Please forgive me…I’m over 30 and was never a clubber.

In a number of songs, women “get low”. In “Low”:

Shawty got low low low low low low low low

In “Belly Dancer”, they drop down and touch the ground;

Hey, ladies drop it down, just want to see you touch the ground

You ain’t even gotta drop down if you want to

What activity is being described here? What are these women doing?

  • jerkface@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    67
    ·
    9 months ago

    I think it just means to literally lower your hips while dancing. Ie dance such that it shows off your ass, in a position suggestive of intercourse.

    • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      27
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      lordosis

      Edit: I have no idea why the responses below have been taken over by pedants lacking in reading comprehension. Lordosis is the name for the behavior, the reflex, the posture, all the things. We’re taking about presenting the vagina for copulation here. That is what the songs are talking about. It’s not literal mating, but it’s sexually exciting. These behaviors are deeply embedded in the primitive levels of our brain. It’s even hypothesized that this is why we have butts at all.

      The part/whole phenomenon is called synecdoche and is extremely common in all forms of communication.

      • Izzgo@kbin.social
        cake
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        New word to me, thank you. And apparently, in animals which display that behavior, it is reflexive, not a voluntary action. But a point of interest from your article:

        Lordosis behavior is non-functional in humans, although lordosis-like positions can be observed in those being mounted from behind.

        So therefore, while twerking mimics lordosis, it’s really just dancing, albeit rather sexually.

        • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          We’re not talking about twerking. You are correct in twerking is a dance that does in fact present the person sexually. That is its appeal.

          It is the bending over and sticking out your ass that is lordosis.

          • jerkface@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            No. That is not lordosis. That is a simulation of lordosis. You are confusing a metaphor for the literal thing.

      • Mothra@mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        9 months ago

        Yes this is partially true but when you get low you usually also spread your legs, which has the secondary effect of flashing whatever you happen to be wearing (or otherwise). It’s very difficult to dance and get low keeping the knees together.

        So my point is, that there is more than just lordosis

        • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          10
          ·
          9 months ago

          The entirety of sexual presenting behavior is lordosis.

          So no, there is not more than lordosis here. By definition.

              • Yoryo@kbin.social
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                8
                arrow-down
                4
                ·
                9 months ago

                Cause OP was asking about getting low while dancing. Y’all took a hard right to another subject.

                • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  6
                  arrow-down
                  7
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  9 months ago

                  What other subject?

                  This is the exact, scientifically supported answer to ops question.

                  Lordosis is the name for the behavior the women are engaging in.

              • planish@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                2
                ·
                9 months ago

                Because it makes it seem like you are thinking of the people involved first and foremost as objects of biological study, and that you are the kind of person to whom that sort of thinking comes most naturally.

      • jerkface@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        I mean it very loosely approximates the appearance of lordosis as defined in the article you linked. But it isn’t in fact lordosis, which makes the resulting reply chain pretty unbearable.

        • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          It is in fact lordosis. Lordosis is the posture and the presenting for copulation.

          I can’t imagine why you’d say loosely approximates. Bending over and sticking out your ass is literally presenting of the vagina.

          The fact is human behavior is more complex and is not as simple as a cat in heat should not need to be stated.

          • jerkface@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            9 months ago

            Bending over and sticking out your ass is literally presenting of the vagina.

            Bending over and sticking out your ass is literally NOT LORDISIS and only roughly resembles what your cited source describes as lordosis, which for example, specifies an involuntary response that lowers the chest to the ground.

            I’m just going from the fucking source you provided. Feel free to provide another.

      • WHYAREWEALLCAPS@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        9 months ago

        You realize that lordosis is a neurological reflex, not a sexual position, right? The position lordosis causes in animals may resemble similar positions in humans, but they are not the same thing.

  • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    38
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    9 months ago

    I’m fifty but I came from Southern Louisiana where the ladies were twerking ages ago…for sure back in 1991.

    Getting low refers to squatting low while twerking. If you do not know what twerking is, you can Google plenty of videos including “how to” instructional videos. We are living in the future!

    • cabhanOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      Hah, I do know what twerking is, but I never associated it with this phrase. A follow-up: are you actually touching the ground? What body part is touching the ground?

      • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        Yes, they touch the ground. Proper twerking requires a big butt and proper attire. According to some women I knew back then, there’s a science to it. Even the underwear selection came into play according to them. The flesh of the ass needs to have travel above and beyond what the hips are doing. So, for lack of better imagery, some VERY skilled women could squat real low and basically dribble their butt cheeks on the ground. I’ve only seen one person do that live in front of me and everyone was losing their shit. It was incredible. She could make one cheek hit the floor then the other. Left right left right…like dribbling two basketball really fast.

        EDIT: I guess I should clarify that the bounce gave the illusion that the cheeks were touching the ground, so as far as I’m concerned they were. From my angle they definitely looked like they were bouncing but they could have been a couple of inches from the ground. I didn’t physically check as I was not an idiot with a death wish.

        • planish@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          9 months ago

          “Excuse me ma’am, please keep doing your cool dance move, I just gotta check something reeeeal quick…”

          • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            You’d be surprised how many dipshits do stupid things and are subsequently surprised by the immediate consequences of their own actions.

  • Bonehead@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    19
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    9 months ago

    I believe they are referring to what is colloquially known as “dat ass”. Also known as “twerking”.

  • alicebobby
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    I believe it simply means literally lowering your hips while dancing. I dance in a position that suggests intercourse, where your ass shows off. retro bowl

  • MarkPandiani@lemmy.eco.br
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 months ago

    @rice purity test The phrases “get low” and “drop it down” in the context of the lyrics you mentioned typically refer to a dance move where individuals, in this case, women, lower their bodies, often bending at the hips and knees, to bring themselves closer to the ground. It’s a common dance move seen in various club and hip-hop dance scenes.