It’s so popular with the tween crowd, that even I’ve heard of Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat” dance sensation. My daughter, and most of her friends, make this dance look soooo easy. But, have you tried it?
The reason these girls look so good is that they’ve watched the instructional video, and literally spent hours practicing the “supaman” move.
Talk about motivation! Yeah!
Even more interesting, to me anyway, is what Soulja Boy’s popularity says about modern society. In Soulja Boy: In Loco Parentis, Drew Hinshaw makes a persuasive case that:
… in a larger sense, the explosive popularity of that Soulja Boy dance partially reflects a change in how America raises our young. The year that gave us “superman that hoe” was also the first year in American history in which married households constituted a minority. The nature of parental authority has changed, not only because the job is left to more divorced and single parents, but also because AIM, social networking, and the proliferation of cell phones have circumvented parental control.
Well, I’m not buying it. Is parental control really any less than it was in the past? I know many of us had way more freedom than today’s adolescents.
I think you can argue that boundaries have shifted regarding what is acceptable in popular culture. And yes, today’s parents are having to figure out how to keep kids safe even as they learn about the new arenas available in the wired world. However, this is not a new phenomenon.
Kids have been pushing limits since humans first learned how to harness fire.
What do you think? Is your child dancing to Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat”? In Share the Music, Share the Love, I suggested that tween music is a good reason for me to master Self-Delusion 101. So, does that mean I’m ceding parental control? Or, am I just being realistic about picking my parenting battles?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
dianeinjapan 04.02.08 at 8:01 pm
I think you’re being realistic about picking battles! My kids like Soulja Boy, too, and no, I don’t love it–but in no way have my husband and I lost parental control.
Denise 04.03.08 at 9:02 am
Ok, I think I’ve got the dance moves down! Now I need a pair of pants with a knee length crotch, oversized t-shirt, baseball cap, and shades:) One of our philosophies on parenting - if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!!
livingbylearning 04.03.08 at 9:29 am
Denise,
We should make our own music video - and really embarrass our kids!
Sandra
livingbylearning 04.03.08 at 10:20 am
Even corporate America is getting into the “Crank Dat” groove.
Check out this video link from my sister: http://www.funnyordie.com/larrylove
And here is her commentary:
That is funny you sent this blog. Our office did a skit back in December, where we pretty much imitated the show “the office”, but also had a music video incorporated..it was very very funny. These are actually my co-workers, my office building, the Beamer belongs to our director, and she is also holding the boom box, the white guy is a senior Account Manager, and the other two gals are Senior Recruiters…so pretty professional people..which makes it even more funny..to us at least!