BIGHAITI, March 20, 2013
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a 2013 video of Miley Cyrus dancing to J. Dash's "WOP" record. This post also presents to article excerpts about that subject as well as selected comments from the discussion thread in that embedded video. Special attention is given to some examples from that discussion thread that mention race.
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The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.
Some of these selected comments are examples of comments in that video's discussion thread that directly mentioned race and/or directly or indirectly refer to racial stereotypes.
Another sub-set of these examples from that video's discussion thread focus on how Miley Cyrus dancing in that video has changed from the sweet, innocent" girl who she portrayed for years on Disney's Hannah Montana television series.
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All copyrights remain with their owners.
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Thanks to J. Dash for his "WOP" record and thanks to Miley Cyrus for creating a video that featured that Hip Hop dance record. Thanks also to the publishers of that video on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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This is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on African American dances with the name "Wop". Click the tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
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MY THEORY ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME "WOP" FOR THIS DANCE
Azizi Powell, 2023
I believe that the word "Wop" when it is used as a dance title or verb ("wopping") comes from the syllable "wop" in the African American music genre "doo-wop".
Unfortunately, the word "wop" is also a pejorative referent for Italians.
That may be the reason why the dance name "WOP" is often capitalized and/or the titles "Wap" or "Drop It To The Floor Then Wop" have been used for a small number of "WOP" video clips in Tik Tok challenge/dance trend compilations (since around 2022).
Stereofame, the publisher of the official 2011 YouTube "WOP" video by J.Dash featuring rapper Flo Rida, wrote in that video's discussion thread in 2012 that "WOP stands for With Out Prejudice. Check out J. Dash's Facebook page. FacebookDOTcom/TheRealJDash"
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I believe that "With Out Prejudice" is an example of a meaning for an abbreviation or word that is made up after the fact. Those types of word or abbreviation meanings are called "backronyms"
Here's some information about from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backronym
" A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The word is a portmanteau of back and acronym.[1]
A normal acronym is a word derived from the initial letters of the words of a phrase,[2] such as radar from "radio detection and ranging".[3] By contrast, a backronym is "an acronym deliberately formed from a phrase whose initial letters spell out a particular word or words, either to create a memorable name or as a fanciful explanation of a word's origin."[1] Many fictional espionage organizations are backronyms, such as SPECTRE (special executive for counterintelligence, terrorism, revenge and extortion) from the James Bond franchise."...
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I think that J. Dash may have thought a backronym was particularly needed for the dance name "WOP" because of the pejorative meaning of the word "wop".
"Wop" was initially posted on J. Dash's YouTube channel in 2007; however, as the song began to go viral through user-posted videos of people performing its associated dance routine, he pulled the song and began work on a revised version to be released as a single,[3] followed by an official music video featuring fellow rapper Flo Rida in January 2011. The song would chart near the bottom of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs...
The song would re-emerge to mainstream exposure on March 20, 2013, when Miley Cyrus posted a video on Facebook which featured her twerking to "Wop" while wearing a unicorn onesie. While Cyrus had previously shared her fondness for the song with J. Dash and suggested that they make a video together, these plans never came to fruition. J. Dash was initially unaware of the video's creation, but would learn of the video from his personal friends and Cyrus herself while he was sick in bed with a stomach virus. He
declared the video to be the moment that twerking became a mainstream phenomenon, and jokingly suggested that he and Cyrus should get matching unicorn tattoos.[1][5]
Miley Cyrus's "Wop" video would also go viral; by April 9, 2013, copies of the video had amassed over 4 million views on YouTube. In response to the influence of viral videos on the popularity of songs such as "Call Me Maybe" and "Gangnam Style", Billboard had added YouTube views as a factor to its Hot 100 chart in February 2013.[5][6] This resulted in "Wop" ascending the chart following the release of the Miley Cyrus video; it entered at #82, and rose to #52 the following week.[5] "Wop", along with "Don't Drop That Thun Thun"—a song popularized by another twerking video posted on Vine in July 2013, were cited as an example of how viral and user-created videos can bring renewed interest to songs."... **** EXCERPT #2 From https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Entertainment/wop-miley-cyrus-demonstrates/story?id=18807937 "How to Do the Wop? Miley Cyrus Demonstrates How do you WOP? We'll show you." By ABC News, March 25, 2013 …."Like most things that take off online, the wop isn't a new move. (It's also not be confused with "wop," which is not a nice word at all.)* The move is currently experiencing a resurgence thanks to a video posted by Miley Cyrus featuring the pop singer dancing to J. Dash's song, "WOP," while dressed in a unicorn onesie. Like you do. And even though "WOP" was released back in 2010, the dance itself has been around since the '80s….
