What’s Your Guilty Pleasure?

Last nite, I found myself watching the BET Hip-Hop Awards Show. Although I actively boycott the network, I took some time out to see how this second annual debauchery would go down. Luckily, I only caught the closing act, Soulja Boy. During the performance, a pan shot across the audience showed various middle-aged men and women, doing their best impressions of Crank That (Debra Lee had a little bounce in there, too; but I’ll get back to her later). As the credits rolled, I began to wonder what it would look like if Young B and DJ Webstar came out and battle-danced Soulja Boy. I’ve wrestled with that scenerio ever since. In all seriousness, I can’t come to a solution. So, I’ve decided to share it with you in order to get your opinion:

Chicken Noodle Soup or Soulja Boy Crank That?

Let me start off by saying, that there is a long history behind these new crazes. Despite what these lil’ chil’ren may think, black music and dance are intertwined entities. Lindy Hop, The Twist, Moonwalk, Electric Slide, Cha-Cha slide, Hokey Pokey, Tone Wap, Crip Walk, Tootsie Roll, Butterfly, the list goes on. Used to be you could get away with a couple two-steps and an abstract hand movement, but the current Hip-hop dance crazes are quite involved. Now you gotta jump, turn around, touch your toe, dip, and grab a partner, slide, kick a foot up, lean with it and walk with it.

I digress.

Both songs/dances have their pros and cons. Content-wise, I just can’t understand what Crank That is about. With lines like, “Watch me crank that roosavelt. . .and super soak that. . .” or the ever-catchy “superman that. . ” I’m often left standing around confused until the hook comes (for a defnition of the "Superman" you'll have to reach out to your nearest fifteen year-old; I can't put that into print . . .). Chicken Noodle Soup, on the other hand, tells the story of a summer afternoon in Harlem. Dance-wise, Chicken Noodle Soup was cute the first couple times I saw it, but then I realized the blatant coonery that is projected from this dance craze. Another knock against CNS is the degree of easiness. Now I’ve never been much of a dancer. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got rhythm, but I don’t follow directions well. Even after watching the kids at Rucker Park practice their Noodle skills, I still can’t get it right. Crank That, on the other hand, went hi-tech and provided various instructional videos for people like me. After my YouTube tutorial, I feel confident enough get my “crank” on. I have to admit, its fun! And quite the work-out.
With all that being said, I still haven’t come to a conclusion. So drop a line in the comments section on your dance-craze guilty pleasure.

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