Did you really think the high five has been around since cavemen were slapping each other’s loincloths? Think again, darling. This iconic palm-slamming ritual is way younger than your Aunt Karen’s Botox habit, and the drama behind who actually invented it? Honey, it’s messier than a Real Housewives reunion.
Picture it: 1977. A baseball player named Dusty Baker just smashed a home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his teammate Glenn Burke had the audacity, the GALL, to raise his hand for an airborne slap instead of some boring low-five nonsense. Baker went for it. The dugout erupted. History was made, darling. Burke later claimed he invented the gesture on the spot, and the moment became legendary.
But wait, there’s a plot twist thicker than a Kardashian contour routine. A completely different man, retired Baltimore Orioles outfielder Keith Jackson, came forward years later insisting HE invented the high five way back in the early 1970s. He even dragged former teammate Lee May into the mess to back up his story. Two men. Two ball clubs. One very sassy palm slap. The feud has dragged on for decades, and honestly, neither side is serving conclusive receipts.
The wild part? The high five exploded into pop culture faster than a celebrity divorce. By the 1980s it was everywhere — sports, concerts, your coworker’s terrible Zoom calls. It became a universal symbol of celebration, solidarity, and frankly, just being a basic human who wants to acknowledge someone else’s win. No words needed. Just palm. Just vibes.
So what do you think, sweetie? Who really deserves the crown for inventing the most underrated gesture in human history? Spill your hot take below, because this debate is more contested than who wore it better at the Met Gala.
What do you think? A) Glenn Burke — the original Dodgers diva deserves full credit. B) Keith Jackson — the O’s veteran was way ahead of his time.