All-Star Twerk Ban

[Just-a-Mom]

what I can't stand the most is when there are these big groups of 9 and 10 year olds at competitions having what they called their "twerk party"


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Gross.

Speaking as someone who's actually taken several college courses on evolutionary biology and psychology, while there are lots of hypotheses for the evolutionary benefit for women's curves (whether it be rear ends, hips, legs, breasts, etc.), there isn't much actual scientific evidence that supports much of any of the claims. A large problem with evolutionary psychology is that it focuses more on looking back and creating plausible-sounding stories to fill in the gaps than on finding actual scientific evidence to support those ideas.

Do you have scientific evidence to refute those ideas? Because there actually is plenty of evidence to support them. And I also have taken several college courses on all sorts of biology and psychology.

First off, I genuinely want to thank you for taking the time to find some actual evidence against my argument. It's a breath of a fresh air.

Part of the problem with relying on Internet definitions is that you don't know who they're being written by, or the motivations for why the author phrased things in a particular manner. I would argue that the internet definitions aren't particularly well thought out, and fail to take into consideration that there are plenty of different styles of twerking. Since twerking is still relatively new to the pop culture scene, people are eager to define it by its controversy; they probably don't feel the need to look at the movements objectively. If the Internet were around in the 50s, I'm sure you would find that the majority of people would define "The Twist" in the same way as people nowadays seem to be defining "The Twerk".

I honestly couldn't care less if Twist and Shout were to ban their athletes from wearing Mickey Mouse socks; how they control their athletes is their prerogative. What does concern me are the arguments that people are using to defend the ban--I felt (and continue to feel) it necessary to point out that it's a problem when arguments are rooted in pure emotion and illegitimate biases rather than objectivity and critical thinking.

Yes, internet definitions are sketchy at best. But the actual dictionary on my desk didn't have twerk in it so I had to work with what I had at my disposal. That being said, the internet does happen to be where the majority of people get their info from nowadays. I'm 40 years old - I've been around for a lot of dances, but I'd say this is one of the few I just can't get on board with. I lived in south Florida in the early 90s, when I was 19-20 years old - I've seen twerking in many forms, long before it got "popular." :eek: None of them were artistic.

I agree about the Twist. Yes, things we used to think of as scandalous are now seen as innocent and normal. I don't actually think this is necessarily a good thing though.

I know you (and someone else but I don't remember who) think twerking didn't come from strippers, but I'm going to argue that it did. Your "historical" source is probably about as valid as mine. My source is life experience, and I'm saying strippers in Atlanta and south Florida in the late 80s and early 90s brought twerking to the US. I don't know for sure who named it or if the history of the actual word twerk came from strippers, but the dance did.

I understand that the argument is that it originally came from African dance. I'm going to go ahead and call bs on that. No one is putting a dance on vine or tumblr or youtube to show off their knowledge of African dance. No stripper at Magic City or in Ft Lauderdale said "Oh, let me show these men my artistic African dance for money!" So try to make it sound historical all you want, but the twerking that you see these kids doing now originated with strippers. To try to make it cute or historical or even just not gross is absurd.

(***To clarify, my extensive knowledge of "dancers" in the south in the 90s does not come from being one. :oops: But I did work for a record label and work with a lot of rappers (sadly no one important). Ergo...lots of...um..."young ladies" involved in my line of work.)

 

[cupieqt]

:cow:

We need a twerking cow.

I wonder if there are any scholarly journals published discussing the correlation between the human evolutionary process and twerking on social media? See you all at the library!


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[Cheer Dad]

Well, one, yes you do apparently lack creativity. ;)

Two, just for the sake of argument, I googled twerking and shimmying to see how the internet world would define them for someone who wasn't familiar with either. I found about 25 definitions for each.

One definition of shimmying even remotely implied that it was meant to entice or use the breasts in any way. And that was about the 5th one down on urban dictionary.
Every single definition of twerking I could find had the word sexual, stripper, arousal, slutty, or lascivious in it. Not particularly words I'm looking for when describing young teenage girls that I know (or worse, gave birth to).

But to each their own. If you think it's cute and artistic then have at it. Just don't sign up to cheer at T&S and you should be good to go.

afraid of what runs through your head sometimes. :p

 

[cupieqt]

afraid of what runs through your head sometimes. :p

Hahaha! Her brain can twerk like no one else's that's for sure. I love me some JAM


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[Cheermom1969]

We need a twerking cow.

I wonder if there are any scholarly journals published discussing the correlation between the human evolutionary process and twerking on social media? See you all at the library!


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Yeah, where's the emoji maker when we need him/her?

I'll leave the scholarly things to you big thinkers. I'm going to the bar... :cool:

 

[ashscott41]

***To clarify, my extensive knowledge of "dancers" in the south in the 90s does not come from being one. :oops:

Lol-ing at the thought of Carol Brady twerking in 90s Miami


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[cupieqt]

Yeah, where's the emoji maker when we need him/her?

I'll leave the scholarly things to you big thinkers. I'm going to the bar... :cool:

Did I say the library? Dang, I meant the liquor store :oops:


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[Cheermom1969]

Did I say the library? Dang, I meant the liquor store :oops:


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That's what I thought!

Cranberry!

 

[Emily]

I just want to thank T&S for having twerking in their social media policy!

I have seen a "mini team twerk party" a couple of days ago on a social media site - let's just say that I do not know how a coach could get the idea to do that - let alone post it on social media :eek:.
It is one thing to let the mini team twerk - but record it and post it on social media - my kid would not continue to cheer at that gym!

 

[MyGirlCheers]

Yeah, where's the emoji maker when we need him/her?

I'll leave the scholarly things to you big thinkers. I'm going to the bar... :cool:

Cranberry!
oops you beat me to it... Vodka!

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Lol-ing at the thought of Carol Brady twerking in 90s Miami


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Bwaaaaaahahahaha just choked on my sandwich. Seriously. :D (And girl if you only knew. That's why I laugh when people on here think all us moms are so "mom-like" and prude. We were young and wild once too. How do y'all think we know all this stuff? The library?)

 

[Cheermom1969]

Cranberry!
oops you beat me to it... Vodka!

LMAO! Vodka!

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I'd like to add that sometimes the viglinks on here are so hilarious. :D

 

[mccracal]

Are you suggesting I haven't?

I'm betting there's more scientific evidence to support the claim that the buttocks is sexual than there is to support your argument that it isn't. I'd be happy to read any links you can provide to scholarly articles supporting your position.

It wasn't my intention to say that the butt isn't at all related to sexuality. I'm saying that there isn't sufficient evidence to claim that it definitively is a biological part of human sexuality. If you can show me the scientific theory that supports your claims, I'll be happy to eat my words. But considering that there aren't really any scientific theories (in a strict sense) for a considerable number of things involving the mechanisms of natural selection, I don't imagine that it'll be a successful venture. To be sure, there have been some studies on other species, and some scientists believe that it's plausible that parts of human sexuality may have developed in a similar fashion. Key words being plausible and may have--you may very well be right that the butt has an evolutionary history of sexuality, but there has yet to be any definitive evidence on the subject, so I don't know why you expect me to show you any scholarly articles that focus on how sexuality didn't develop.

 

[ErinS]

We need a twerking cow.

I wonder if there are any scholarly journals published discussing the correlation between the human evolutionary process and twerking on social media? See you all at the library!


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I'm a librarian. I could look for this. But I don't feel like it....Because its the end of the day...and I'm lazy...and I'm seeing Beyonce on Saturday...and then I'm taking a week vacation from being a librarian...and basically I'm lazy and its Wednesday and I want it to be Friday....