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[Bobby Isosceles]

Christ on a pogo stick you honkeys are funny

Am I the only Middle Easterner here? Do I have to bust out the brown-people mojo?

Pointing your feet or throwing your shoe at someone is considered rude because it is considered rude. There is no super secret symbolism ("I walk on shit, therefore you are shit!" or "I stand on the shoe and the shoe hits you therefore by the transitive law I stand on you!") If there was a super secret symbolism, it has been lost in the mists of time.

Basically, the analogue is like chewing with your mouth open. It is rude and disrespectful. No one goes around trying to trace the lineage of why it is disrespectful ("I chew this food, and by showing you the food, I symbolically chew on your hopes and dreams! Gnash gnash!") It's just something you Don't Do.

Please stop trying to make all us camel jockeys look like those aliens from Star Trek: TNG who could only communicate in metaphor. While Darmok and Gilaad at Tanagra is great and all, sometimes something is rude just because.


Here: you want a reason? I'll give a reason. Throwing anything at anyone, unsolicited, is rude because it is a physical threat. And shoes are generally nastier than, say, bouquets. Boom. There's your fuckin' symbolism.

[jaydub]

The last time anyone threw anything when I was at a gig it was a festive reindeer-antler headband for the oboe player to wear while he performed a special dance for the amusement of all.

A dancing oboe player can only be made more awesome by antlers.

[Carlos del Vaca]

When I saw Soundgarden, they got pissed off because someone threw a golf ball at them.  "Is this a big golf town?" Chris Cornell asked.  The bass player suggested that if we saw anyone throwing anything, that we "punch them in the fuckin' face."

At a Southern Culture on the Skids show, they invited girls up on stage to dance and eat fried chicken during "Eight Piece Box."  One young lady attempted to throw a piece of fried chicken at her boyfriend, but missed--I almost caught it, but it clanked off my hand as if I was a bad outfielder.

[lprkn]

"Is this a big golf town?" Chris Cornell asked.

Way better out of context.

[theinevitable]

Yeah, I have never been at a concert where people threw things.

Thinking about it, I have had a lot more things thrown AT me at concerts.

Also: I, too have been wondering why there seems to be so much question on the news of "why is it rude to throw your shoes at someone?" as if we wouldn't think that was rude here.


Although I do think, if someone threw their shoes at me I would be more confused than saying "YOU DOG, YOU HAVE INSULTED MY BLOOD AND YOU MUST PAY THE PRICE, I DEMAND MY SATISFACTION!"

[wombat]

 Throwing anything at anyone, unsolicited, is rude because it is a physical threat.

Well, this is just not true. People throw bouquets at weddings, and stuffed animals at figure skaters, and boxed macaroni at bare naked ladies.

Anyway, things that are 'just because' now, can still have histories. Although granted, sometimes they are not interesting histories, like how real word etymologies are rarely as interesting as the ones that people have made up.

[miles]

OK, I was mistaken. It was Franny and Zooey. I really don't think there was a reason, other than my friend was obsessed with the book and Trent. Maybe he had a love/hate relationship with Reznor and Salinger but now couldn't give a fuck about either. Also, LSD may have been involved.

I saw L7 years ago at Bumbershoot and the crowd was throwing ... lemons? water bottles? ... it was years ago. And at Sasquatch a couple of years ago if you'd buy a water bottle they'd take the cap. I asked if it was just so it made it hard for us to refill the bottle at fountains and carry them around (because Christ they were expensive) and they assured me it was for the safety of the performers. Also, a friend told me that at a Green Day show fans pelted the band with lemons, but instead of stopping the show, they just threw them back.

[Doc]

People throw bouquets at weddings,

I know people who would consider that a physical threat.

Full props to li'l B though, he dodged those shoes like a pro. I laughed when I heard the thrower was being questioned though, as if he's part of a well trained and funded group and this is just the start of a series of shoe based attacks.

[pmcd9]

I figured he threw his shoes because it was the heaviest thing he was allowed to bring into the press room.  Sorry fella but you're going to have to leave the brick outside.

I don't know why the press want to explore the symbolism of shoes and feet in regards to this story.  Perhaps they want to give the impression to the American public that the reporter was conducting a sophisticated well thought out and articulate protest.  By tagging the President with a shoe he was sending a message that will resonate throughout the Muslim world.  Isn't that preferable to this was just another crazy sand nigger pulling some shit?

More likely though they had just run out of things to say because they've given a whole lot of attention to a story with very little actual content.

[lprkn]

The news media? Our news media?

No way.

[wombat]

Now I want a computer game where I can throw macaroni and cheese at the president.

[jaydub]

Now I want a computer game where I can throw macaroni and cheese at the president.

Well, now that you're a web genius, you can get cracking on that.  Right after you finish your article for Jan 5th of course. 

[wombat]

But I don't know how to make things move! That's magic.

[pmcd9]

But I don't know how to make things move! That's magic.

No, that's flash.

[AugustWest]

Basically, the analogue is like chewing with your mouth open. It is rude and disrespectful. No one goes around trying to trace the lineage of why it is disrespectful ("I chew this food, and by showing you the food, I symbolically chew on your hopes and dreams! Gnash gnash!") It's just something you Don't Do.

Chewing with you mouth open is rude because half chewed up food is gross looking.  Who wants to see that?