Loser (hand gesture)

The Loser is a hand gesture made by extending the right thumb and index fingers, leaving the other fingers closed to create the letter L, interpreted as "loser", and generally given as a demeaning sign.[1] Sometimes this is accompanied by raising the hand to the giver's forehead,[1] and sometimes it is done when resting the head in one's own hands.

Woman making the loser gesture

The gesture was popular in the 1990s, partly popularized by the 1994 movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective[2] and 1993's The Sandlot, as well as the 1999 Smash Mouth song "All Star," which contains the lyric "she was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb in the shape of an 'L' on her forehead."

Usage of an "L" handsign in specific contexts

The gesture is mentioned in the lyrics of Smash Mouth's hit single "All Star" (1999).

The gesture is used in the logo of Glee to form the logo's L. It is used as a sign of affection among the fans of that show ('Gleeks').

In the The Simpsons episode "Pranks and Greens", Lisa Simpson shows this sign several times, once while cycling, towards Bart Simpson and Andy Hamilton, mocking especially the latter boy's way of life.

In the Philippines it was used by supporters of Corazon Aquino during her presidential candidacy against the then-President Ferdinand Marcos; the "L" gesture meaning "laban" (translated, "fight" or "contest" which could refer to fighting against Marcos). It was readopted during the presidential campaign of Benigno Aquino III, son of Corazon Aquino.

Pro-wrestler Zack Ryder uses the gesture as one half of his own "Long Island" sign ("L" gesture on his right hand means "Long" and an extended index finger on his left hand means "Island"). Wrestlers The Bella Twins also use the gesture.

The gesture is also used by fans of Polish football club Legia Warsaw, whose logo is an "L" inside a circle. Supporters of the University of Louisville and its athletic program use a slightly different version of the gesture, in which the index and middle fingers are raised together.

One of its first appearances in video games is in a team-based shooter called Team Fortress 2 where it is executed in the form of a taunt by soldier class if the player presses "g" key whilst holding a rocket launcher

In the game Fortnite Battle Royale, there is an emote called "Take the L", which uses the Loser gesture on a dance.

In the games Super Smash Bros 4/Ultimate, during Luigi's Palutena's Guidance on the Palutena's Temple stage, Viridi comments on an "unfortunate 'L' on his forehead", referring to the well-known green L on his cap. Pit even counterclaims that it stands for "winner", contrasting the point the goddess of nature was trying to prove.

In a Saturday Night Live skit on November 7th 2020, to commemorate the election win by Joe Biden, Jim Carey and Maya Rudolph do the "L" gesture at the end of the skit.

See also

References

Sources
  • Armstrong, Nancy; Wagner, Melissa (2003). Field Guide to Gestures: How to Identify and Interpret Virtually Every Gesture Known to Man. Quirk Books. ISBN 1-931686-20-3.

Notes
  1. Armstrong; Wagner (2003), p. 69
  2. Armstrong; Wagner (2003), p. 68
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