Heather in Neverland Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Because some people think it's fun? Because (unless one is on an airplane or in a mine) it's harmless? Because some of us make time for silliness and goofy joy in our lives? Because there's nothing wrong with making people laugh? Eh. It's not a big deal to me one way or the other. But, while others may not "get" silly fads, what I find much more mystifying is the need to spend energy knocking the fads and the people who enjoy them. Ah, but you've now created a false dichotomy. I think the Harlem shake is stupid looking and doesn't strike me as even remotely fun. However, that doesn't mean I don't make time for silliness and goofy joy in my life. I just don't derive my goofy joy from that particular weird dance or whatever you call it. And I don't think the OP felt a "need" to spend energy knocking a fad. She merely posed a question. You are welcome to disagree but we are also welcome to disagree with you. It goes both ways and neither side is evil for feeling as they do. You like it. Great. I think it is dumb. My feelings are valid, too. I probably like other things you think are dumb. No biggie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I think it is fun, funny, and playful. Life is too short to spend energy "not getting" the Harlem Shake. It's not really that I am taking the time to "not get it." I spend no time on it at all, so I really don't get it. We do not watch network tv or network news often, I do not surf YouTube looking at videos, I think it OS a colossal waste of time. I do know people who spend hours looking at YouTube videos and I know this because they constantly post them on Facebook. I don't watch the videos when they POP up. So I really don't know what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 We're supposed to be fascinated? Its just one of those things bored people do to amuse each other. That's fine. DS took a gas mask to school (yes, we have a gas mask) because his advisory period is doing it as their school short video. :tongue_smilie: Yeah, he wasn't impressed either. I thought the W. Kamau Bell (Totally Biased) version was interesting. It shows the crazy dance craze, then it shows one person doing the actual, historical Harlem Shake dance. Yeah, they're not really related. This is just the remix of a remix with silly dancing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No More Perfect Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I do not consider myself old at 32 :tongue_smilie: but I never understood Gangnam style and the Harlem Shake business is, to me, absolutely ridiculous and I get no entertainment value out of it at all. And I am pretty easily amused. Maybe I am old, after all. :ohmy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Does anyone know why this started to be so popular in the past few months? It seems to have been started back in the 1980's but I'd never heard of it until . . .maybe December? Was there someone famous who started the Harlem Shake back up? Same way LMFAO's Party Rock brought the Melbourne Shuffle dance moves to the mainstream. Baauer put out a song called Harlem Shake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Totally unrelated to Harlem Shake or Gangnam Style, but completely on topic with Call Me Maybe - Call Me Maybe Mashed up with NIN's Head Like a Hole lyrics Somewhere Trent Reznor is trying not to gag. Unsuccessfully. My favorite is Cookie Monster's Share it Maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 It's cultural appropriation, so yeah, I don't like it. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Does anyone know why this started to be so popular in the past few months? It seems to have been started back in the 1980's but I'd never heard of it until . . .maybe December? Was there someone famous who started the Harlem Shake back up? There may be a dance with the same name that's been around that long, but the Harlem Shake meme has only been around a few weeks. It started sometime before Valentine's Day and exploded in a few days. I think it's interesting from a social media perspective, and it's fascinating to see what viral videos and memes take off. I think this one did because the structure of the videos is relatively easy to mimic. I think it's dumb, but I don't have any problem with people having fun with it. ETA: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/harlem-shake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windmillmarie Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Totally unrelated to Harlem Shake or Gangnam Style, but completely on topic with Call Me Maybe - Call Me Maybe Mashed up with NIN's Head Like a Hole lyrics Somewhere Trent Reznor is trying not to gag. Unsuccessfully. hahahaha! Actually, the thing I like right now is where they are putting in the screaming goats into lyrics of the songs, like Taylor Swift's Trouble when You Walked In that I don't know how to link and can't look up because my 8 month old is yanking my hair right now and hitting me with a keyring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Ah, but you've now created a false dichotomy. I think the Harlem shake is stupid looking and doesn't strike me as even remotely fun. However, that doesn't mean I don't make time for silliness and goofy joy in my life. I just don't derive my goofy joy from that particular weird dance or whatever you call it. And I don't think the OP felt a "need" to spend energy knocking a fad. She merely posed a question. You are welcome to disagree but we are also welcome to disagree with you. It goes both ways and neither side is evil for feeling as they do. You like it. Great. I think it is dumb. My feelings are valid, too. I probably like other things you think are dumb. No biggie. :iagree: We make plenty of time for silliness here. I get a kick out of a lot of different silly youtube videos. I just found the Harlem Shake to be less than amusing. :lol: My kids love the Cookie monster Share It Maybe video, and my oldest likes the US swim team one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I avoid anything surrounded by hype (I've never read Harry Potter, or watched or read Twilight or Hunger Games). I read reviews to stay culturally 'in touch' but don't waste my time with things everyone is doing just because everyone is doing. I have seen a few minutes of the gangnam video, but not the Harlem Shake. I do know that doing it underground in an Australian mine is a bad, bad idea though. When I was a new parent, I adopted "alternative" as my identity. I eventually found that I became "anti" popular things just because they were popular, not because they were necessarily worthy of being "anti". I had become an alterna-sheep. In the end, it was no more higher thinking or original than more so-called mainstream. I take everything I want to spend time on for its own merit. Being against something because it's surrounded by hype seems as limiting as jumping into everything that IS hype. I'm not "fascinated" by the Harlem Shake. But I get that people find it fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 See, I am the opposite. I think life is too short to spend a single second on something so ridiculous. To each his own I suppose. I admit that I am pretty bored with kilts and cupcakes, too. My dh says I am a tough audience. :) I agree. I've never heard of this Harlem Shake or the Gangman style and I think life is too short to spend energy going to google them either. Oh, and I'm with you on the kilts and cupcakes, too, Heather. *yawn* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I avoid anything surrounded by hype (I've never read Harry Potter, or watched or read Twilight or Hunger Games). I read reviews to stay culturally 'in touch' but don't waste my time with things everyone is doing just because everyone is doing. Sounds like you're a hipster, which is rather trendy. ;) I don't think most people read Harry Potter or Hunger Games, etc. *because* they're popular. They're popular because a lot of people like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 hahahaha! Actually, the thing I like right now is where they are putting in the screaming goats into lyrics of the songs, like Taylor Swift's Trouble when You Walked In that I don't know how to link and can't look up because my 8 month old is yanking my hair right now and hitting me with a keyring It's HILARIOUS!!!!! Seriously - these videos make me giggle!!!! And, I love how the banter with my older kids in the house now includes goat sounds!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I don't get it. I thought this video was pretty interesting (some minor language). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGH2HEgWppc I didn;t watch the entire video, but my daughter actually knows how to do the Harlem Shake- and she has been bitterly disappointed with the random twitching videos claiming to be the Harlem Shake. Think like if you went out on the dance floor to do the Electric Slide and all of a sudden it turned into people running across the floor and then sliding on their knees instead of dancing, but they think because they're sliding they're doing the electric Slide. oooooops, did I just start a new trend? Remember to post your videos on youtube! :glare: :coolgleamA: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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