Does the finger still have power?

Pop Culture is more than just books or movies or music, it’s also about events, language, and gestures. One gesture that was prevalent throughout the 20^th century and could have arguably dominated the late 20^th century was the middle finger. During the 60s and 70s it was a gesture used by both by anti-war protesters and politicians. Imagine being on those lines with both sides flipping the bird at each other. During the 80s and 90s it became synonymous with teenage rebellion, who in the hardcore scene didn’t see someone in Black Flag or Fear or Bad Brains throw those middle fingers in the air? Even in movies, who didn't chuckle a little during Judd Nelson’s scene in The Breakfast Club when he asked if they’d like it if he “turned it up?” Or those of us who watch WWF and followed Stone Cold Steve Austin, how many of us didn’t get a kick out of him throwing a double salute in the air?

    Even the in the early 2000s we were still getting into the act, Dane Cook during his three seconds of fame. But the crux of this article is not to really get into a history of the middle finger, for that we could take it all the way back to Ancient Greece and Rome where the meaning of the gesture was pretty much the same as we understand it now. No, the question I feel the need to ask is this: Does the middle finger still have the power it once had?

Gimme a Hell Yeah!

    I think it’s a fair question, I don’t hear it talked about as much as it used to but that could be that we’ve gotten used to it. There are some “experts” out there who would say that because of such acceptance that we’ve become a more vulgar society. Personally, I don’t feel that's true, often times things just run their course. A perfect example of this is the word humbug. Yes, I’m sure there were a few of you reading this that get a chuckle out of that word, but there was a time when that word was as bad as fuck or shit (is shit even that bad a word anymore?)

   But if you use something long enough sometimes the defination changes or just becomes irrelevant, if that’s the case then what can we use to replace a dying gesture? At first I thought maybe to use the reverse of the finger which when used means “May you die a virgin”. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse to say to a person, to wish for someone not to experience one of the most important moments of a human’s existence I think would be pretty cold blooded. But when I talked about this very subject with some friends and showed them the gesture all I got was “it looks like The Shocker”. I’m sure plenty of you know what that is so I don’t feel the need to explain and those of you who do need an explanation, I feel a little sorry for you.

   There is a gesture that could be a nice replacement, in the UK and Australia they have the “V” which is basically taking the peace sign and turning it around so it definitely has a kick to it. That could work but I think that would take some time to get used to especially after the impact that the finger has had. But this is all supposing that it’s necessary, as of this writing I have seen a number of videos where people have used the finger with as much venom for their targets as ever. So maybe it’s not fading out as much as it’s coming around for another swing. You know what, fuck it. So what do you folks think?