That’s Harlem. And this is G.Dep. If he wasn’t in jail for being an idiot, he’d be really upset about this.
The “Harlem Shake” is not a story. It’s just not. But it still annoys the hell out of me all the same. And by “Harlem Shake”, I mean this trendy meme of 30 second videos where the first 15 seconds involves somebody standing there gyrating by themselves and the last 15 seconds are full of pelvic-thrusting, jumping on sh*t and basically going berserk to the backdrop of some song that I can only assume is called “The Harlem Shake.”
Again, I get it. It’s not a story.
But you know what? That ain’t the Harlem Shake, b. It’s just not. And for that reason I’m irritated.
Let’s nutshell this.
Reason Panama Is Irritated: This is yet another example of people, namely Black folk, creating something that gets jacked by other groups of people, bastardized, and then turned into some viral sensation, while the only people who remember the original are the ones bitching that the new one ain’t legit.
And you know what, this is fair. It’s a small scale thing and in the grand scheme it is nothing like jazz being bastardized and turned into elevator music (see G, Kenny; Coz, Dave, etc) or hip-hop being turned into the minstrel show it is today (yeah, we’ve had this convo…I do blame Black folks for this though…can’t lie), or hip-hop culture. I know, its the circle of life, Simba sh*t (btw, shouts to Mufasa who been dead like 18 years now…RIP my n*gga), once something gets more followers, its bound to get turned into a less pure version of itself. Then you add business and woosah.
But there’s something a bit more seedy at work here. Not just with the “Harlem Shake” thought I’ll get back to that. Let’s just call a spade a spade, other cultures, namely white America – as it were – comes in and makes things more palatable for itself. Jazz got watered down like a motherf*cker to the point where now its not even a truly viable art form. And I know, some of the greatest jazz artists are white. There was a respect for the art that existed that I feel flew out the window in later iterations. The same can be said for current hip-hop and the culture.
It’s like that great hip-hop dance video featuring the soccer mom trying to teach those kids how to be “hip-hop”. Add attitude and certain finger movements and you’ve got it. It’s like “the cool”.
Being cool is something you have or something you don’t. Everybody ain’t supposed to be cool. If everybody was, then nobody would be cool. The point is, you have to let what got you there be what keeps you there. And that’s the crux of why so many folks get irritated by bastardizations of the culture. Any culture. Which is where this “Harlem Shake” sh*t comes in. In the grand scheme of things, does this matter?
No.
Unless you’re from Harlem, where this all started from. I remember driving thru NYC and Harlem specifically by the Taft Houses in like 2000. I laughed so hard when I saw a bunch of dudes on the corner of 112th and 5th doing the Harlem Shake. It was like a scene out of a McDonald’s commercial. It was a stereotype gone live. And I loved it. It was authentic. It was real.
It was Harlem.
This “Harlem Shake” isn’t Harlem. It’s a bunch of folks doing something with a name for something that already exists. Except this is famous in mainstream America. Main Street knows what the “Harlem Shake” is now. To them Harlem is just part of the name of the dance. But that’s not all there is to it.
If I’m from Harlem. I’m annoyed. I’m pissed. They turned what was mine into some Kenny G sh*t. Wack, weak, unfamiliar at all to the original, and baselessly whitewashed. And I don’t care if Black folks are in on it too now. My father owns Kenny G albums and I still get upset about it.
The “Harlem Shake” is not a story. Naw. It’s just more of the same…old song, with a different meaning since you’ve been gone.
First “The Harlem Shake”. Next, Atlanta.
Stay woke, dog.
Wake up.
-VSB P aka THE ARSONIST aka THEY CAN’T BANKHEAD BOUNCE, THO aka GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRL HE A 3
Interesting take! I was feeling some kind of way about all these white folks going schizo in a video for a few seconds…..and then turning around and calling that ish the Harlem shake? I remember the Harlem shake and it def wasn’t that sh!t they are doing…. But….even though I feel you, I’m actually not that bothered by these white folks 30 seconds of delusions made into a video…
Kind of sort of like Chipotle Mexican Grill….
and Taco Bell….
A lot of those videos look like they need to run to the border!
Or… the Redskins?
Hypocrites much? Bwahahaha.
Black people who cry about racism and then root for the Redskins piss me the heck off.
Came out of lurking to comment on this…I’m Black and Native American and I freaking LOVE the Redskins. My Grandmother is 3/4 Native American and the fandom of the Redskins in my family starts with her. I know many Native Americans and they are not offended by the name, and neither am I. It’s been the team name for YEARS, and it isn’t going away. Team name had nothing to do with the topic…you must be a Skins hater. 2 cents added and I’m out!
And there are Black people who refer to other Black people as ni**ers. So, your little anecdote doesn’t really mean anything. Amongst every group there are always ones with no pride and no standards.
I totally agree with SweetSass.
To mansbestgirlfriend, perhaps if you knew the history of how the former Boston Braves came to be the Washington Redskins, you would be bothered–do some research. If you are familiar with how the name “Redskins” came to be and are not bothered, the you are truly a pathetic half-native American.
It’s not just white people that are enjoying this meme so…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QkUKymKcWY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?WYm092-jd3g
Yeah he covered that
” And I don’t care if Black folks are in on it too now. “
Yup, saw it, responded below.
And I know you said you don’t care that black people are doing it too – if anything they too are reacting to the crazy energy level in the song that inspires the off-kilter dancing/awkward body movements (had to actually google what the Harlem Shake actually looked like). I’m confused as to whether you take issue with the fact that all the people in the videos are not doing what is “officially” sanctioned the Harlem shake, or that you think that they (1)know what the Harlem Shake actually was and (2)are mocking it?
White folks in the video’s I watched have NO CLUE what the Harlem Shake is. Hell, some of them still haven’t learned the Cabbage Patch! >:|
The common sense analysis for me is that they could’ve named it anything else in the world, why else would they be piggybacking off a name that earned its cultural weight the right way (original identity and no gimmicks)? I’m sure the real Rick Ross feels the same way about fat boy stealing his name (in fact he’s said it himself) People these days just don’t seem to have any shame or respect when it comes to this kind of obvious sh*t either. It’s not exactly the same, but I shook my head in disgust at the “Tupac’s back” song too. Are people that lame where they need to steal other people’s names or name drop to get popularity? The sad thing is that I liked the concept of the videos and found the gyrating sorta funny, but can’t get past the fact that they straight jacked the name and acted like it wasn’t a big deal. Smh, I honestly wonder if this would’ve gone viral if they used an original name…
No need for moderation, I was just explainin and sh*t
+1 F*ck officer Ricky. He’s a fraud & a lame. He betta watch out b4 dem GD’s finish the job.
I l.o.v.e. RICK ROSS/ROZAY, and his tirries. Shourr ourrs to him and his gorg girlfriend. Lawd knows I have questions, many-and very inappropriate ones at that.
lol!! not the tirries, tho
girrrrl, if he looses those tirries I’m done loving him. They are the sole reason I fell in love with the bawwwwse!
you.are.killing.me.
–
lol…girl…the thought of his tig ol’ bitties if my face just makes me gag…BUT!!! the original black n’ ugly as ever…B.I.G.G.I.E. – yeah…all day…go figure?? *shrugs and pops in i’m fukcin you tonight*
It’s like businesses that protect their intellectual property from infringement, particularly when the infringer misrepresents, damages, or dilutes the brand. Misappropriation.
