx Publishing. ISBN 1572487119.
Loheed, M. J.; Patterson, Matt; Schmidt, Eddie (1998). The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide to Flipping Off. Acid Test. ISBN 1888358122.
Wagner, Melissa; Armstrong, Nancy (2003). Field Guide to Gestures: How to Identify and Interpret Virtually Every Gesture Known to Man. Quirk Books. ISBN 1931686203.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Middle finger gestures.
Robbins, Ira P. (2008). "Digitus Impudicus: The Middle Finger and the Law" (pdf). UC Davis Law Review. 41.
"Finger Gesture Guide". Simply Body Language. SteNet Services B.V.
"Pluck Yew". Snopes.com. July 9, 2007.
hide
v
t
e
Gestures
Friendly gestures
Air kiss
Applause
Cheek kiss
Dap
Elbow bump
Eskimo kiss
Fist bump
Forehead kiss
Hand heart
Handshake
Hand wave
Hat tip
High five
Hongi
ILY sign
Kiss
Liberian snap handshake
Namaste
OK
Pinky swear
Pound hug
Shaka
Thumb signal
Gestures of respect
Adab
Añjali Mudrā
Bow
Curtsey
Gadaw
Genuflection
Hand-kiss
Kowtow
Kuji-in
Mano
Mudra
Namaste
Pranāma
Prostration
Sampeah
Sembah
Schwurhand
Wai
Zolgokh
Salutes
Bellamy salute
Nazi salute
Raised fist
Roman salute
Scout sign and salute
Three-finger salute
Two-finger salute
Vulcan salute
Zogist salute
Celebratory gestures
Applause
Crossed hands
Fist pump
High five
Victory clasp
V sign
Finger-counting
Finger binary
Chinese number gestures
Chisanbop
Obscene gestures
Anasyrma
Bras d'honneur
Cornuto
Fig sign
Finger
Mooning
Mountza
Reversed V sign
Shocker
Thumb/index-finger ring
Wanker
Taunts
Akanbe
Finger
Loser
Talk to the hand
Head motions
Head shake
Head bobble
Nod
Other gestures
Air quotes
Allergic salute
Aussie salute
Awkward turtle
Crossed fingers
Facepalm
Eyelid pull
Finger gun
Gang signal
Hand-in-waistcoat
Hand rubbing
Jazz hands
Laban sign
Merkel diamond
Pointing
Pollice verso
Shrug
Sign of the cross
Sign of the horns
Related
List of gestures
Mudras
Articulatory gestures
Manual communication
Nonverbal communication
Sign language
Surya Namaskara
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_finger&oldid=846177777"
Categories:
Fingers
Hand gestures
Obscenity
Hidden categories:
CS1 foreign language sources (ISO 639-2)
Pages containing links to subscription-only content
CS1 Latin-language sources (la)
CS1 German-language sources (de)
Use mdy dates from February 2017
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015
Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata
Good articles
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
বাংলা
Čeština
Dansk
Deutsch
Eesti
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Français
한국어
Հայերեն
Italiano
עברית
日本語
Norsk
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
ไทย
Українська
粵語
中文
19 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 16 June 2018, at 22:04.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: This is a good article. Follow the link for more information.

attrs: class id

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

attrs: href class title

values:
/wiki/Finger_(disambiguation)
mw-disambig
Finger (disambiguation)

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: class style

values:
/wiki/Obscene_hand_gesture
mw-redirect
Obscene hand gesture

values:
/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope
mw-redirect
Diogenes of Sinope

values:
/wiki/Medieval_Latin_literature
mw-redirect
Medieval Latin literature

values:
/wiki/Late_Antiquity
mw-redirect
Late Antiquity

values:
/wiki/Italian_immigrants
mw-redirect
Italian immigrants

values: Edit section: Politics and military incidents

values:
/wiki/Salmon_Arm,_British_Columbia
mw-redirect
Salmon Arm, British Columbia

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2016)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values:
/wiki/War_in_Iraq
mw-redirect
War in Iraq

values:
/wiki/Gunnery_Sergeant
mw-redirect
Gunnery Sergeant

values:
/wiki/Political_protest
mw-redirect
Political protest

values:
/wiki/Russian_embassy
mw-redirect
Russian embassy

values:
/wiki/Intoxicative_inhalant
mw-redirect
Intoxicative inhalant

values:
/wiki/Milan_Stock_Exchange
mw-redirect
Milan Stock Exchange

values:
/wiki/M.I.A._(artist)
mw-redirect
M.I.A. (artist)

values:
/wiki/Don_Stevenson_(musician)
mw-redirect
Don Stevenson (musician)

values:
monospaced
font-family: monospace, monospace;

values: font-variant: small-caps; font-size: smaller;

values: Ira Robbins (law professor) (page does not exist)

values: National Institute on Media and the Family

values: Italians show only the middle finger and never the V sign. Please verify the other countries too (August 2015)

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values:
/wiki/Non_verbal_communication
mw-redirect
Non verbal communication

values:
/wiki/Sign_of_the_Horns
mw-redirect
Sign of the Horns

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/oclc/191931926

values:
/wiki/Diogenes_Laertius
mw-redirect
Diogenes Laertius

values:
/wiki/San_Jose_Mercury_News
mw-redirect
San Jose Mercury News

values:
/wiki/BBC_News_Magazine
mw-redirect
BBC News Magazine

values:
/wiki/Westminster_John_Knox_Press
mw-redirect
Westminster John Knox Press

values:
/wiki/The_Evening_Independent
mw-redirect
The Evening Independent

values:
/wiki/Slate_Magazine
mw-redirect
Slate Magazine

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible

values: Category:CS1 foreign language sources (ISO 639-2)

values: Category:Pages containing links to subscription-only content

values: Category:CS1 Latin-language sources (la)

values: Category:CS1 German-language sources (de)

values: Category:Use mdy dates from February 2017

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015

values: Category:Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/The_finger
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: মধ্যাঙ্গুলি প্রদর্শন – Bangla

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-cs
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-da
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-et
display: none;

values: Κωλοδάχτυλο – Greek

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-el
display: none;

values:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higa
Higa – Spanish
es
es
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eo
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eu
display: none;

values: انگشت وسط (ژست) – Persian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fa
display: none;

values: 가운뎃손가락 (제스처) – Korean

values: Մատ տնկելը – Armenian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hy
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-it
display: none;

values: אצבע משולשת – Hebrew

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-he
display: none;

values: ファックサイン – Japanese

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-no
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-pl
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ro
display: none;

values: Средний палец (жест) – Russian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sh
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fi
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sv
display: none;

values: การชูนิ้วกลาง – Thai

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-th
display: none;

values: Середній палець (жест) – Ukrainian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-uk
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue
display: none;

values: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-The_finger rootpage-The_finger skin-vector action-view