Crossposted in Immizen.com
Everybody has heard about the Harlem Shake video phenomenon which started sometime early February by this bunch of Australian dudes and is now taking over the world.
Even the Miami HEAT has one, and a very good one, I must say. If you are a HEAT hater, too bad. I happen to live in Miami and I cannot bring myself to be upset with LeBron.
But here is something I really enjoy seeing. As a former huge fan of Ghandi and his non violent resistant movement, and as someone who likes to shake it once in a while, there is nothing more refreshing than a political protest that involves music and some funky dance moves:
As reported by a Globe and Mail article (and I saw no one in underwear, not that there is anything wrong with showing a little skin):
There was something enthralling in the sight, on Thursday night, of young Egyptians, some clad in underwear, making rhythmic pelvic thrusts in front of the Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Harlem Shake is an unlikely medium of revolution, but the dance craze this week became the latest front in the showdown between Islamic politics and the drive toward individualism and independence.
The NYT has an article on this too, titled "‘Harlem Shake’ Protests in Tunisia and Egypt". It shows a video in Tunesia where students are indeed wearing underwear. Maybe the Globe and Mail mixed it up.
The Internet is a great thing indeed. Some misuse it to propagate false information and foster hate in the world (you should see the postings of some Facebook Tea-Party acquaintances), but some use it for good purposes and yet others use it just for fun.
When fun mixes with a good purpose, there is nothing better than that.
And the fact that there is a voice saying "Con los terroristas", which means with the terrorists, kind of adds a little irreverence to it. I checked and the DJ that came up with the song, Baauer does not seem to have any agenda with that, he just copied some other reggaeton dude who used to say that but nobody knows why he said it. Probably just trying to be "rebellious". It's kind of the perfect song to make right-wingers nervous.
I've heard some people belittle the new Harlem Shake craze, but honestly, where is their sense of humor?
I love it.