I think my biggest issue – and I realize that dedicating a whole post to it makes it seem like I care that much when the truth is I’m not super duper pressed or upset about it – is that its just a reminder how easy sh*t that already exists gets jacked, repackaged, re-presented, as something else and erases what once was from existence and becoming what folks think of when they hear words like “harlem shake”. While it is just a dance, it was a something that invaded the black community. In a significant way. It was a trend, but for it to become something altogether different. Like jazz, rock’n roll, or many other entities, just irritates me. At least for 5 minutes.
I definitely agree with your views on this. Can’t we just have something stay our own without it getting hijacked and repackaged to the point where it’s just no longer familiar? It seems the answer to that question is no.
Completely agree.
Hollywooooood Divorce, Hollywood Divoooorce smh. I liked these reactions to it though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGH2HEgWppc
My favorite line in this video…”he’s humpin’ his man…that’s no good”.
@ThePBG hasn’t posted around these here parts in a while, but here’s a great conversation between her college freshman daughter, Tee, and Tee’s white roommate (who totally doesn’t see the cultural appropriation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tJYnimqnCys
How you gone sit up on this bed and tell me what NOT to be offended by? White privilege is one of the best problems to have. Tee is a good one, I would have had to leave the room for a while to gather myself.
I think her room mate is on some bull$h!t but I’ll be honest and say that, yes you can categorize this one under white privilege, but I think it’s more driven by a character flaw in all human beings where we we can’t understand why people around us won’t view the world as we view it.
She wouldn’t be offended by the video so she can’t understand why others would be offended. It only becomes privilege (IMO) when she refuses to consider the possibility that she may be wrong or that other views might be viable.
Was she even entertaining the possibility that others may be offended? She just kept going on and on about how funny the videos were and that her black roommate was creating argument for argument’s sake.
I think the whole idea of being offended over a dance that white people perform ignorantly is not ‘white privilege’. But, then again, as you said, we see things from a different lens.
I can understand both sides of the coin tho. But, if a Black person was making fun of the Country Two Step, for example, would I be offended because “country” is viewed synonymous as ‘white’? Not in the least. And, in reality, this happens frequently on both sides, but I don’t take it personally. *shrugs
The difference, Nilla, is when a majority culture is mocked it really has no affect on anything. But, when a minority culture is mocked it weakens that group even more.
Example; a jock BMOC being mocked by people doesn’t do much harm to him. While some skinny nerdy kid might be crushed by mocking.
It’s all about power.
Hiya, Val!!
Who is being mocked?! This is just a stupid meme that everybody and their mothers is getting on. People are reading way too deep into it, in my opinion. I just want to see one where there is atleast one white person who is rhythmic and coordinated to the music.
Hiya, AM!
*waves*
Yeah, I guess we’re talking about mocking in general more than about this Harlem Shake thing.
gotcha!!
“People are reading way too deep into it, in my opinion.”
Me too Mami, but what da hail do I know.
And, girl, I’m tempted to make a video for you just to prove some white folks do have rhythm! Trust. When I see white folks with no rhythm trying to dance, I’m embarrassed! I want to say to them, “please, sit down.” LOL
I disagree Val. Sorry, but I don’t see it like this. Even in your example, the BMOC isn’t effected by mocking. You’re right, but, -it isn’t about power. It is about confidence. He is confident in himself to know that the mocking is simply folks being playful.
In reality, it should be viewed as a compliment. Mocking is what folks often do that cannot attain the stature and recognition of others.
All valid points.
But I believe black folks take things so personally because we really don’t feel like we have anything to call our “own”. These dances might seem trivial at best to the outsider but when you literally have little to no semblance of a cultural identity, it isn’t “just a dance” for some black folk.
Or because so many things have been stolen from us culturally.
true indeed. a lot of folks have this issue.
Tee is a good one cause.. yeah
this is what led to the citizens arrest episode with my 2520 roommate sophomore year of college. LOL
First “The Harlem Shakeâ€. Next, Atlanta.
Stay woke, dog.
Wake up.
I am NOT here for a bootleg Bankhead Bounce of A-Town Stomp. I WILL NOT. But the Harlem Shake is part of a trend. Remember those pancake-azz heffas who had the unadulterated nerve to turn the fine art of twerking (twekring >>>>>>>>ballet) into some ‘cute’ shullbit videos meanwhile calling Black women with actual azzs and their twerk videos nasty? I’m not here for this #TwerkTeamFTW
When did this happen?
College kids were putting out twerk videos mostly over the summer and homecoming. (Ironically, I also found out about those via @ThePBG) And they were awful, not to mention the cultural appropriation
A lot of college kids aren’t yet smart enough nor wise enough nor empathetic enough nor experienced enough to know when something is offensive (unless it’s dead obvious). Life experience is the best teacher for these sorts of things, but that takes time.
I swear, some of these kids need a mandatory middle-aged gatekeeper to tell them what they can and cannot post to social media.
White kids in my day knew how to stay in their lane
Yea, but that was back when they still had wagon trains and the Iron Horse hadn’t been invented yet…
O.
O! *spanking your hand* be nice!
*Chesire cat grin at Ms. CamilleBlue*
O.
There is nothing he could say that would ever offend me.
It wasn’t meant to offend you.
It was just for fun.
O.
Brown University has a Twerk Team called B.U.T.T. A whole bunch of white girls doing something, I’m not sure what. They called it dancing.
Maybe it was last month when some white lady made a workout video called “Buti.” There is a video of it on youtube how they talk about it being derived from African tribal dances -_-
Would they be wrong? I mean, isn’t “twerking” derived in whole or in part, from an African tribal past – and if so, what’s so terribly wrong with that? Especially since it’s abundantly clear, that Black Men especially, really, really like watching it performed?
O.
What made the ‘twerking’ meme so offensive, is that ultimately, they were mocking Black womens’ bodies. So when WE do it, it’s viewed as tacky and hypersexual and our azzes our too fat for mainstram culture, but when Becky McFlatazz does it it’s acceptable and cute? No ma’am!
And this is why Black women need to get better acceptance. If they did, this wouldn’t be an issue. Plus if a while chick wants to play with their sexuality, there is burlesque and (keeping it 100) pole dancing. People need to stay in their lane. Either way, or give up hegemonic power.
@Todd,
But, by definition, White girls appropriating, even in jest, “twerking”, is proof positive indeed, of a widespread aceeptance of Black Women – is it not? Sure, burlesque and belly dancing and the like have been around for a very long time, but you gotta admit, the style and manner of Black Women’s exotic/erotic dancing DO take the whole enterprise to a whole another level – do they not? What’s so wrong about that?
O.
O,
WOAH. So are you trying to tell us that we should actually be grateful to our white sistrens for validating our sexuality, which otherwise is/would be bastardized and demonized?
So, the fact that they’ve taken something that is considered “hypersexual” and kumbayad the phakk out of it, “softened the image”, and repackaged it to make it ‘acceptable’ to the masses is NOTEWORTHY and something that we, black women should be grateful for?
Brother man, as per your researched commentry, I know I have a VERY low [0.000001 I believe ]market value, but ghatdamn…what in the phakkery?
@Ms. CBBL:
OK, before we go any further – are you saying that twerkin’ ISN’T a hypersexual display/dance?
Really?
O.
O,
It is. BUT,
that is not the point I’m making.
I just can’t agree with that. White women, mocking…or even mocking by attempting to achieve, is not some sort of acceptance of Black women. Much like with many cultures, they’d love the cool that comes from Blackness without even one iota of the contact with any of us.
