NEW YORK — The day after the MTV Video Music Awards came with a few more people Googling the phrase: “What is twerking?”
It’s been a popular search all summer, ever since Miley Cyrus, America’s former teen sweetheart, decided her pathway to chart-topping success involved doing freaky things with stuffed animals and gyrating her booty at high speeds. Newly anointed as an expert, Cyrus has been twerking her way up the charts with the song “We Can’t Stop,” the catchy groove that has been in Billboard’s top 10 for most of the summer.
For those who are still unclear, twerking is a dance, it’s all about the movement of the rump — and it’s been around longer than Miley’s been alive. It’s been called different things at different times, but anyone who saw the video “Rump Shaker,” has been to a strip club or has seen the majority of hip-hop videos over the years probably has a good idea of what twerking is.
Cyrus’ appropriation of the dance for her ratchet makeover (go ahead and Google that) has put a new spotlight on the move, and made it the dance du jour. But before you start taking twerking lessons from your local YMCA or the Internet, you might want to find a better way to invest your time. All signs are pointing to the fact that twerking, while not on its way out, may have already reached its peak:
•A former Disney star has become the poster child for twerking.
Your Zumba teacher says, “OK ladies — now it’s time to twerk!”
There are twerk dance teams.
Twerking instructional videos on YouTube have millions of views.
There are videos of pets twerking with thousands of views.
Selena Gomez says she taught Ethan Hawke how to do it.
There’s a Wikipedia entry on twerking.
Rapper Juicy J briefly offered a twerking college scholarship.
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