# Every generation has its silly stationary dance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 17, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210 "2012-05-17T14:32:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/1 "2012-05-17T14:32:33Z")

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I don’t know what else to call it - semaphore? But, we had \*\*YMCA \*\*in the 70s, the **Safety Dance** in the 80s, followed by the \*\*Macarena \*\*in the 90s, and now, I just saw **Call Me Maybe**.

Is there a better name for these? To me at least, “dancing” inolves moving your feet, but these all move little more than your hands and arms.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/2 "2012-05-17T15:06:13Z")

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The twist . . . the watusi . . . number nine, number nine, number nine.

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**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/3 "2012-05-17T15:08:54Z")

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The Hokey Pokey is eternal. And don’t forget (as if you could) the Chicken Dance.

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**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/4 "2012-05-17T16:49:04Z")

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The swim. Mashing potatoes. Vogueing. The robot. The dougie. The hand jive. There’s tons of these.

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**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/5 "2012-05-17T17:04:09Z")

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It seems like a lot of traditional dances (couples dancing, clogging, Irish dancing, etc) is solely about moving your feet. I can’t think of a lot of dances that have required arm AND leg motions in Western traditions (flamenco?), although a lot of Eastern dances do, I think.

Or I may be talking through my hat.

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/6 "2012-05-17T17:05:17Z")

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> [@Silver\_Tyger](#):
>
> It seems like a lot of traditional dances (couples dancing, clogging, Irish dancing, etc) is solely about moving your feet. I can’t think of a lot of dances that have required arm AND leg motions in Western traditions (flamenco?), although a lot of Eastern dances do, I think.

Well, there’s the chicken dance, but I guess you don’t really move your legs as much as wiggle your ass. 😉

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/7 "2012-05-17T17:26:09Z")

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Add the sprinkler.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/8 "2012-05-17T17:45:49Z")

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I was really thinking more of the “dances” that can be done without actually moving\* - best I can tell from my (mercifully!) limited exposure to it, the **Call Me Maybe** one can only be done while seated or at least stationary.

- For this, pretend Riverdance doesn’t exist. Most traditional dances move one’s body around the room.

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**Author:** ![midnight-dreary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@midnight-dreary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midnight-dreary)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/9 "2012-05-18T00:23:59Z")

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The ketchup song was the 00’s version of this, atleast around where I live. [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFzyYYZsxGc)

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/10 "2012-05-18T00:36:54Z")

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Martin Mull’s “The Nothing” doesn’t require that you move anything.

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**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/11 "2012-05-18T00:46:22Z")

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Fine. I’ll bite. What is the Call Me Maybe. I tried to find it on youtube and don’t see it.

ETA: I mean, I see the song, but I don’t see any dance that isn’t just regular varying choreography by different fans. I don’t see any dancing in the official video.

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**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/12 "2012-05-18T01:06:38Z")

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> [@JSexton](#):
>
> The swim. Mashing potatoes. Vogueing. The robot. The dougie. The hand jive. There’s tons of these.

Speaking prehistorically, the 20s had the shimmy and the 30s had posin’.  
I couldn’t come up with anything for the 40s…maybe push-ups?

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**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/13 "2012-05-18T08:54:04Z")

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How did you come up with that term? It’s exactly right.

\<\<\<late '60s, all ‘70s…my simbalotic dance (? almost sleepwalking; too drunk to move but not drunk enough to fall) was shuffle shuffle side to side, arms never move (very Celtic—Appalachian of me) head bent with hair curtaining my face (lettin’ my Freak flag fly.) Could last for a good hour that way. After…?

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**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/14 "2012-05-18T15:49:44Z")

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Isn’t the “cabbage patch” the standard for all goofy stationary dancing?

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-generation-has-its-silly-stationary-dance/622210/15 "2012-05-18T19:31:32Z")

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> [@Max\_Torque](#):
>
> Isn’t the “cabbage patch” the standard for all goofy stationary dancing?

Raise the roof!