@Panama:
Perhaps so; but in the end, Black Women have no one but themselves to blame if they don’t like the fact that their own “creation” is being used to mock them. Perhaps the big takeaway here is that if Black Women want to be accepted, they might consider the kinds of messages their sending out into the world? “Twerkin’” sends a message of yes, wanton, indiscriminate, promiscuous hypersexuality. Not fair, not life often ain’t. *shrugs*
O.
you are one black man I’m yet to understand. What did sisters ever do to ya?! I’m yet to see a post where you sing our praises OR try to defend us. We are certainly not saints, but you make us look like the devil and his demons.
CBBL, I won’t speak for the man, but I do remember him saying in the past that a lot of sisters weren’t checking for him b/c of his height (apparently, he’s a shorter dude) or his blue collar background.
Basically he is mad at black women because they want tall attractive men with good jobs.. He’s really mad about it
@ WC,
lmao!!! STOP IRR.
@Todd,
Let’s see what the brotha has to say.
@Ms. CBBL:
I’ve addressed both Ms. Wild Cougar and Todd further downthread a piece, due to space restrictions here.
O.
Wait…so all this attack on Black women is all because of a severe case of “Short Man Syndrome???” Surely not. Look. I’m Black and a woman. I’m 5’1, quite petite. All Black women do not want a super tall man. My only requirement is that he be at least eye level with me when I have on heels. Which would mean any man 5’6″ and above is suitable for me. There. Problem solved.
I see what you’re thinking, but I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one O.
Think about the example of rock and roll back in the 1950s. When it came out originally during WWII, there was a whole package to it. It wasn’t just the music. The clothes had a particular, hypermasculine and defiant look about them. The singers moved with a barely repressed sense of fear and anger about their condition. While the instruments were European (shouts to Les Paul for the electric guitar), the musical tradition clearly traced back to Sub-Saharan West Africa, where they got the slaves from.
Then Elvis Presley came along. In fairness to him, he “got” rock and roll more than it was understood. If anything, early Elvis fit the tradition neatly in looks, if not understanding. And that lack of understanding turned out to be a big problem. All of a sudden, all of these Black artists had to fit the Elvis mold or lose record sales. For every Chuck Berry or Little Richard that was able to cross over, there was a Muddy Waters or Big Mama Thornton that wasn’t. (The lack of the last one crossing over making Elvis’ hit “Hound Dog” sound strange because they didn’t hear the original he was answering to.) Also, the White artists that were checking for Elvis had no clue what the original style meant, and Elvis couldn’t hip them to the game. Now rock and roll is about being obnoxious and offending bourgeois values. The context was lost, and therefore a whole music legacy ended up being thrown underfoot, not realistically being revived until the rise of funk music.
I say all of that to say that it isn’t enough to twerk but to get the meaning behind it. I’m not saying some White chick can’t learn the whole scenario behind it and then take it a new direction. But you have to learn your fundamentals in order to reinterpret it.
@Todd:
OK. Before we go any further, let’s examine this whole “twerkin’” thing.
Where did it come from? What does it mean? What was it intended to mean? Why do/did Black Women do it? What was it meant to convey? Does it have African antecedents, and if so, what were they?
If we can’t even answer these questions, how then can we really be mad at anyone else appropriating it?
Your response?
O.
Now THAT I can agree with O on. Is tweaking really that deep? Is there actually a meaning behind it? (Serious question)
Them “whooty” videos were my sh*t tho, like back in ’08. Her azz was NOT flat lmfao
You know, the problem I have with Black folk is that we’re just too darned sensitive for our own good. I recall a few years back a White girl at UCLA who started a firestorm of controversy when she mocked a group of Asian students at her school. How did the Asians respond?
They converged on YouTube with a deluge of comedic videos mocking the White girl mocking them – and it was hilarious! Very clever, very well done. That’s how you handle things. They succeeded in making the White girl look downright dumb.
If Black Women in this instance (or Black people in general in terms of the “remixed version” of the Harlem Shake) really want to take it to Whites on this, maybe they need to take a page out of the Asian community’s book in this instance? After all, what has being “offended” gotten us?
Just a thought…
O.
Hmmm…good point.
The Black American legacy is anger with no resolution. That needs to change.
Indeed!-and not only that, the “Black legacy” is one of contrived righteous indignation, devoid of any inner reflection, introspection or desire to get our own houses in order. No wonder people the world over mock us mercilessly. Perhaps that will get us to finally wake up and get on our job…
O.
I sincerely have no idea what it would take to get people to change perspectives. But Black people are not always victims and we need to put down the rape card at some point in order to find a new strategy.
+100 It’s the “just-us” mentality. Other races are screaming ME and black ppl are screaming us. Its a hard mentalitiy to break because everyone say to never forget and we must always remember and I think this stunts individual growth among black people.
Yeah. Black people suck
Fair enough. And to be completely transparent, I’m not really appalled at this enough to care past today. It is what it is. It was something I noticed, watched a video of irritated Harlem residents and wrote a post about it.
I do think that the problem with mockign white people is that they enjoy it and think that everybody is in on the joke. When the truth is, we’re offended, they think its funny, but b/c of our response, they think we’re cool with it.
It’s all good til somebody lobs out the “n-word” and gets confused cuz they thought we were all good.
The problem with the socalled N-word is the utter ridiculousness on our part to insist that it can only be used by us, and no one else, when it’s clear that we also think of it as a racial slur. It tells Whites and everyone else that we’re disingenuous. That we want to have it both ways. And yes, that we have a goodly bit of anti-White animus.
O.
+1 mocking them makes them feel special/relevant. I prefer ignoring them personally.
Actually mocking them in a way that hits the sweet spot is something only a few people have been able to achieve, but it is what puts them on their ass.
Precisely.
O.
1.) She made herself look dumb.
2.) Response videos were just what some people did.
3.) There were also campus awareness events afterwards and the regular stuff that happens after a racial incident. No different than if it had been any other group.
@SweetSass:
“1.) She made herself look dumb.”
O: True.
“2.) Response videos were just what some people did.”
O: Also true.
“3.) There were also campus awareness events afterwards and the regular stuff that happens after a racial incident. No different than if it had been any other group.”
O: OMG, you actually made a coherent, factual statement! I’m impressed.
However, none of what you said actually spoke to my point – which probably flew over your head. The point is that the way toward to getting back at those who mock you, is to make use of clever mockery yourself – and that’s exactly what certain elements of the Asian community did. It shows a high degree of intelligence and wit, and Black folks would do well to take a page out that book, instead of always throwing a hissyfit whenever someone does something we don’t like.
Understand now?
O.
You are still coonin’ hard on that Uncle Ruckus. I totally agree with the person who had you pegged yesterday. Put down the hateraide.
@SweetSass:
“You are still coonin’ hard on that Uncle Ruckus. I totally agree with the person who had you pegged yesterday. Put down the hateraide.”
O: The only person getting pegged, other than you is…
…your mom.
O.
“Getting offended got us the million man march and Barack Obama. Thank me when you understand where I’m coming from
@Ms. CBBL:
“you are one black man I’m yet to understand.”
O: Thank you! I accept.
“What did sisters ever do to ya?!”
O: To me personally? Nothing. But to the Black community at large? Plenty.
“I’m yet to see a post where you sing our praises OR try to defend us.”
O: When Sistas do something worthy of such merit, I will speak on it. Praise is earned, not freely given for merley showing up with female anatomy. We don’t hand out special snowflake awards here.
