Tho' Ya Hands In The Air...

[Ben E Lou]

I'm doing some yardwork yesterday afternoon, music on random play. Three consecutive old-school hip-hop tracks come on where at some point the rapper implores the listener to "tho' ya hands in the air, and wave 'em like ya just don't care!" I got a chuckle out of it, and after I'd gone inside, showered off, and ended up in front of the computer, I posted the following as my FB status update:

I'm in my mid-40s. I have a family, bills to pay, responsibilities at my job, in my church, and in my community. But sometimes I am overcome by a near-irresistible urge to tho' my hands in the air and wave 'em like I just don't care. And I'll bet I'm not alone in that.

Ha ha, chuckle chuckle. Right? Sure, for my friend list in the 35ish-50ish age range. Quite a few funny posts and "Likes" for it.

But not for my poor in-laws.

The wife and daughters were up there visiting this weekend, and my wife and my oldest were with my brother-in-law to the lake for the day away from cell coverage on Saturday when I posted that. Unbeknownst to me, this gave my in-laws HOURS to misinterpret and hang-wring over it. :p

When my wife got back to their house Sunday evening, she got the "Jen, we are VERY concerned about Ben. Did you see what he posted on Facebook? It sounds like he is wanting to give up on all of his responsibilities to you and his children and telling the world that!!!"

Evidently it took her hours to explain it to them, and they still don't get it. My f-i-l expressed complete shock that "someone as intelligent as Ben likes rap music." And rather than putting out the fire, my wife decided to fuel it with "Uh, Dad. I've got news for you. Your son and daughter like rap, too. And guess what? A *huge* majority of people our age, including all of your nieces and nephews and all of our friends like at least *some* rap."

I'm not sure they're ever going to recover. ;)

[cartman]

Time to introduce the in-laws to Straight Outta Compton.

[sterlingice]

Love it!

"He seemed like such a level headed guy. I don't understand" :D

SI

[korme]

Older people are always stuck in the mud

[terpkristin]

I always feel awkward when something like that happens at work. For example, I work with people who should know the song, "Bang the Drum All Day" but if I quote it, nobody seems to know what I'm talking about. I've also joked about pirates vs. ninjas and been met with blank stares.

I am sad for my colleagues.

Also, the subject song will now be in my head, thanks so much...

/tk

[Dodgerchick]

Time to introduce the in-laws to Straight Outta Compton.

lol

[Matthean]

We have a hip-hop worship band at church with one of the guys from LA Symphony. We are hosting a concert with a couple of hip-hop artist in July.

[molson]

This is the thing I find tricky about facebook. The audience is too broad. There's not a lot of things I would say to both my grandmother and my college roommate.

[Dodgerchick]

Well shoot, thanks to this thread I've been listening to some West Coast Rap for the past hour. Thanks :-/

Westsiiide!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Having seen the thread in question, all I can do is hang my head ... and resist all sorts of temptation about in-law jokes ;)

[BYU 14]

It only gets worse when you hit 50 and some people find out you still listen to some rap here and there. :)

[digamma]

Gotta side with your in-laws. Pretty much everyone knows that tho-ing your hands in the air is a metaphor for running off with a 22 year old stripper. F-i-L is pretty darn perceptive.

[cartman]

I'm eagerly anticipating the thread where Ben has to explain OPP.

[Bad-example]

The world would be such a better place had rap music never come to exist. Imagine if there were no rap in commercials, tv shows or movies. Sweet.

Plus, all those people that wasted their lives performing "music" in a style virtually devoid of artistic merit could have led productive lives instead. Hell, that dr dre guy might be a real doctor!

[BYU 14]

I'm eagerly anticipating the thread where Ben has to explain OPP.

Not hard at all, simply looks the in-laws in the eye and states matter of factly, "Yeah you know me."

[korme]

The world would be such a better place had rap music never come to exist. Imagine if there were no rap in commercials, tv shows or movies. Sweet.

Plus, all those people that wasted their lives performing "music" in a style virtually devoid of artistic merit could have led productive lives instead. Hell, that dr dre guy might be a real doctor!

