Pitchfork (hand gesture)
Encyclopedia
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and events in which the school's athletic teams, the Arizona State Sun Devils, are taking part. The Arizona State mascot is Sparky the Sun Devil, who carries a pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
. The hand gesture is especially popular among Sun Devil fans at athletic events, such as football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, in which cheering is a large part. The Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was created by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football...
use this hand symbol as well. The hand gesture is also espically popular among professional wrestling fans.
History
On November 20, 1946, the mascot of Arizona State University was changed from the Bulldogs to the Sun Devils by the student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
, after a November 8 vote of the student body for such a change. Two years later, a former Disney illustrator named Bert Anthony was the first to add an actual pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
to the Sparky image. It is not known exactly how long afterwards the pitchfork/trident hand gesture became popular, but there are references to the gesture being used as far back as the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
.
In other instances of popular culture
Professional wrestlerProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
uses the pitchfork as his own signature gesture, but he calls it the V1.
In a well-publicized image which was taken in late 2008, many websites and blogs mistakenly reported that George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was making the sexually connotative "Shocker" hand gesture
Shocker (hand gesture)
The shocker, also known colloquially as "two in the pink, one in the stink" or "two in the goo, one in the poo" is a hand gesture with a sexual connotation. The ring finger and thumb are curled or bent down while the other fingers are extended. The index and middle fingers are kept together and...
when in reality he was making the pitchfork or "trident" sign due to the visiting Arizona State men's and women's track team.