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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, March 17, 2003

ABOUT MEN
Dude! Why is it that guys like being their own cheerleaders?

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By Ken Rickard
Advertiser Staff Writer

As I was walking down the Strip in Las Vegas, I spocked two guys standing through a moonroof of a limousine that was stuck in the Saturday night traffic.

One of them was holding a Bud while the other dude was sipping a red-glassed novelty drink. Both were sporting multi-colored beads around their necks.

I leaned over to my friend and said, "Five bucks says one of these guys screams out 'Whoo hoo!' "

"I'll take that bet," he replied.

We slowed our pace to see what, exactly, they were doing. They seemed pretty tame.

Just when I thought I was out luck (like I was on the Megabucks ... and at the blackjack table ... and at the craps table...), one of them belted out a boisterous "VEGAS BAYBEE!"

That's not verbatim, but this is a family newspaper so you'll have to guess his actual expletive.

In general, if you see a group of guys out on the town, chances are one of them will yell out "Whoo hoo!" for no apparent reason. You know, the ear-piercing cry that comes out of nowhere: "WHOO HOO!"

Of course there are other versions of the cry. There's "Oww!" which is the wolf-like howl. "Yeah, baybee!" and "Dude!" are also popular choices for male affirmation.

In Hawai'i, we have the "Kee hee!" or "Chee hee!" which has distinct Pacific roots. But "Whoo hoo!" is the standard that transcends culture and language.

I'm sure this classic male cry harks back to the days of hunter-gatherers, when one guy would club a potential meal to death, stand over the carcass, wave his arms to his buddy and bellow, "Who's da man?" (The appropriate response, of course, is "You da man!")

You've seen these guys. When it happens, you probably just roll your eyes and write them off as drunkards.

And you're usually right.

However, there is no reasonable explanation as to why any guy does this. We'll do it drunk or sober, at a football game or in the video arcade. We will do it in a box or with a fox.

It must be a chromosomal thing.

I theorize the cry is some kind of self-cheer whereby we provide our own pep squad.

For example, a forlorn-looking dude was sitting alone at the three-card poker table. As I watched a couple of hands, it appeared that he was about to give up when he finally won a big one.

"OH YEAH!" echoed through the casino as he pumped his fist.

Yay me.

Maybe its just a spontaneous release that every guy has to do. I've been the "Whoo hoo!" guy on several occasions.

I can't explain it. Just be happy that we're having a good time and not getting into trouble (at least not any obvious trouble).

But I think I've outgrown it.

"WHAT'S UP, DOG?!"

OK, maybe not.

Ken Rickard recently added $1,210 to the Las Vegas economy. Reach him at krickard@honoluluadvertiser.com.