Although HyperVocal is quick to point out that, despite the fact that Miley's video has been titled "Twerking 'WOP' [Original]," she is NOT twerking. Her dance does include some elements of twerkitude, particularly around 0:38. It would be best described, then, as "some wopping, with touches of twerk." Twerking, for the woefully uninitiated, is a move that involves moving one's backside up and down rhythmically, with feeling and conviction…..
J. Dash's song provides some helpful instructions on how to perform his special, updated twist on the wop:
"Ladies take it back throw it back to the front /Bend yo' waist look to the front / Now BOUNCE yo body to the beat just a little bit harder (harder) /Shawty move yo feet just a little bit harder (harder)"
Sounds easy enough. The song makes the fairly simple dance even more interesting by adding some extra moves, like "drop, drop it to the floor," "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle," and "make money," which consists of touching one's toes and shaking one's butt up and down as people shower your writhing body with dollar bills.
Of course, there's no use talking about a dance without the use of visual aids. Luckily, the internet has plenty. There's The Official White Girl WOP (extra points for coordinating outfits), "best white girl wop," "White Girls Do the Wop" (Notice a theme?), "The Wop dance," "WOP-BRIT N JACKIE," "How to Do the Wop Dance," "How to Do the Wop | Hip Hop Dance Moves" and many, many more.”… **** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THIS EMBEDDED VIDEO
These comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date, except for replies. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. 2013 1. @KhSora1998 "Miley Cyrus in a frog suit Twerking to J Dash - Wop!!! lol" ** 2. @lickmygloves "Shakin what Disney Channel gave ya."
** 3. @BearyChi "On her Twitter she said she was wearing a Unicorn suit...
.BTW She did her thang and she got good rhythm. ;)" ** Reply 4. @teazmman13 "thank you !! everyone else is saying its a frog suit finally someone who knows"
** 5. @BanhBaoBoii "First Disneys Twerkin" ** 6. @aaronaitken "No! shes moving with the times! If this was Rihanna, noone would blink an eyelid! shes doing what she needs to do to keep current! That Hannah Montana Sh-t* would not sell now-a-days!" -snip- *This word is fully spelled out in this comment. ** 7. @Nighthawkcomics "she's not urban though, she is the daughter of country singer from Mississippi."
** 8. @TheBurkinator4 "It's called getting older."
** 9. @ilovegoodfood1793 "What happened to the sweet Miley that didn't have white hair and know how to twerk" ** 10. @MzDiamondPrincess46 "this was all on facebook which bought me back to this :)" ** 11. @88VampRose "dude if it wasn't her then explain why she reveals her face and IS her?!?! And DON'T you dare try to defend your weak words with "it was photoshopped" cause clearly it was NOT!!"
** 12. @xXAwesomin8erXx "oh miley where'd you go.... :("
** 13. @davidle9556 "What happen to you ? :( I know Miley in thier somewhere I was a big fan now ur wow idk what happen to you ;( ,:( but this was good"
** 14. @thevLgameingclan "I don't think that's her just because that persons black.." ** 15. @akriz1203 "i didnt know miley's feet was black...
its not her !" ** 16. @aliciamacdonald3998 "Ps those are socks what she's wearing." ** 17. @98EliteGamer "i dont if you have, but have ever heard of gloves and socks?" ** 18. @LotionEnjoyer "hey hey hey thats how white girls dance."
** 19. @1021BabyJ "I like it it was funny she was just having a gudd ass time" #yhu mad ** 20. @flashfinnell "She made me hate this song even more" ** 21. @StressFreeCity "Pretty impressive twerk by Miley, especially considering the fact that this isn't her primary style of music or dance."
** 22. @EmeliaSings "white girls tryina twerk. please dont let this be the new "harlem shake". please god no, im beggin D:"
** 23. @TheLulu346 "Everyone stop hating on miley just because shes doing what she wants. Its her life, let her live it her wayy!
#smilerforever" ** 24. @idrc94 "Yea! Her dancing in a frog suit should cause a HUGE scandal *rolls eyes*"
** 25. @KrazyStylez09 "the song came out 2 years ago and twerking isnt new either" ** 26. @MCgamingpad "she killed it but thats not twerking" ** 27. @7Six00 "the problem with this is that she's an icon to younger girls, so yeah its her life but you will see 9 year olds doing this next"
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28. @Freakniqe24
"the fact ppl say she ruined the dance...the fact that she wasn't even doing the dance lol"
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29. @volleyballbabe1114
"It's a unicorn onsie. She posted a pic on her Instagram"
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30. @FaDeZ5150
"Wow really....whats next cyrus
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31. @TinaLe-wy5vg
"I'm sorry haters but wtf seriously?
