The Clap

From time to time I’ll have random topics peak my interest. Due to my how fast I can be distracted, they rarely make it beyond a fleeting curiosity.

Today it wormed its way far enough into my brain for me to take action.

At the end of a movie I watched this morning, a group of people began clapping and celebrating a “disaster averted” movie plot. The irony was that they had nothing to do with the disaster being avoided -yet they carried on as though they had.

Speeches, concerts and most certainly graduation ceremonies are consistently closed out by a resounding wave of meat covered phalanges being slapped together repeatedly – an almost white noise of gratitude fills the air… unless of course teenage girls are involved and then there are shrills and screams that have yet to be successfully measured by any dB meter.

After performing some research (aka asking AI to do some research for me, this is what my query returned through Google’s AI engine.

“The origins of clapping are unclear, but it likely began as a way to communicate and express appreciation in early human history: 

• Primate ancestors: Primates may have clapped to signal predators, intimidate opponents, or communicate over long distances. 
• Primitive humans: A theory is that people around campfires may have clapped to celebrate. 
• Ancient Greeks: Audience participation in performances was considered a civic duty. 
• Ancient Romans: The earliest recorded reference to clapping to show approval is in the plays of Roman playwright Plautus. The Romans used clapping to express appreciation after plays and performances. They also snapped their fingers and waved cloth to show appreciation. 
• Roman Senate: When a speaker gave a good speech, people who couldn’t reach them would clap their hands instead of patting them on the back. 
• In the theater: Claqueurs were hired to clap at the right times during a performance. 

Clapping is one of the earliest and most universal ways people have interacted with each other. It was an early form of mass media that connected people to each other and their leaders. 

With all that being said… I still find it odd that we as humans do this for many situations which we had no part in, yet feel obliged to produce this bodily sound.

I’ve watched people clap at the television before. I’ll never get that nor do I ever want to get to the point that I do.

Before spoken language was brought about, I completely understand the need for an effective communicative system. If my good neighbor Ugh-Ugh has a mastodon hot on his ass, I want to know before I’m under foot or moments from being impaled.

High pitched screams, frantic claps, rapid grunts are all acceptable forms of warning signals.

Now we live in a world where “optional” has turned to “expected” or even forced -especially in government… All those officials applauding together as if there’s a sign hanging overhead that instructs them when to do so. I will digress that most of the officials I’ve seen would suffocate if breathing wasn’t an autonomic function, but that’s not what this is about.

Why not applaud and high five Frank for that outstanding eulogy? Give the ol’ copper a round of applause for doing their job when they give you a ticket for doing something you usually get away with?

It’s a weird thing to think about. It’s even weirder to take the time to write about… but here I am…

I provide content. I never promised it would have rhyme, reason, or pertinent value to your existence. 🙂