“We are certainly not saints, but you make us look like the devil and his demons.”
O: The Devil? His demons? Nah. Just continually shooting themselves in the foot, trying to have it both ways, being utterly hypocrital and hypersensitive, refusing to comport themselves in the manner of a Lady yet demanding to be treated in like fashion, regardless as to how much they “twerk”, being just as capable of being cruel, deceptive and duplicitous as any Man dead or alive, constantly making utter fools of themselves, etc, et al? Yea, we definitely on that.
We will continue to call the Sistahood on their whacked behavioral norms and actions, will continue to demand personal responsibility and accountability, will continue to do so with gusto, vim and vigor with the full powers at our disposal and command.
Is that clear?
O.
I’m curious. Have you ever met any Black women that aren’t all these horrible things that you claim us to be? And what is YOUR definition of acting like a lady?
You must be new around here. *extends hand* I’m Todd. I’ll let the vets hip you to my story.
*Takes hand* Hi Todd. I’m somewhat new to commenting but, not definitely not new to reading this blog. Please forgive me if I have the wrong person, but you’re the one with the wife issues, right?
well damn…lol
LMAO. I can tell she has been following for a while.
A bit. LOL Me and my wife have a couple of issues, to say the least.
If you only knew what I have the sense not to comment about…
Lol
@Ms. Bria:
“I’m curious.”
O: Curiousity is good.
“Have you ever met any Black women that aren’t all these horrible things that you claim us to be?”
O: Yes.
“And what is YOUR definition of acting like a lady?”
O: I think a better answer to that question would be to ask what are Black Womens’ definition of the term, since it is they who often speak of it and their desire to treated in that way – irrespective of what they do and/or say that runs counter to such an aspiration. It’s like me dressing up like a gangbanger, yet demanding that I be regarded as a respectable member of polite society. The cognitive dissonance boggles the mind, does it not?
O.
@ O,
I bow down to thy greatness. Thanks, it is clear, like SUPER doopa clear!
@Ms. CBBL:
Since you did ask, and since we’re discussing Hip Hop to an extent, I’ll tell you that one of my favorite lady rapper songs was “U.N.I.T.Y.”, by Queen Latifah. Perhaps you’re familiar with it. If not, I would urge you to give it a listen and read along with the lyrics.
Latifah’s point of the song was that if a Woman’s comporting herself like a lady it is them flatout wrong for a Man to address her using the word b*tch – something I wholeheartedly and emphatically endorse and support. She would be an example of what I personally consider to be a Lady. I’ve always had a high degree of admiration for her and have long admired what she’s been able to do with her career.
Hope this further clarifies things.
O.
@Ms. WildCougar:
“Basically he is mad at black women because they want tall attractive men with good jobs.. He’s really mad about it”
O: Hardly. I’ve never had an issue with who any Woman, regardless of color, choose to mate with or what reason; what I’ve always had a problem with is their refusal towards honesty and clarity, to say nothing of a lot of Women’s ability to engage in blatant hypocrisy about it.
But you’re welcome to try again…
O.
If you’re too good for us… leave us alone.
Go use that ‘game’ on the 2520s.
Seriously.
We don’t want you. We don’t care about you. And we frankly don’t give a damn about your busted assessment of our ‘market value.’
Deuces.
@SweetSass:
“If you’re too good for us… leave us alone.”
O: I never made any such argument. Reading is fundamental, dear.
“Go use that ‘game’ on the 2520s.”
O: What’s a “2520″? Is that the model of a car or something?
“Seriously.”
O: Wait, you actually possess the ability for seriousness? Really?
“We don’t want you.”
O: Sure, you don’t…
“We don’t care about you.”
O: Sho you right…
“And we frankly don’t give a damn about your busted assessment of our ‘market value.’”
O: Which explains why you stan for the O-Man and follow him around like the good little poodle that you are…riiight…
“Deuces.”
O: Ace trumps deuces.
Besides…
…your mom…
O.
“What’s a “2520″? Is that the model of a car or something?”
Oh, come on. The idea that you’ve been reading and commenting on this blog for months but don’t know what a 2520 is, is disingenuous as all hades.
@Todd:
“CBBL, I won’t speak for the man, but I do remember him saying in the past that a lot of sisters weren’t checking for him b/c of his height (apparently, he’s a shorter dude) or his blue collar background.”
O: As I’ve said to Ms. Wild Cougar, all of what you report here is a matter of public record, since I’ve written about these matters to some extent over at the Good Men Project. Moreover, and again as I’ve made clear to WC, I’ve never had a problem with whoever any Woman chooses for a mate or why; what I’ve had a problem with is the way in which so many of them go about it.
For example, many Women will bemoan being “objectified” yet they have no problem in the least objectifying Men just the same, if not worse. Many Women say that Men are “superficial” in their desires and tastes, yet quite a few of the very same Women are themselves shown and proven to be “superficial”. Again, I wouldn’t have a problem with any of that so long as the actors themselves were upfront about it. What I have an issue with isn’t their choices; it’s their blatant disingenuousity and rank hypocrisy.
In any event, none of that has anything in the least with what I am discussing at the moment; how one can forge a link between that and the twerkin’ issue, is something that for one need to see explained.
Hope that makes things clear.
O.
I see where you’re going, and we’re going to have to agree to disagree. Culture comes out of a certain meaning, and you’re right about twerking not being a purely African form, much like rock and roll music was a clear admixture of African and European elements. A lot of twerking has roots in girls getting crazy ab strength messing around with hula hoops. On the flip side, there are clear African antecedents to twerking back in West Africa. Either way, it’s clearly part of a sexualized mating ritual that just about every culture has. People have the right to have their ritual mean what the heck they want. It’s a bit Kantian, but it’s also true.
@Todd,
Actually, that’s not what I’m arguing at all; I am asking if whether twerkin’ has African antecedents. I don’t know for certain if it does or doesn’t, but something tells me that most Sistas who do twerk don’t know and perhaps more importantly, don’t care.
At any rate, I’ve moved the personal part of the discussion downthread if you or anyone else wishes to continue from that point…
O.
Yes, many many African dances look a lot like twerking. Maybe not that upside down thing but there is much booty-shaking and vigorous hip movement.
Ah, good to see you actually using the 10lbs of meat on the top of your shoulders for something more than a hatrack.
Now then – the question becomes, does the Sistas who invented “twerkin’” know about its connection to various African dances? And if so, what are they looking to convey by doing it?
Any ideas?
O.
I was lost too.
I commented about this on Facebook like a week ago. About how I thought the Harlem Shake died like a dozen years ago, and inquired the sudden resurgence. That’s when one of my exes told me it was something completely different than the original. So I looked it up on youtube and all I could think to myself was “What the f*ck is THIS sh*t?!?! This ain’t the Harlem Shake!!!”
Then I spent the next 30 minutes looking at different versions of it. Found a version of it full of completely naked white strippers. You’d think it’d be the perfect vid but….no. They had no azz, t!ts so small I’m pretty sure their cup size didn’t even include a letter, and to top it all off they were all horribly, HORRIBLY rhythmically challenged. I was fuming.
I kid you not, I fought the air after watching that sh*t….
“I kid you not, I fought the air after watching that sh*t….”
Did you lay your head on your girlfriend’s lap after that?
Don’t have a girlfriend so no.
a/s/l
I keed. I keed.
Dag, TUK, you didn’t get the reference?!
Boyz in the Hood! Do I win a prize?
