# Who invented that stupid parade wave and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865 "2010-05-10T02:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/1 "2010-05-10T02:09:04Z")
I went to a community parade today and was reminded again of that stupid way they teach the parade participants, particularly the queen candidates, to wave to the crowd. This is the one where they cup their hand, hold their forearm vertically and then rotate it slowly from the elbow. It reminds me of a scanning radar antenna. It looks completely unnatural. No one would wave to someone like this unless she were taught to do so. What is the reason for doing it this way? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/2 "2010-05-10T02:15:50Z")
I just tried that and by mistake my fingers were splayed out and crooked, each at a different angle. Perhaps this was the original pose, intended for zombie queens? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/3 "2010-05-10T02:16:48Z")
> [@jebert](#): > > I went to a community parade today and was reminded again of that stupid way they teach the parade participants, particularly the queen candidates, to wave to the crowd. This is the one where they cup their hand, hold their forearm vertically and then rotate it slowly from the elbow. It reminds me of a scanning radar antenna. > > It looks completely unnatural. No one would wave to someone like this unless she were taught to do so. What is the reason for doing it this way? Because its possible to keep it up for hours in a parade without causing yourself repetitive stress injury. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/4 "2010-05-10T02:21:10Z")
Little known fact–the parade wave was invented by none other than that lover of great parades (especially of the military variety): H.L. Mencken. Who were YOU thinking about, you Nazi bastard? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/5 "2010-05-10T02:59:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Who invented that stupid parade wave and why? Probably more of an interesting GD debate than a Pit thread, but what the hell. My WAG? Humans have always been fascinated by large, synchronized movements. Line dances go back thousands of years (there is evidence/theories that the Nazca lines, for instance, were large ceremonial line dances). Why? Beats me…people seem to just like being part of a greater whole, and to do things in concert with large numbers of other people. WAG again…it makes them feel connected to a greater community than just their own selves or immediate family. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/6 "2010-05-10T03:41:43Z")
I dunno, but now I understand why my radar detector goes off every 4th of July. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/7 "2010-05-10T05:36:12Z")
[super perky homecoming queen voice]Elbow Elbow wrist, wrist WRIST! [/SPHQV] It probably allows for better photos too. The slooooow wave prevents a hand blur maybe? (I’m not a photog.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/8 "2010-05-10T05:46:26Z")
If you look closely at their hands, you can see instructions written on them. “Turn Left!”, “Turn Right!”, each turn would hide one instruction and reveal the other. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/9 "2010-05-10T11:48:34Z")
My wife tells me that the Royal Family refers to this move as “screwing in the lightbulb”. How she knows that, I don’t know. But I’ve seen Queen Elizabeth doing this (in person, no less), and that is indeed what it looks like. And I think the reason cited above is correct – it’s relatively less fatiguing. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/10 "2010-05-10T12:00:28Z")
> [@jebert](#): > > It looks completely unnatural. No one would wave to someone like this unless she were taught to do so. Of course you know there’d have to be someone with anecdotal and contrary evidence… For whatever reason, this is how I waved to people as a child, despite everyone doing more normal waves to me. My mom and extended family found my “royal wave” hilarious, often embarrassing the hell out of me; they tell me I began doing it as a baby when interacting with people. Even now, it feels more natural to wave this way. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/11 "2010-05-10T13:34:34Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > H.L. Mencken. Who were YOU thinking about, you Nazi bastard? I was thinking you were going to say Sousa, but I knew it wasn’t true because I’ve read three or four biographies of Sousa, including his autobiography. Mencken, huh? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/12 "2010-05-10T19:20:27Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Little known fact–the parade wave was invented by none other than that lover of great parades (especially of the military variety): > > H.L. Mencken. Who were YOU thinking about, you Nazi bastard? > [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I was thinking you were going to say Sousa, but I knew it wasn’t true because I’ve read three or four biographies of Sousa, including his autobiography. Mencken, huh? Actually, I thought it was: Hitler. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/13 "2010-05-10T20:16:04Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > My WAG? Humans have always been fascinated by large, synchronized movements. Line dances go back thousands of years (there is evidence/theories that the Nazca lines, for instance, were large ceremonial line dances). Why? Beats me…people seem to just like being part of a greater whole, and to do things in concert with large numbers of other people. You seem to be thinking of “The Wave” as performed at sporting events, not the handwave described in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/14 "2010-05-10T20:23:53Z")
:smack: Oh. Well, never mind then. _This is your mind…this is your mind on alcohol…any questions?_ -XT ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/15 "2010-05-11T06:15:40Z")
Thanks **Biff** , I could not for the life of me figure out what **xt** was talking about. “This is your mind on sleep deprivation”… 'night, all! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/16 "2010-05-11T06:52:49Z")
> [@jebert](#): > > It looks completely unnatural. No one would wave to someone like this unless she were taught to do so. What is the reason for doing it this way? All hand waves are unnatural movements that are taught. The only difference is that you’re acclimated to regular waves of greeting. Otherwise, there’s no particular reason _not_ to do the parade wave. You’re doing something to make it known that you recognize and are greeting all of the people who are viewing you. That’s what the people want, and that’s the current way of accomplishing it. No other alternative would be any more or less artificial. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/17 "2010-05-11T15:34:17Z")
I seem to remember Nancy Kerrigan getting in trouble for being caught dissing the parade wave. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/18 "2010-05-11T18:58:32Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] My wife tells me that the Royal Family refers to this move as “screwing in the lightbulb”. [/QUOTE] I’ve known it as “Screw in the light bulb, touch the pearls.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/19 "2010-05-11T19:20:30Z")
I think the radar dish motions are made with the hope of summing Predator Drones for sweat sweat release from being the type of person who ends up on parade floats. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865/20 "2010-05-11T19:30:53Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > Of course you know there’d have to be someone with anecdotal and contrary evidence… > > For whatever reason, this is how I waved to people as a child, despite everyone doing more normal waves to me. My mom and extended family found my “royal wave” hilarious, often embarrassing the hell out of me; they tell me I began doing it as a baby when interacting with people. Even now, it feels more natural to wave this way. Hey, I know! You are a reincarnation of some dead royal. That MUST be the reason!!!11!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-that-stupid-parade-wave-and-why/538865.md?page=2)