Applause, Applause…

            Did you ever stop to think about clapping?  Imagine you were from some other planet, and while you were visiting Earth you took time off to see a show of some sort.  The lights dim, the curtains go up, and suddenly everyone in the audience starts beating up their left hands with their right hands.  The resulting sound is like a driving rain on a metal roof.

            I think clapping is weird.  Oh, I do it, because that’s what humans do, but it is weird.  I’m sure not all human cultures embrace clapping, but use some other means of supportive noise making.

            My guess is that clapping won a competition among noises people can make with their  bodies.  Maybe belly slapping came in second.  Foot stamping must have been a competitor, along with head thumping.  Each had shortcomings, sadly, so clapping hands together won the prize of being the universal way to show appreciation.

            Of course, for some people clapping just isn’t enough.  Whistles, “whoo -hoo” sounds and various shouts punctuate some crowd applause.  A while back I was at a concert and a guy behind me seemed compelled to be the first and last person to clap between songs, and also to be the one who said “yeah” or “all-right!”  I think he may have been a little needy.

            Clapping for movies always seemed a little useless, since the cast and crew that made the film are generally not at the 4pm show in Johnson Creek.  What that activity shows me is that clapping is partly for the person we’re appreciating, but mostly because it makes us feel good.  Imagine: we get to vote, basically, for the performer we’re clapping for.  And, maybe more importantly, when we clap with a crowd we are celebrating our membership in that group.  Were a part of something, and it’s special, even if our membership resonates only at a sub-conscious level.

            So to review: clapping is weird, yet fun.  Other body noises may not be appropriate at an event, and don’t be the first and last to clap.

            At this point you should feel free to express your appreciation for these words in any way you wish.  Well, maybe not with a body noise…