*red velvet cupcake for Aly!*
now part of me wants to find this video, the other doesn’t want to ruin my Thursday #Gemini
Yeah, now I kind of want to find this video everyone is talking about….
I was lost when I heard people keep mentioning the Harlem Shake. I though G. Dep tried to escape from jail or something.
I was wrong.
Same here. My brother called me to ask me had I seen all these “Harlem Shake” videos and what they were all about. I was like the Harlem Shake is old. You are just now finding out about it. So, I saw a status on facebook about it and for whatever reason I looked it up and had a LOL, WTF moment. There is one video that I particularly like. It’s one in Portland (I think it was some college) and the dude in the beginning with the helmet on actually had some rhythm and did the harlem shake for a minute. I guess that’s as close as we’ll get to seeing the original dance.
Hey, first time reader of your blog here. nice write up.
I personally am neutral about the craze. the videos are for the most part hilarious, but I do think there are too many people out there that really believe that this viral sensation is the Harlem shake. What else can you do but quickly educate the misinformed?
I’ve seen the arguments from blacks all around and on twitter that this is disrespectful (maybe) and that it was done intentionally to mock black history month (reaching). Maybe it’s because of the national attention it’s gotten whereas the original Harlem shake received very minima,l if any attention. Regardless, I think it’s just a fad. much like gangnam style was a craze and then people grew to hate it, the same will happen here.
Anyways, I don’t mean to ramble on. just came across your blog and wanted to comment!
welcome to the house.
I don’t even know if its disrespectful. I mean how can you disrespect something you dont even know exists. But I think thats the point…the I’d wager that despite the ironic title, 99 percent of people don’t even wonder if that comes from something else. And maybe they don’t need to. This is the Harlem Shake for them and thats just what it is.
It just makes me want to hug people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGH2HEgWppc&feature=player_embedded
I don’t think Harlem Residents gives a damn about these vids or that Some Black Folk have no skin in it. I’d be pissed too
Hey, first time reader of your blog here. nice write up.
I personally am neutral about the craze. the videos are for the most part hilarious, but I do think there are too many people out there that really believe that this viral sensation is the Harlem shake. What else can you do but quickly educate the misinformed?
I’ve seen the arguments from blacks all around and on twitter that this is disrespectful (maybe) and that it was done intentionally to mock black history month (reaching). Maybe it’s because of the national attention it’s gotten whereas the original Harlem shake received very minima,l if any attention. Regardless, I think it’s just a fad. much like gangnam style was a craze and then people grew to hate it, the same will happen here.
Anyways, I don’t mean to ramble on. just came across your blog and wanted to comment!
I’m not from Harlem. But I still so what offended because its still my culture. I live in cali but I got family all over Harlem. I used dance and anybody who has will tell u that when u have something like this it isn’t just a dance. Its a movement, a lifestyle. Just like krumpin. So to see people make a mockery of it is irriating. We created all the major move. Bronx – break dancing, Harlem – Harlem shake, ATL – bankhead bounce, Chicago – Stepping and House, LA – krumpin and the jerk, Oakland – thizz dance and the hyphy. And there’s so much more. Its cool for other cultures to join in but if u gon do the dance then do it right. And if u gon do something else that’s cool too but call it something different.
I don’t remember how I ran across the video on youtube about the Harlem shake a couple of weeks ago (I think), but it was a bunch of white (maybe a few latinos) folks jumping up and down on a couple of cars. I was like “WTF is this?” SMDH and went on surfing. Okay. Seriously? I ain’t known no white person from Harlem. Maybe there are some. I don’t know. I’ve never been to Harlem. Hell, sorry folks, but NY is one place I’ve never actually wanted to willingly visit. (Stop throwing stuff at me!) That don’t mean I ain’t never been there. JFK and LaGuardia – peace out! China Town… it was awesome food. Albany, well, who the phuck but me has purposely been to Albany? JK LOL Anyway, white folks do tend to water shyt down. Yup, I said it. And, I don’t like it. But, then, I was surprised when Luda was rapping in a country song. *shrugs* never thought I hear that either.
“I ain’t known no white person from Harlem.”
There are tons of White people in Harlem. They’ve bought most of the brownstones up there. There are probably even a few from Harlem too. As in grew up there.
#gentrificationinharlemyo
Oh and, I happen to like Albany. Lol. I’d move there if it wasn’t so far from everywhere.
Right. I know. Like in my home town, there are a couple of areas that I used to run in (all black) or was (yeah, I was the token white girl) where then all the yuppies started moving to. I was like “wtf are all these white folk doing here?” Like I said, I ain’t never been to Harlem…. so ignorance is mine on this debate.
Bill Clinton lives in Harlem! Now all he has to do is play done wack jazz on his saxaphone, & watch Peej really tear his hair out! (If he had any) lol
LMAO! you foolish
@Ms. Nillalatte:
Actually, country music has long roots in Hip Hop; NYC’s own Dougie Fresh had an ode to the idiom on his second album called The World’s Greatest Entertainer, if memory serves; the cut in question was called “Everybody’s Gotta Get Some”. You should be able to find it on either YouTube or the Internet…
O.
I was speaking about it the other way around, O.
Luda performed a rap Jason Aldean’s ‘Dirt Road Anthem’ song. I happened to be in Nashville, stuck in a hotel room with CMT on tele at the time, and was quite surprised when Luda began to rap during the video. But, in my opinion, Jason Aldean was doing a bit of rapping too ’cause he sure wasn’t ‘singing.’
Now, do country music fans consider that ‘real’ country music? Probably not. But, I thought it was an awesome collaboration.
Next thing you know, there will be a bunch of white hipster blogs with titles that are variants of “Very Smart Brothas…”
“Very Smart Muthas”
“Uber Smart Brothas”
“Supa Smart Brothas”
“Very Smart Brothas from Anotha Mutha”
Hmmm… Lemme check and see if the urls are taken…
STOP! It was her idea that I stole!
*just like white folks* LMFAO
““Very Smart Brothas from Anotha Muthaâ€
LMAO! I’m gonna go register this one right now! LOL
Very Smart Bros Before H0s?
BTW, I’m gonna slap the next 2520 kid that calls me “bro.” OFF MY LAWN!
I thought ya’ll call each other “dude” with a drawl, no?
There’s a generation gap. Guys roughly over 33 say “dude.” Younger guys say some version of “bro.”
“Very Smart Bros Before H0s?”
Wow.
Look bruh, it ain’t all that serious.
LOL
Panama, Champ, this should be a lesson: don’t murder anyone! This blog will be taken over by hipsters, and we don’t want that! #BringBackTheRealHarlemShake
I’ll take any of you motherlovers out if I see a blog with those names!
I’m going to register those domain names and Rick Roll all of ya’ll. I hope you bought up the variations….
I remember the 1st unfortunate incarnation of the Harlem Shake. $h!t came and went before Obama was even a Senator. But let Wikipedia tell it, Harlem Shake older than most of you posting. Said the joint started around 1981 and was based on an Ethiopian dance called Eskista (honestly I wouldn’t know cause back then I was busy break dancing). So, that’s what Wikipedia said… feel free to take that with a grain of salt… it is Wikipedia afterall.
Anyway, when I heard people talking about the Harlem Shake again, I just assumed it was the time honored tradition of us inventing it, others discovering it a decade later, and treating it as a phenomena… like jazz, rock, rap, break dancing, step shows etc.
“time honored tradition of us inventing it, others discovering it a decade later, and treating it as a phenomena… like jazz, rock, rap, break dancing, step shows etc.”
