# Political Footwear Throwing Bush Shoe Attack in Iraq Shows How Different Cultures React to Anger By Going Like Sixty | Published 2008-12-15 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bush-shoe-iraq References: [uniquedaily](http://www.uniquedaily.com/the-pillow-lover/) I’ve been tempted to heave shoes at the television, but an Iraqi journalist actually did it - in person - at the President of the U.S. A pair of [size ten shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/john-fluevog) were tossed right over the head of President Bush during a news conference in Iraq. An accredited journalist threw his shoes, one at a time, shouting “this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog.” Bush clearly sees the shoe coming and ducks, otherwise it would have nailed him right in the kisser. Bush was making a surprise visit to Iraq. Bush shrugged off the shoes being heaved in his direction by saying “it’s like driving down the street and have people gesture not using all five fingers. In Arab cultures showing the sole of a shoe is the ultimate insult. The [BBC has the video](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7782774.stm) from many angles. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.8/10 - Popularity: 48% | Activity: 87% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Viral](https://www.trendhunter.com/viral) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Political Footwear Throwing:** Opportunity for innovative personal protective gear that can deflect or neutralize thrown objects. - **Cultural Differences in Anger Expression:** Potential for intercultural communication and conflict resolution training and services to bridge understanding and prevent escalation. - **Symbolic Insults in Different Cultures:** Demand for cultural sensitivity training in international business and diplomacy to avoid inadvertent offenses. ### Who This Affects Most - **Personal Protective Equipment:** Disruptive innovation opportunity in developing lightweight and agile protective gear for high-risk situations. - **Professional Training and Development:** Innovative solutions to enhance communication skills and intercultural competence for professionals working in diverse contexts. - **Cross-cultural Consulting:** Opportunity to provide guidance and expertise to businesses and organizations in navigating cultural differences and minimizing cultural misunderstandings. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sneaker-Inspired Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/drip.md) - [Gratitude-Giving Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-jordan-xi-retro.md) - [Lunar New Year-Celebrating Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vibram-fivefingers-year-of-the-horse.md) - [Second-Skin Luxury Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zero-shoe.md) - [Industrial Textural Rugged Boots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2x4-brutal-boot.md) - [Retail Rage Rooms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/miista.md) - [Extravagant Dad-Inspired Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-balances-tech-explosion.md) - [Dynamic Enlarged Sole Loafers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/24-loafer.md) - [Humorous Beans-Forward Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ticket-exchange.md)