{{short description|Gesture of dropping a microphone}} {{Expand language|topic=|langcode=Zh|otherarticle=扔麥克風|date=May 2026}} {{For-text|the song|Mic Drop (song)|the reality show|Drop the Mic}} {{use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
A '''mic drop''' is the gesture of intentionally dropping one's microphone at the end of a performance or speech to signal triumph. Figuratively, it is an expression of triumph for a successful event and indicates a boastful attitude toward one's own performance.<ref>{{cite web|title='Cat café' and other words added to OxfordDictionaries.com|url=http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/08/new-words-update-manspreading-mic-drop/|department=OxfordWords blog|publisher=Oxford Dictionaries|accessdate=1 May 2016|date=27 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606054400/http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/08/new-words-update-manspreading-mic-drop/|archive-date=6 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== History == [[File:Barack Obama drops the mic.gif|thumb|class=pageimage|President Barack Obama's mic drop at the 2016 White House Correspondents' Dinner]] The gesture with a microphone became prevalent in the 1980s, when it was used by rappers and comedians.<ref name="slate" />{{Better source needed|date=February 2021}} The context could be a rap battle or a comedian interacting with a heckler — and dropping the microphone after a particularly effective line indicated complete confidence in the opponent's inability to come back with anything that would be worthy of a response. An early occurrence was Eddie Murphy in 1983 in his standup show ''Delirious''.<ref name="slate" /> He did it again in his 1988 film ''Coming to America'' after a musical performance of “The Greatest Love of All” when playing the character Randy Watson.
The gesture gained increased popularity from 2012.<ref name="slate">{{cite web|last1=Wickman|first1=Forrest|title=When Did People Start Walking Off the Stage Like This? *Drops Mic*|url=https://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/25/a_history_of_the_mic_drop_when_did_people_start_dropping_the_mic.html|website=Slate|accessdate=1 May 2016|date=25 January 2013}}</ref> US President Barack Obama performed a mic drop on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'', which has been credited with popularising the meme.<ref name="slate"/> Then at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 30, 2016, Obama ended his speech with the words "Obama out", then dropped a mic, evoking a speech by the then retiring NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant, who had ended his speech with the words "mamba out" at the end of his last game on April 14, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=David|title=Barack Obama in surprise swipe at Clinton at final correspondents' dinner|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/01/obama-takes-aim-at-trump-and-republicans-at-final-correspondents-dinner|accessdate=1 May 2016|work=The Guardian |location=London |date=1 May 2016}}</ref> In 2017, RM, the leader of boy band BTS, revealed that the track "Mic Drop" from their extended play ''Love Yourself: Her'' was inspired by Obama's speech.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/mic-drop-is-so-lit-i-want-it-to-be-played-in-my-coffin|title=This K-Pop Group Has A New Song Based On Obama's Mic Drop|work=BuzzFeed|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en}}</ref> A figurative use also features in a promotional video for the Invictus Games featuring Obama and the British royal family.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Roberts |first1=Dan |title=Obamas, Prince Harry and the Queen trade mic drops in comedy sketch|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/29/obamas-prince-harry-queen-elizabeth-invictus-games-video |accessdate=1 May 2016|work=The Guardian |location=London |date=29 April 2016}}</ref>
Google introduced a "mic drop" feature to Gmail on April 1, 2016, as an April Fools' Day joke, allowing users to send a GIF of a Minion dropping a microphone as a reply to any email. If used, the feature also prevented the sender from seeing any subsequent replies that the recipient sent.<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/02/technology/april-fools-undo-gmail-removes-its-mic-drop-feature.html|title=April Fools' Undo: Gmail Removes Its 'Mic Drop' Feature |work=The New York Times|date=1 April 2016|accessdate=1 April 2016|author=Rogers, Katie}}</ref> The feature was removed within hours after Google received complaints from some users, with some reporting that they lost their job as a result of accidentally using it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/1/11344044/google-gmail-mic-drop-button-april-fool|title=Google pulls ill-advised 'mic drop' April Fools' joke from Gmail|work=The Verge|date=1 April 2016|accessdate=1 April 2016|author=McCormick, Rich}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35941806 | title=Google April Fool Gmail button sparks backlash | publisher=BBC News | date=1 April 2016 | accessdate=1 April 2016}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{wiktionary-inline|mic drop}} * {{wiktionary-inline|drop the mic}} * [https://dropthemic.io Drop The Mic Microphone]
Category:Gestures Category:Microphones