And North America
“And North America”
If you said this with a raised fist in the air and a black glove on, you are my hero.
if you say it with a raise fist, you have to call it…
“This wilderness called North America”…
Dont forget to grab a Final Call on your way out.
Straight up… as an Ethiopian.. yeah… we totally invented the Harlem Shake.
And what!
I just saw a few. I don’t get it.
This one is funny though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wFYWLafVVY
Cultural appropriation happens all the time. Jay Z stealing riffs from Middle Eastern music, corporations using phrases like 24/7 in their advertising to McDonalds referring to itself as “MickeyD’s to White kids walking around with their pants sagging to Led Zeppelin stealing music from Black blues artists and pretending it was their own and then accepting awards from President Obama for their musical legacy.
Sometimes it happens for profit reasons, sometimes just because people want to feel apart of something. The problem I have is when it more mocking than appropriation. I see that all the time. White people using ‘gang signs’, using words like “yo” or “bro” in a mocking way, White women rappers (yep, I’m looking at you Kreayshawn) etc., etc., etc.
But, with all the media around it’s almost impossible to keep cultural things pure. Someone is always going to steal the good stuff.
Those Middle Eastern riffs used to hit! I discovered Bollywood thanks to Jay-Z and a few other artists who sampled heavily from them.
Have you seen Akon in this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm5poopzdMY
This was a “huh” moment for me.
With Akon’s background and Melissa’s background this pairing actually makes sense and meshes well.
Me likey.
Yep, Bollywood films are pretty amazing if you like musicals. And there are thousands of those films.
@Ms. Val:
Actually, it wasn’t “Middle Eastern music” that Jay-Z used in his songs as I recall; he worked with a UK-based Indian-born rapper/DJ named Punjabi MC about a decade or so back. Eric B. & Rakim are more known for their use of a very famous Israeli singer whose name I can’t recall right now on their famed Paid In Full remix – that would be considered “Middle Eastern music”.
Just wanted to toss that in.
O.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofra_Haza
O.
That Paid in Full remix is still better than anything on the radio right now…and im not hating on current music.
” Eric B. & Rakim are more known for their use of a very famous Israeli singer whose name I can’t recall right now on their famed Paid In Full remix – that would be considered “Middle Eastern music.”
That woman’s voice on that remix is beautiful. Makes me feel good when ever I hear it. Drive by a bunch of white folks (with no cultural reference) playing that part….the look says they think the jihad is coming. Ignorance is a hell of a drug.
Which is interesting, when one considers the fact that the singer is Jewish, LOL. Also, the song she sings is actually an ancient Yemmenite Hebrew poem. And yes, she has a most beautiful voice.
O.
Yeah. I was gonna lob that in there. You beat me to it.
She also sang Deliver Us from Prince of Egypt (proud nerd)! Unfortunately she passed away in 2000. *Goes back to lurking*
I see your point. My problem is that when White people do it, it’s inspiration, but when Black people do it, it’s stealing. In light of Led Zeppelin’s history, it was ironic when Led Zeppelin fans complained about Diddy and other MCs sampling their music. Or when any hip-hop producer samples something hot, it’s not being creative, but when a White artist steals from Black people, it’s the height of creativity. I don’t mind the stealing, since so much so culture is straight ripped off from other people and remixed. What I have a problem with is that some people are allowed to steal, while others have to create from whole cloth at all times. White privilege is a mother.
Lol. That’s true, Todd. British artists should never complain about being sampled. They were they ultimate “samplers”.
Ah yes the Beatles and the Rolling Stones come to mind!
I’m still trying to see where the stealing is coming from? If I chose to call my song The Val Vamp, and someone does a jig to it, are all the Val’s in the world going to come after me with cruel intentions? The song and the videos are mutually exclusive events that now have a linked relationship.
when you don’t credit and appropriate you are a THIEF. Unfortunately, there is nothing out there like cultural thuggery punishable by law.
Heyyy Sig!
How do you do that in this case?? The man who created the techno song is not behind the video craze.
Zeppelin stole whole songs from Black blues artists. They gave them no credits nor any money. In this case the music business has rules. If you write and record a song then you are due credit thereafter and some financial compensation as well.
There’s a fundamental difference between stealing a song and doing a dance to a song. Should The Champs be upset and expect compensation from Pee Wee Herman bacuase most people associate their song with his movie??? Should Pee Wee Herman come after Joeski Love???
Did you even read what I wrote? I never said they were the same.
“with all the media around it’s almost impossible to keep cultural things pure. Someone is always going to steal the good stuff.”
That’s the key. It isn’t ‘stealing’ when something is for public consumption.
After watching the reactions of people in Harlem I totally understood their reasons for being upset. Black folks take their dancing seriously! I know I do. I hate the idea of hip hop classes. If you have to take a class to do it you shouldn’t do it!
Shoot, I get irritated when 2520′s want you to show them how to do the cha cha slide because it looks fun. “Look heffa, I take my dancing seriously, get away from me.”
I just looked at a few “Harlem Shake ” vids and completely understand your anger Panama….theses wiggas can’t be original about sh*t.
i haven’t seen any of the videos…all i know about the harlem shake is G-Dep. if kids wanna hi-jack a dance from 10-12 years ago…have at it.
so of course, this means that the chicken noodle soup dance will get poppin’ in 2025, right?
That and when Mase created Harlem World damn near all those artists were doing it, but hey, Short and Forgetful Minds [2520] People Have.
GOP/Tea Party During Bush and how they are with POTUS Obama Now are prime examples
The funny thing about the Tea Party movement was that a few of them were bitching about Bush not being conservative enough. The thing was GW Bush had the political sense to buy off a lot of opposition and shut up the rest. It’s just that when Obama left, the checks got cut off for Fox News and other people to shut people up. Throw in the fact that a lot of old White people didn’t like the idea of a n*gger president anyway, and all of a sudden, the people they hated in their own party were their heroes.
ohmagosh. Mase had this one move, this wrist flick. first time i seen it, it was done by trannies at the club. Paris Is Burning, lots of balls been up in Harlem. huhh, i never put that together til this ..
It is at times like this that I am proud my alma mater is Howard, yet ashamed my grad school produced this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU8bXPLVZ8Y&sns=fb
#facepalm #fighton #goUSC #Imeangoaway
Sorry, there’s a Harlem Shake Howard Version already…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W6Jn_O2E1o
And For the Record, I WASN’T THERE for that, I work in the Bookstore and sh!t
Raping people with those book prices!
They still sell computers in there?
Macs, Macbook Pros, Airs, iMacs, even Regular Laptops by order, but it may cost you a bit. I’m the IT Guy at the HUB until I graduate in May
Damn Marshal, you top dog over there then.
I shoulda gone to Devry.
I’m sure Hampton, Spelman and some other HBCUs have vids too, they just haven’t gotten hits yet
I can get with the anger here. I tend to feel similarly when women put on black rimmed glasses and call themselves nerds or geeks without the hobbies to back it up. Or people talk about legal concepts as though they’re on the supreme court and haven’t open a book on law in their lives. But I haven’t gotten as angry about this as clearly some people are getting. For me it comes down to equality. The internet for better or worse is an equalizer of cultures.
I’m sure South Korea would prefer not being tied so heavily to Gangnam style now. Its a movie but Kazakhstan really doesn’t like Borat, especially after someone accidentally played the movie version of their national anthem at a medal ceremony. And now its Black people’s turn. Everyone gets hit, everyone gets a chance to hit back, and in the end we all get to marvel at our own and everyone else’s stupidity. Although I blame Patty Mayo for all the white girl twerk vids.
