Overview
The Floss—swinging arms from side to side while hips move opposite direction—became the defining dance move of 2017-2019 youth culture after Backpack Kid’s performance with Katy Perry on SNL. The deceptively simple move conquered playgrounds, Fortnite, and sparked major copyright lawsuits.
Origins
Created by 15-year-old Russell Horning (@backpack_kid, named for his signature backpack) in 2016, the Floss featured:
- Arms swinging wildly in alternating directions
- Hips moving opposite to arms
- Rigid, robotic execution
- Signature deadpan expression
Horning’s May 2017 performance with Katy Perry on SNL’s “Swish Swish” brought the dance to mainstream attention, making a teenage Instagram creator an overnight phenomenon.
Youth Culture Dominance
The Floss became ubiquitous among elementary/middle school students (2017-2019):
- School talent shows: Every fifth-grader was flossing
- Fortnite: Epic Games added the Floss as an emote (sparking lawsuits)
- YouTube tutorials: Billions of “how to floss” instructional views
- Generational marker: Adults attempting it looked absurdly awkward, creating natural age division
The move’s difficulty (coordination challenging for many adults) made it a youth-culture gatekeeping mechanism—kids could floss, parents struggled.
Fortnite Controversy & Lawsuits
Epic Games added the Floss as the “Floss” emote in Fortnite Battle Royale (2018), crediting no one and paying no royalties. Backpack Kid’s mother filed a lawsuit seeking compensation, alongside other creators (Carlton Banks dance, Milly Rock).
Legal arguments:
- Creators: Dance moves are copyrightable artistic expression deserving royalties
- Epic Games: Short dance phrases are functional movements, not protectable IP
The case was dismissed (2019-2020)—U.S. Copyright Office ruled individual dance moves too short for copyright protection. The outcome established precedent allowing game companies to freely copy viral dances without compensation.
Cultural Saturation & Backlash
By 2019, the Floss had become cringe:
- Corporate overuse: Brands, politicians, ads featuring out-of-touch adults flossing
- Meme status: “OK Boomer” energy when adults attempted it
- School bans: Some districts prohibited flossing due to distraction
The move transitioned from cool to ironic to unbearable—the typical viral dance lifecycle compressed into 18 months.
Legacy
The Floss established templates for 2020s dance culture:
- Teen creator virality: Young people inventing moves that dominate youth culture
- Platform exploitation: Companies monetizing creators’ work without payment
- Copyright debates: Dance move ownership battles
- Generational divides: Youth-culture moves adults can’t execute
- Fortnite’s influence: The game as dance trend amplifier
Backpack Kid’s trajectory—viral fame, SNL performance, legal battles, fading relevance—became a blueprint for TikTok-era dance creators.
Sources
- The Verge “Backpack Kid Sues Epic Games Over Fortnite’s Floss Dance” (December 2018)
- NPR “The Floss: How a Teen’s Dance Move Conquered the World” (May 2018)
- U.S. Copyright Office “Dance Moves and Copyright Law” (February 2020)