She's not Hannah Montanna anymore. What's the big deal she's in her 20's, she
has the right to live her own way. She could party and drink, whatever she wants. Last tina I checked she's her own person"
** 32. @kayleighjones3936 "That is soooooooooo not how u wop ......" ** 33. @losky60 "yo respect, she was gettin it in" ** 34. @nnaattee "she has changed" ** 35. @loserhoe2583 ..."Stop Hain On Her ! Frfr , Shes Good. just because she is kinda country dont mean she cant daaancee !" ** 36. @punk92903 "Its not twerking its wop" ** 37. @TheLovelyShally "white people ''omg shes so hot wow''
Black people ''well damn Miley , its about time'" ** Reply 38. @jezzi665 "lmao" ** 39. @alejandrosandoval2665 "She did this in 2012! Why miley, WHY?!!!!" ** 40. @OnekaMorris "SHE COULD HAVE WORN A BRA" ** 41. @marissamalfeasance "I don't know if you were aware, twerkingis ghetto, so have fun trying to wrap your mind around that one. Also, you shouldn't add another twerking video to mass of stupid bulls—t* that's already online." -snip- *This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
** 42. @jaeville5288 "housewives will be paying good money to learn to Twerk, watch! Striper poles classes are now mainstream" ** 43. @BBhomemaker33 "Ayyyyeee miley is good xD" ** 44. @pcangeldust "lol the way she says OMG at the end is jokes like she was thinking what have I just done"
** 45. @akillex8 "She's a celebrity what were u expecting. They do crazy stuff all day long. That's a mixture of too much self esteem, fame and money." ** 46. @awakenamarietta7609 "lhh She's Just Popping And Wopping . NOT TWERKING"
** 47. @Niteeri "I love miley. People keep bagging on her because she's all grown up and acting how she wants to act. Already knew she wasn't always going to be sweet and innocent."
** 49. @ice "It's funny, if this was a guy nobody would say nothing of the sort. The double standards that
people have in our society... *Sigh* " ** 50. @xWhiteRice "Hahaha she definitely seems more like she's from my town pf memphis than nashville. Reppin TN tho" ** 51. @AudreyIsHawt "shes good for a white girl" ** 52. @ZAHAANDO "Shes wopping" ** 53. @jrod2008421 "Damn I thought it was a fluke until she sjowed her face. I thiught it was a skinny black woman." ** 54. @lilysingh2979 "I'm black n can't tweak stop being racist" ** 55. @MrCottongirl "Best white girl Twerk ever." ** 56. @izti89 "I LOVE HOW THE WAY MILEY MATCH THE DANCE WITH THE SONG BEAT.. LOVE IT 5 X PLAY THIS VIDEO.... GO MILEY.... KEEP DO IT WITH URE OWN STYLE..".
** 57. @noyzizi "Everyone here must not remember what it's like to be her age and to go through a party phase. If you never had a party phase then good for you, it was your choice not to do so but that doesn't mean everyone will make the same decisions as you."
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58. @SandraThePoler
"She can twerk, stop hating her!!"
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2014 59. @saleskaaguilar7137 "award winning video <3 love you miley"
** 60. @mrsterrazas "She can dance good 😊"
** 61. @kaitlynfenstermaker8384 "it kinda makes me mad that whe changed into thus but it is her choose so if we let her do it and not make such a big deal she will stop acting out and go back to her old beautiful self"
** 62. @gnyce718 "This is yhe video that got her gassed up thinkin shes a black girl ...r.i.p hanna montana..smh" ** 63. @amandabrown5794 "She did the dance wrong just sayin" ** 64. @TeamPeeta1216 "Omg hilarious she trying to be black
haha" ****
2015 65. @Marane8 "Ms. Cyrus, please return to being the Disney Superstar you once were. Or, at least try to make something of yourself that one could, with a clean conscience, call upright. Many children looked up to you and adored you. Many will follow suit once they see your fall, but they might also change if they see you return to being a proper young lady."
**** 2016 66. @seifou "Who came here after watching Elders React To Twerking ? =))" **** 2017 **** 2018 57. @caoimhebrowne466 "She’s really doesn’t care and that’s why we love her"
**** 2019 **** 2020 **** 2021 **** 2022 **** 2023 68. @jwatwater "This really started an era"
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