It will go away, viral fads usually do. And mainstream media is making it even easier for that to happen because they oversaturate us with everything. I’m not going to say don’t get mad, I certainly get mad when random idiots try and do lip syncs of my favorite artists and put them on youtube. But its the internet. The same place that gets bored and turns trolling into a political strategy(Anonymous) The same internet that was so obsessed with cats it is now a Monopoly piece. The same internet that keeps Daniel Tosh and Ray William Johnson employed and paid for doing the exact same thing on two different mediums.
TL:DR: Don’t let internet memes hurt your feelings. Cause then the trolls win. And no one wants that. Until its their turn to be the troll.
You, mysterious person, deserve a hi-5.
all i can say is: i was so confused, it looks nothing like what i know as the harlem shake and the music doesn’t sound like anything i would have done it to.. after very quick
and possibly unreliableresearch i found out it is called harlem shake NOT after the decade+ dance move but because Harlem Shake is the song name by an artist named Bauuer that is being played in all the videos.*i have no further information on why the moves resemble a standing grand mal seizure that is mostly isolated in the pelvic region.
“*i have no further information on why the moves resemble a standing grand mal seizure that is mostly isolated in the pelvic region.”
LMAO!!!
But even the song came from the original dance. The story of him beatin a dude up and then doin the Harlem Shake afterwards is where the lyric “Punch you in the face then do the Harlem shake” came from. So yes, it started out as a reference to the original Yolie. That’s what my younger generation reporter has informed me at least. (There’s more to the story of what they were fighting about but I don’t care that much to remember or type it out.)
Panama, as far as disliking how white folks bastardize parts of the culture so that it’s palatable to us, I couldn’t agree with you more. That said, I’m still glad that we stole Rock & Roll. If we hadn’t done so, I can’t imagine what the CDs in my library would sound like today. I shudder to think about it.
But real talk, Peej, sons don’t let fathers own Kenny G albums. That’s not even acceptable in the 2520 community. I’ve long been convinced that all Kenny G albums are owned by white women over 40. Time for an intervention.
It still hurts that my father listens to that one damn Kenny G song that gets played in elevators everywhere.
What do you think would have happened to rock ‘n roll had white people not jacked it? just curious.
Always look on the bright side of life. *whistles*… Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We are indisputably dope sauce. The shiznit. Fabulousity incarnate. Everybody wanna be like us. So what, they wanna keep their white privilege at the same time. 2520s are gonna be extinct soon. Cut em some slack.
By the way. You appropriated “stay woke dog” from @thecosby, so……..
“I’m still glad that we stole Rock & Roll.”
We didn’t steal Rock and Roll…We ARE Rock and Roll!
From Howling Wolf, Jimmy Hendrix, Chuck Barry, to Living Colour and Fishbone.
Like KRS1 said You must learn
THANK YOU!!! and Rock and Roll originated from Cleveland, Ohio. It’s why the Hall of Fame is there in the first place
Also, my jazz history professor argued that civil rights killed jazz as a viable art form. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but he made a fairly compelling argument involving the rise of the number of radio stations that would play black artists, which led to the rise of Soul and Funk, and suddenly fewer people wanted to listen to jazz anymore.
It probably didn’t help that free jazz arrived during this time period. (Shots most definitely fired.)
Tell that guy tho SHUT THE HELL UP with that blasphemy. That’s just Asinine, Asi-Ten, Asi-Eleven, Asi-Twelve (in my Stephen A. and Skip Bayless voices)
Jazz “died” for a lot of reasons. It had more to do with the fact that the giants like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, etc. stopped making music you could dance to and instead started making 12min compositions. And that’s fine, but a music can’t thrive when everyone’s expectation are far geniuses to always throw out these masterful pieces. It DID help that Soul especially had a lot music that was the voice of the generation.
Your Jazz history prof. is confusing Jazz with Bebop. Bebop was which is a gerne of Jazz is about the improv and required more listening than dancing. It was Rock & Roll that ended Jazz popularity.
I never thought of that before, but it makes sense timing wise. Jazz record sales did fall apart around the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Also, a lot of early funk borrowed heavily from hard bop and free jazz. Throw in the fact that because of the Movement, Black musicians who wanted to be taken seriously as artists could just go play Classical music in orchestras that were suddenly open to Black musicians, and a lot of the air does get sucked out of jazz. Thanks for the jewel.
Your teacher has a point. I can’t speak for jazz in general, but Black entities during the Movement were established to give Black people an economy and art world of their own. Black Wall Street is one good example. However, once the Movement ended, instead of sticking to the plan to enrich Black people, Black people abondoned their own forms and went to the established white enterprises because they felt they were now being accepted. With enough time, all the work that was done went away.
“(btw, shouts to Mufasa who been dead like 18 years now…RIP my n*gga)”
It was so sad to see him go.
White people couldn’t take Chicken Noodle Soup instead yo….anyway, I’m not from Harlem what annoys me is that is vehemently, painfully, unapologetically unfunny. It’s like Gangnam Style and the Macarena had a stillborn baby, I rather see the black kid in the At&T commercial shake his hand and head #atthesamedamntime. My coworker keeps showing me videos I’m reporting her to HR. The fact that it’s on CNN annoys me more….ok im done now
oh and Lou Myers gone our ninja dead RIP
So if a DJ in Turkey had a song called the song the Roxbury Roll and some cats posted a You Tube pick of themselves acting silly and it went viral, would you as a Bostonian get tight about it or would you realize one has nothing to do with the other?
“It’s like Gangnam Style and the Macarena had a stillborn baby,”
The shade of it all.
“the black kid in the At&T commercial shake his hand and head #atthesamedamntime”
LMAO. The best part is when the guy says to the other kid, “Wait, I’m watcHing this.” I love all the AT&T commercials with the little kids. They are so adorable.
“I rather see the black kid in the At&T commercial shake his hand and head #atthesamedamntime.”
#dead
I feel you! This little craze pisses me off too, but for a different reason. I’m a fan of Baauer. Been listening to him for a while now, and “Harlem Shake” has been in rotation on my system for like a year. My friends and I have seen him live, in a tiny, dark venue for next to no money, where he made us jump around, sweat, and just completely lose our minds. The kid is DOPE.
https://soundcloud.com/#baauer
He just throws random samples and weird noises over hip hop beats. In this article I found on him (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/17/meet-baauer-the-man-behind-the-harlem-shake.html) he explains why the song is called “The Harlem Shake”:
“While the Harlem Shake is an actual, shoulder-swiveling, Harlem-originated dance that’s been around since 1981, Baauer says the name for his track is not an homage to this, or his two-year stint uptown, but merely the track’s sample, Philadelphia rapper Plastic Little’s ‘Miller Time.’
‘A friend had shown me that track where he says, then do the Harlem shake, and it just got stuck in my head for a while, so I used it,’ he says.”
And now it’s become this stupid meme that he’s had nothing to do with. Publicity and commercialization tend to ruin good things, so I really feel some kind of way about all this attention he’s getting from mainstream America. I keep picturing him and his sweet little 22-yr-old face all lit up, going h.a.m. with us in that dark room, and I don’t want him rising to fame for any other reason than that- the music.
