This week we’re going with something that I just happened to stumble upon on Pinterest: a Middle Finger Pipe. Or what some people may fondly call: The North American Bird Pipe.
If I could find this pipe, I would be forced to buy a couple and send them to my old roommates from Brooklyn. Our standard greeting and departure was flipping each other off, hey, it was NYC. Maybe you know the old saying: “a New Yorker stabs you in the front” (hence, not in the back). Our relationship was (and still is) one of brutal honesty, hence the finger. So here’s to you Brooklyn roommates-> ,,!,
Cultural Differences in Uses of The Finger
When I say the roommates flipped each other The Bird, I mean, the New York angry version of The Bird, not the pansy west coast version. Now that I live in SF, I am regularly amused when I see the noncommittal west coast middle finger. If you are not sure what the difference is, let me explain it like this: the NY version is full on, four fingers down all the way, hard. So hard that I’m probably going to hurt my own hand flipping you off, and that makes me feel good. In contrast, the west coast version of The Finger isn’t quite sure if it wants to offend you. Presumably, you could hear someone say: oh, what, how did my middle finger pop up? If you still are not tracking with me, check out the images below of Rihanna with the angry east-coast double middle finger compared to Bill S. Preston Esquire (aka. Alex Winter) flipping the casual California Bird while filming Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Rihanna demonstrates the angry full finger (2x)
Bill S. Preston Esquire (Alex Winter) with the casual west coast bird
The Middle Finger as a Gesture
As I look at this middle finger pipe, I find myself wondering where the gesture came from? Wikipedia to the rescue.
The gesture dates back to Ancient Greece and was also used in Ancient Rome. Historically, it represented the phallus. In some modern cultures, it has gained increasing acceptance as a sign of disrespect, and has been used by music artists, athletes, and politicians. Many still view the gesture as obscene. – Wikipedia
The North American Bird
If you are mildly amused by this post, I serious suggest this fun coffee table book: The Field Guide to the North American Bird. I received a copy as a gift and it gets funnier every time I read it.
Book: The Field Guide to the North American Bird
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