Arts1

Have you ever looked at an album cover or publicity photo for a rap star and wonder why you are magnetically attracted to it? Record companies and publicists spend lots of time, and even more money, on stylists and designers to ensure that their rap star is adorned with the latest clothing and accessories that will catch your eye. But another attention-getter and image-maker is coming to the forefront in the world of rap – hand gestures.
     Very rarely will you find a rap star with his or her hands simply hanging limp, like the rest of us, even when they are walking. Rather, their hands and fingers are usually in a rigid, seemingly uncomfortable position, contorted and aimed towards the camera or person(s) in front of them. Their hand gestures are in-your-face, and are rapidly becoming recognized as a skill that can make, or break, a rap artist.
     “Besides being able to rhyme words and wear expensive clothing, a rap artist today must be able to consistently produce hand gestures that get the attention of record buyers”, says Saturn record executive Paul Bonadio. “When I see a kid trying to emulate the hand gesture of one of our artists, I know we have a hit on our hands”. And what happens if the hand gestures do not work? “It can get ugly”, says Bonadio. “If an artist’s hand gestures seem forced, or do not inspire imitation on the streets, we can usually count on the record sales dropping.”
     So how can a rapper ensure that their hand gestures will excite today’s youth? Like any other big business, rap in enlisting the help of high-priced consultants. One such consultant, Lisa Jewell, is currently on the payroll at four different record companies. Jewell began her career in software sales, but moved to hand gesture consulting after discovering her talent. “I was in my boss’s office, and I had just closed a big deal”, recalls Jewell. “He (Jewell’s boss) was sitting behind his desk, and I said ‘Boss, we got the Harley account!’ He looked up from his computer screen and smiled at me, offered me some kind of automatic congratulation, then looked back down. So, I said it again; ‘Boss, we got the Harley account!’, only this time I had crossed my arms over my chest and spread all ten of my fingers as wide as I could. He looked up at me, and this time, when he saw my (hand) gesture, he jumped out of his chair, came around his desk and gave me a hug. He was ecstatic, and offered me a raise on the spot. That’s when I knew that a good hand gesture can make all the difference in the world.” Jewell smiles as she recalls the story from her expansive downtown office.

She quit her sales job a month later, and opened Jewell Consulting, where she and a staff of five work almost exclusively with rap artists and record labels. “The corporate world has not realized the power of street hand gestures. Not yet, anyway”, she says with a wink.
So what is it about a rapper’s contorted hands that draw us to them? Psychologist Timothy Ovitz has been studying the phenomenon. “The only thing that I can come up with to account for the power of these ridiculous gestures and posing is the astronomical drop in the intelligence of our youth”, offers Ovitz. His studies involve playing rap songs of very poor quality to a group of teenagers, and having them write down their opinion of the song. Then, the same song is played, but the image of a rapper displaying various hand gestures is shown during the song. Again, the teen’ opinions are documented. The results are staggering, says Ovitz. “First, the subjects hate the song. Then, after seeing a rapper doing something as inane as curling their fingers, as if they were tightly gripping a grapefruit, and moving their hands and arms up and down, they suddenly love the damn (rap song)”.

Jewell smiles when she reads Ovitz’s findings. She says his findings about hand gestures confirm what she already knows. “The hand gesture is perhaps the most powerful form of communication, influence, and image making that we have seen since the cellular phone”, she says.
Opponents of hand gestures include leading osteopathic doctors who claim that the contortion of one’s hand will inevitably lead to arthritis. Also, the conservative Christian group “The Mind Closers” have deemed the gestures as “Satan’s work”, and vow to burn any albums that prominently feature artists using the popular gestures.
Bonadio, for one, shrugs off the controversy. “Most of these rappers aren’t concerned with arthritis. If they live long enough to get it, that is”, he adds with a laugh. Jewell also isn’t worried about her opponents. “The power of a good hand gesture is certainly stronger than those wackos.”, she says. “They’re not in the rap industry’s demographic, anyway, so I really don’t care what they think.”

The major television networks issued press releases yesterday, announcing new shows that will debut this spring, taking the place of failed shows from their fall line-ups. Reality television and game shows continued to dominate the television landscape. A complete listing of the new shows follows:

“Bruise Factor” - FOX
In Fox’s latest reality series, fraternity members down pitchers of beer until they are drunk enough to begin punching each other in the arm. The boys take turns walloping each other until one submits, or his sorority girlfriend covers her eyes, whichever comes first. Tight camera shots of the contestant’s faces and chilling background music should make host John Tesh’s job easy. The winning frat boy receives a lifetime subscription to “Maxim” and three Nike visors.

“Lap of the World” - NBC
Not to be outdone by Fox, NBC also offers up a new reality series this year. Strippers give lap dances to professional athletes, who then vote the dancers off, one by one. This show really hits a high note when the athlete’s wives are treated to a video of the proceedings! The last stripper standing receives her very own adult video contract and five thousand dollars worth of drug paraphernalia.

“The Great Hunt” - ABC
Two member teams cross the country, armed with only a Diners Club card, on the greatest scavenger hunt ever created for network television! Cameras follow their every move and document their every disagreement as the teams search for the following:

1. An 18-wheel truck weigh station that is open.
2. A new automobile not equipped with “California Emission”.
3. A McDonald’s where not one employee has at least one gold tooth.
4. An actor who admittedly hated working with his last co-star.
5. Any member of the 1980’s pop group “Men Without Hats”

The winning team must video tape all five discoveries and be the first to reach the Washington monument with their proof. Each member of the winning team will receive a Global Positioning System.