The Crotch Grab: Too Old, Too Young, Too Female?

Of the many trademark dance moves that the late megastar Michael Jackson showcased to the world - the Moonwalk, the Toe Stand, the Anti-Gravity Lean - the Crotch Grab has got to be the most frequently copied by popstars everywhere. The reason? It could be that M.J. was (and still is) the biggest music icon in the world and stars will always be trying to achieve status of his calibre, it could be that it is one of the easiest of his seminal moves to learn, or it could be that it has always been controversial, critically regarded as infamous and overtly sexual, and notoriety, as celebrities know, is a sure fire way to hit headlines.

Society has reached a stage where such trifles are rarely considered shocking anymore, so why do we still find ourselves recoiling at the sight of another star copying the famous move?

Too Old?

Watching a woman's hand slide towards her nether regions on stage is probably the most cringey to witness. As much as we are trying to get used to the ever thinning line between men and women as a society, watching a female being so masculinely crude is still bizarre and extremely uncomfortable to see. Known offenders are Madonna, who surely also fits into the 'Too Old' category; Miley Cyrus, who has making many crazy moves in terms of her image to rid herself of her Hannah Montana child star association; Katy Perry, who sort of gets away with it because she's nuts on stage anyway; and Rihanna, whose increasingly racy image sparks criticism wherever she goes - we picture the 24-year-old dirty dancing at the Nassau Coliseum in New York during her 'Loud Tour' in 2011. Even Janet Jackson is guilty of copying her brother in some of her dance routines. We try not to be sexist but, girls, it's a bad look. Let's leave it at that.

Too Much?

Okay, so we've established that we're not massive fans of the crotch grab here at Contact Music. On the other hand, some artists kind of suit the move. Take hip hop, for example; a lot of the music is directly about sexual explicitness so why not throw in a few rude moves on stage? Lil Wayne simulated the gesture while jamming with Birdman on the Nicki Minaj Tour at Miami's James L. Knight Center; we say 'simulate' because the crotch on his pants is too low for a full handful.

However, it was STILL majorly vom inducing to see and we have to come to the conclusion that maybe Michael Jackson really is the only person who could get away with doing that move. Sure, it was shocking when he unveiled the routine in the '80s, but it was never embarrassing. We just have one piece of advice for anyone wanting to copy that move: don't.