An involuntary 21st century version of the the perplexingly popular early 90's dance hit, the Macarena.
The original dance involved odd arm motions, alternately patting hips, head, backside, etc. in time to the beat of the accompanying music. At one time, it was a major craze in the USA, but now is largely despised.
The Cellphone Macarena, on the other hand, is not restricted to night clubs, bars, or line dances. While the movements are frequently almost identical to those of the original Macarena, they are not done to impress the opposite sex. In fact, they are a frantic, and often humiliating, attempt to locate a ringing cellphone before the caller hangs up.
This is a byproduct of the cultural trends that have given us ultra-small cellphones and clothes with a truly excessive number of pockets. When your mobile phone rings, you can no longer detect its presence merely by sensing the weight in your pocket. Each pocket must be quickly patted in turn, until the phone is located.
The enjoyment of this experience (for those watching) is enhanced if either
- The ringing cellphone is not actually in the person's pockets,
- The person has a programmable ring tone set to play the Macarena, or
- One or more parties are intoxicated
The only known cure is to make use of the phone's vibrate function. Not only does this not annoy those around you, but the vibrations provide a quick and easy way to locate the pocket containing your phone.