I hope you're being sarcastic

[Toddzilla]

I told a co-worker to put a quarter in their ass 'cause they played themselves - it did not go over well.

[Autumn]

This is the hardest thing I find about relating to people of another generation, and particularly my in-laws. They just don't get anything, and life is suddenly void of fun when you have to consider every sentence to see if it's going to be understood by old fogies.

[PilotMan]

This is the hardest thing I find about relating to people of another generation, and particularly my in-laws. They just don't get anything, and life is suddenly void of fun when you have to consider every sentence to see if it's going to be understood by old fogies.

That, almost more than loss of respect and death, scares me about getting older. That my kids will feel that way about me one day.

[Fidatelo]

Is there are reason that 'throw' is spelled without the 'r'? I get the missing 'w', but isn't the 'r' enunciated? At first I thought it was a typo but it's like that in the subject and repeatedly throughout Ben's post.

[Suicane75]

Slang.

[heybrad]

You should have told him he was a square from Delaware and then asked if he was wearing clean underwear.

[cartman]

You know parents are the same no matter time nor place
They don't understand that us kids are gonna make some mistakes
So to you, all the kids all across the land
There's no need to argue, parents just don't understand

[Bad-example]

I hope you're being sarcastic

Which part sounded sarcastic to you? :-)

Had I a time machine, I would go back and kill the rat bastard responsible for starting this whole rap thing, then maybe go after Hitler.

[Fidatelo]

Slang.

But shouldn't it still have the 'r'? Tho' would be slang for 'though', wouldn't it? Wouldn't 'thro'' be the slang for throw?

[BishopMVP]

But shouldn't it still have the 'r'? Tho' would be slang for 'though', wouldn't it? Wouldn't 'thro'' be the slang for throw?Ask Daddy Fat Sax and 3 Stacks <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZkgMv6Z8jxs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Matthean]

But shouldn't it still have the 'r'? Tho' would be slang for 'though', wouldn't it? Wouldn't 'thro'' be the slang for throw?

Hip-hop and proper grammar haven't ever really had a sit down conversation.

[britrock88]

But shouldn't it still have the 'r'? Tho' would be slang for 'though', wouldn't it? Wouldn't 'thro'' be the slang for throw?

Throw without the "r" would still have the hard thorn, as opposed to the soft thorn in though.

[Fidatelo]

Throw without the "r" would still have the hard thorn, as opposed to the soft thorn in though.

I have no idea what this means but I'll take your word, and the overwhelming video evidence below, for it :)

[Dutch]

http://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/manute-bol-e1339178761329.jpg

[digamma]

Gotta watch out for the next generation. Sometimes they just tho' their hands in the air and wave them like they just don't care.

[McLovin]

Watch at 1:03


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/neBR6ofHkiY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Ben E Lou]

Is there are reason that 'throw' is spelled without the 'r'? I get the missing 'w', but isn't the 'r' enunciated? At first I thought it was a typo but it's like that in the subject and repeatedly throughout Ben's post.Missed this the first time. I'm not sure I have ever heard that "R" pronounced when that phrase is uttered. (Same with "tho' down)

[CU Tiger]

Missed this the first time. I'm not sure I have ever heard that "R" pronounced when that phrase is uttered. (Same with "tho' down)

pasty white dudes certainly over pronounce the "r" when they try to sound hip.
ThRo Yo Hans....


Sorry its funny in my head.

[Comey]

Better not let them see this thread, and the thugs you get jiggy with.

[Ben E Lou]

pasty white dudes certainly over pronounce the "r" when they try to sound hip.
ThRo Yo Hans....


Sorry its funny in my head.:p

[Izulde]

The world would be such a better place had rap music never come to exist. Imagine if there were no rap in commercials, tv shows or movies. Sweet.

Plus, all those people that wasted their lives performing "music" in a style virtually devoid of artistic merit could have led productive lives instead. Hell, that dr dre guy might be a real doctor!

...Yeah. You totally don't understand rap, its complexities, or the artistry involved. But I suppose you think poets lead unproductive lives, too.