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It's a gesture that dates back to ancient Greece, but it's as modern as the latest traffic altercation in your neighborhood. And it's about time the ol' single-finger salute got recognized with an international day of celebration.
That day is today: Aug. 1, 2012, marks the first World Middle Finger Day. It's a holiday dedicated to the right of all those in the free world to flip off whoever they want, wherever and whenever they want, and for whatever reason.
"The Middle Finger gesture is the most universal gesture there is to express discontent," said Charles Greene, one of the 20-plus organizers of World Middle Finger Day, in an e-mail to Wired. "While it may not be in common use everywhere, it's known and therefore I'd hope people would adapt it. It's a clear but peaceful way to protest, to object."
It's also good for a laugh. So, to celebrate our new favorite "holiday," Wired dug through geeky movie history for the best middle-finger moments in cinema. Whether it's Maverick flipping off a MiG or Bender asking "Sport-o" if he needs him to turn up the digit dial, it's always insulting — and often hilarious.
Above:
The Social Network (2010)
Although The Social Network is chock-full of Aaron Sorkin's Oscar-winning dialog, Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake)'s simple-yet-emphatic gesture to a building full of suits remains one of the movie's most memorable moments.Blowback: What's Your Favorite Middle-Finger Moment in a Film?
We can't list every bird-flip here, but what are your favorite such celluloid moments? Let us know in the comments below.
