Remember when Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe was covered virtually by everyone? Well get ready for hip thrusting, heads covered in masks and chaotic dancing because the Harlem Shake has conquered the web.
For those of you who don’t know what the Harlem Shake is (have you been living under a rock?!) here’s a quick breakdown. The dance begins with one person hip thrusting to the Harlem Shake song while wearing a mask to conceal their face. They dance in front of an audience who don’t seem to pay attention to the random hip thrusting. All of a sudden, everyone involved break out in chaotic dances, wearing masks and costumes.
These videos usually last for 30 seconds, and SUNY Oswego hasn’t missed the bandwagon to the Harlem Shake success. Riggs Hall, Hart Hall and Oneida Hall, to name a few, have recorded their versions of the Harlem Shake, ranging from 500 to over 3,000 views each.
“I saw the Hart Hall Harlem Shake video and it made me laugh,” said junior Lissette De Los Santos. “I didn’t know what to think of it at first, I was wondering how they were able do to that video.”
WTOP, SUNY Oswego’s TV news station also made their own version of the Harlem Shake. Their video currently has 3,056 views, while Hart Hall has 4,030 views. The most viewed SUNY Oswego Harlem Shake version is the Oswego State Track and Field team’s video. Currently it has 7,917 views.
The original Harlem Shake video was uploaded on YouTube by The Sunny Coast Skate. In just a few short days, it quickly went viral, generating over 40,000 memes to be published on YouTube in one week. From the Norwegian Army to the University of Georgia Men’s Swim and Dive team, the Harlem Shake has become a live meme for everyone to copy (like Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe).
“I think the videos are very entertaining,” said junior Tiffany Huynh. “I wouldn’t participate in one because it’s just funnier to watch other people make fools of themselves.”
While some of us may just enjoy sitting back and watching these videos, others are excited to jump on the bandwagon. Lissette is a resident mentor in Johnson Hall and she says that doing a Harlem Shake video in Johnson might actually be fun.
“I just don’t know what we would do in the chaotic part,” she says.
Maybe dancing bananas?
“Oh god!” she replies.
It’s inevitable to escape the Harlem Shake nowadays. “I think that it’s entertaining, and it’ll die down eventually,” says Tiffany, “but right now it’s what people are occupying their time with.”
We’re going to be hearing a lot of “Con los terroristas” followed by a crazy beat and a command to “do the Harlem Shake.” Which Harlem Shake video do you enjoy watching the most? Post your comments below and “do the Harlem Shake!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPVu25I8IWs (WTOP)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBIT5hD3pN8 (Hart Hall)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0t6URt1od8 (Track and Field)