Is doing the Hokey-Pokey and turning yourself around REALLY what it's all about?

Conservatives but their right hand in. Liberals put their left hand in. And then they shake it all about.

If you’re talking about the Hokey-Pokey, yes.

Metaphorically speaking, yes.

It’s what it all used to be about. It’s just an old song…

At Disney Springs last Saturday one of the live singers sang it for the kids in the audience, and they all got out there in a circle and put their right hand in and out their right hand out. For them, at that moment, that’s what it was all about.

I haven’t thought about the Hokey Pokey in years and now it’s come up twice in less than a week. Maybe it means something for me? The universe trying to tell me something.

I think the Hokey Pokey is symbolic for the monotony of life, and it tells you to enjoy when you can. Or, it’s helping kids learn their left from their right and parts of their body?

B…bb…bbu…but it’s the Hokey Kokey though…just sayin.

@JLeslie . As usual, I think you have a good grasp of this. It’s a teaching song.

^^Teaching about their left and right?

One interpretation is that you should pay attention to details without looking for some grand meaning. At some point in the distant future, the Universe will disappear, wiping out any deep meaning of existence.

Repeating the hokey cokey endlessly with all the people you ever knew is what happens in Heaven. If you don’t happen to like it, well, Heaven wasn’t created for your personal benefit you know.

@JLeslie @flutherother et al

Yes, the dance is a metaphor for life. Especially those folk dances that involve a circle and going in and out. Seems like I read about this in a Lord of the Dance (a Christian folk song, sung to the tune of Simple Gifts)—- that in Hebrew folklore those circle dances symbolized life, creation, and the universe. Howbeit, I think yaw’ll’er right in that its a teaching song about Left and Right—still fun to do at a roller rink even as adults

In his interesting book, Sapiens Noah Harari speculates that the genus Homo became Homo sapiens when people developed the ability to “gossip”, that is not to talk about their neighbors, but to be able to communicate thoughts to one another that were personal, and not just what, where and when.
Since then, people have been trying to figure what it’s all about.
Who knows.
Maybe it is the Hokey Pokey.

And, Ring Around the Rosy was about the plague.

As an adult I love doing folk and circle dances, and I never related it back to these childhood dances, but it’s similar in a way I guess. Dancing for the sheer joy of it, or dancing for sun, or for rain, or for unity, or for celebrating, so many occasions and sometimes symbolism.

I have a side question, I hope it doesn’t derail the thread. What about children raised in religions that don’t allow dancing? Can they do the hokey pokey and other childhood dances?

@JLeslie . Yes. It teaches kids left from right. A very important thing, that I’ve noticed many adults don’t remember. When I used to be a bouncer, I’d have to put wristbands on people who were over 21 (legal to drink.) As part of my system, we always did the right wrist. I was astounded to learn that almost 15% of females did not know their left, from right. Men were a much lower percentage, for whatever reason…
Maybe males “do the hokey pokey” more, not sure…

If you’re a Virginia Tech fan, then YES!

@JLeslie My experience with religions that disavow dancing—is the boy/girl dances of adolescence and adults. The kind that’s alluring and sensual. I can imagine, however, tat there could be very strict parents who would forbid their child to participate in childhood playparty type dances (i.e The Hokey Pokey, London Bridge, etc etc)

@Yellowdog I woman I knew in a zumba class, her dad was upset she did zumba.

As far as I know those Baptist’s aren’t ok with the all male or all female circle dances, which is how some religions take care of the problem.

I really don’t know all the rules though, but I’d be interested to know. I see some kids start wiggling to the beat of music all in their own. It depresses me to think that some religions would stop them or even scold them for such a thing.

Its usually a parent that disapproves and complains to a teacher or administrator. When I worked in an Afterschool Activities program in a fairly liberal church, there were still church officials who did not believe dances were appropriate in church, and parents of some of the kids who disapproved of the “club atmosphere” of dances for preteens and young teens—and lots of complaints about certain movies (Lion King, My Girl, and The Twilight Zone movie) The parents usually don’t punish or disapprove of the children, just the adults in charge.

@Yellowdog You’re talking about a teacher leading a “dance.” So, it’s logical to me the parent directs their disapproval towards the teacher.

I’m talking about music playing, and a kid starts dancing. Maybe they just feel the beat of the music. Maybe they see other kids or adults dancing and start to mimic them. The Disney example is one where that could happen, or being at a restaurant that has dancing. In that situation those parents would do what? Just say to the child, “we don’t do that,” and have the kid stop?

Sometimes, just bending yourself over can be quite the thing.