# Why does Craig Ferguson whack the camera? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554 "2008-11-06T23:45:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/1 "2008-11-06T23:45:25Z")
I’ve recently come to love watching Craig Ferguson, at least his opening monologues. But what’s with his walking up to the camera and whacking it every now and then? It almost seems like he’s pressing a button. (Er, where’s the cameraman?) I’ve tried searching on this, and some people say it’s like he’s affectionately thumping the viewer on the shoulder, using the camera as proxy. Kind of weird. Mind, I think Craig’s all that and a bag of chips, but this little quirk kind of takes me out of the moment every time he does it. Just wondering if anyone knows what’s up. ---
**Author:** ![TupeloHoney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@TupeloHoney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TupeloHoney)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/2 "2008-11-06T23:51:37Z")
Is this one of the late night shows? lol shows how often I stay up on a work night. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/3 "2008-11-07T00:01:49Z")
Yup, after Letterman. Hubby gets home from work around 11 pm CST, so it’s right in our prime viewing time. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/4 "2008-11-07T00:25:36Z")
That would be his “schtick.” Much like Bob Hope’s was the golf swing and Dave Letterman’s is that weird thing he does with his tie. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/5 "2008-11-07T00:42:24Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I’ve tried searching on this, and some people say it’s like he’s affectionately thumping the viewer on the shoulder, using the camera as proxy. Kind of weird. That’s what it feels like to me too, only it’s more of a pat than a thump. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/6 "2008-11-07T00:45:21Z")
“Whacking the camera”? Can’t say I’ve heard it called that before, but the answer may be “because he can”… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/7 "2008-11-07T00:50:56Z")
Lately he’s been playing with the camera a lot; appearing from below, or using it as a puppet stage, or just shaking it around. It’s what he does while he’s trying to think of an interim joke between the scripted ones. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/8 "2008-11-07T08:39:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Lately he’s been playing with the camera a lot; appearing from below, or using it as a puppet stage, or just shaking it around. It’s what he does while he’s trying to think of an interim joke between the scripted ones. Isn’t that what Conan O’brien does? ---
**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:** [November 7, 2008, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/9 "2008-11-07T08:44:48Z")
\ At least he isn’t headbutting it. \ ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-craig-ferguson-whack-the-camera/471554/10 "2008-11-07T16:27:27Z")
I bet Letterman did it before either of them.