In that article, he says “I birthed it, it was raised by others, and now it’s like my weird, f*cked up adopted teenage kid coming back to me.†I kinda like that take on it; it means he’s going WTF just like the rest of us. I just hope he stays true to himself.
THANK YOU!!!! I’ve been trying to tell my friends in Harlem this but my words have fallen on deaf ears.
A fellow fan! *daps*
It’d be interesting if the original Baauer song was called anything else and the same phenomenon took off. No way it gets the same backlash.
Yeah, not at all. Most people doing these videos now are totally clueless. It’s kinda stupid to me, but let them have fun I guess.
The earlier ones were pretty funny though. And that underwater one was pretty damn cool.
He is RICH from that itunes download tho.
Riiiiight? I’m really glad for him too! I just fear things like charts and managers and sh!t coming into the picture. Maybe I’m a music snob, idk…
Off Topic:
Shout out to fellow Pisceans this and next month…
Check out our National Anthem
by Cocaine 80s –”Fly As* Pisces”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xd16reMCA8
When is your birthday Kid? I know Yoles is the 26th.
The same…
TWINS
Why did i think he was talking about his college mascot? *goes to corner*
Oooh, thanks for this!
Cease and sickle P! The song is called the Harlem Shake and someone originally posed a vid of themselves dancing to it. Yes it vent viral but too many people are caught up on the fact the name of the song is Harlem Shake especially people from Harlem.
Every city, noun, verb, and person is fair game for incorporation in a song in the house / techno world.
Sensitive thugs need hugs.
Who you calling a sensitive thug doe???! PJ ain’t the one…that would be Champ.
Cham ain’t boutdatlife. All these folks that are tight over a song called the Harlem Shake that some cats decided to You Tube themselves dancing to is funny to me. Cat’s getting a little Timmy to me.
I wonder if the Powers that be would have been mad if we had You Tube back when we made The Rapping Duke or Rappin’ Ronnie and it went viral.
Dah hahhhhh dah hahhhhhh.
Hah Hah Hah, Hah Hah Hah, Haahhhhhh
*snickers*
Ok.
“Sensitive thugs need hugs.”
Word. *Hugs all the thugs on VSB… except PJ.* He started this mess!
“And I know, some of the greatest jazz artists are white.” PJ that statement is one more to show why we stay behind the 8 ball and have gotten comfy with it. Jazz is Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and a few others. What is new about the fact everything Black is better when Whites makes it their own. The biggest tragedy is that we can’t wait to give our ability and knowledge away. Look what we did for sports and now you have all white teams giving all Black teams a beatdown. There was a time in basketball all you need was one skilled brother on the team and you were national champions. Most of us grew up admiring big butt woman and it was our thing, now look at who is injecting silicone into their backside. We are the origin of the earth and the master of nothing.
I agree. But there are white artists whose respect for the artform and culture is not to be denied, like Bob James. Hell, Bob James is one of the most sampled artists in hip-hop. Point is, when art forms are usurped but done respectfully showing clear deference to the forefathers, its not as bad. perhaps i should have said there are some great white jazz artists.
But hell, jazz is a huge and nebulous art form with lots and lots of contributors, many of whom were white and during the time wanted to play with the likes of those that you mentioned. Some managed to break into it b/c the skill set was just that good. Hell folks like, Weldon Teagarden performed with Louis.
no idea what we’re talking about here…
as usual we a multitasking while using the Harlem Shake as a jump off point.
I didn’t know either until PJ made a comment about it on Tuesday. I then looked it up thinking that it was going to be a new Harlem Shake. I saw a video with the University of Florida and was perplexed and figured i looked up the wrong thing on YouTube. After looking up 2 more videos, I realized that the mess the people were doing was the new shake. I honestly don’t understand how this has caught on.
@ WIP: Ditto! Who, what??!?!? I am totally lost and have nothing to offer.
With the world the way it is, can we just be glad people are dancing?
Exactly
You don’t need to. Just make a video clip so everybody can hear your melodic Southern accent…trust me it wil be Happy Time on VSB.
White people never stop, they never ever stop….
Why stop when you can get it for nothing.
It’s memes like this that make me thank the Lord for conservative White people. It’s not that I want them running things. It’s more that by and large, they stay in their lane. They fix the potholes, repaint the lines, even repave the lane if need be. Whatever Whiteness is, they tend to stay with it and leave our culture alone.
Look, I know back in the day, Whiteness was shoved down people’s throats, and that’s not a good thing. The problem is that we’ve gone from that to this passive aggressive mess where everything is “acceptable”, but only certain things are to be respected while the rest can be mocked. Either embrace a culture and accept it as it is, or leave it alone. If you want to take an idea and make it your own, at least acknowledge where the heck it came from. These hipsters with this need to be “open-minded” and “down” annoy me. I would rather they drink PBR unironically, go put on some tight a$$ Wranglers and dance to Travis Tritt records for goodness sake.
” Either embrace a culture and accept it as it is, or leave it alone.”
I’mma take issue with that statement. Culture is constantly evolving. It’s part tradition, part innovation. I’m with you on acknowledging the source of cultural phenomena, but the idea of picking a lane and staying in it is stifling.
“JuiceCrewAllStar”
—
diggin the screen name – shout out to Marley Marl & crew…
—
unless you meant you’re like a world-class juicer….
No. Conservative fratty douche bros love to acquire certain parts… namely…. racist theme parties.
“Who let the dogs out… who?… who?” -Mitt Romney
This line:
(btw, shouts to Mufasa who been dead like 18 years now…RIP my n*gga)
I’m done. I laughed out loud for like three minutes at this.
Also, rest in peace Apollo Creed. He died 27 years ago on the 31st day of August in the year of our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five. Where’s the F’ing Rocky Theme?
great take on this panama. i’m conflicted. while i first thought the craze was kinda cool when i first saw it because i imagined doing it with my chinese coworkers i really started to think about how it really has nothing to do with the harlem shake. they really could have called it something else and it would have had just the same popularity.
HEY VSB!
just stopping by cause its been a minute.
meanwhile, I have no idea what the hell yall are talking about?
im apparently old… and I cant bring myself to care enough to look more into it.
eh
You aren’t the only one. I just got clued in a few days ago.
My co-worker just told me he wants to make a ‘Harlem Shake’ video. I politely declined.
…and now he’s singing the song to himself over and over and over.
I know some folks who want to do this as well.
I’m not really upset about it. I guess I never saw the original Harlem Shake as a cultural extension of Harlem or blackness. Maybe I would feel differently if I did. More of an obscure popular culture reference. Nothing strange about an obscure pop culture going viral or spawning a meme.
Calling it the Harlem shake is a bit of a misnomer, but the absurdity of the comparison and how out of place it seems is probably what drives it’s popularity. Kind of like Brian on family guy doing the peanut butter jelly time dance. More silly and self deprecating than mocking or condescending.
IT’S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!! PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!! DOTHEPEANUTBUTTERJELLY
i was just reminded of Vogue’s last September issue. cover was Lady Gage remade as Ru Paul. it wasn’t appropriation. it was a copy of an original photograph. thas that ish i dont get. how you gonna bite style like that, especially when everyone is gonna know you did ? what is it Ricky Powell used to growl about ? wack hipsters and cornballs. yeaa.
Amen! Ironically, the style RuPaul reps came out of the Harlem Ball scene too. Can’t they just leave Black people alone? LOL
And what’s even more ironic is that the Harlem ball scene is basically about emulating the White fashion world and Wealthy White society people.
ohh this is poetry ~*~
Full circle!
Bourgeoisie REALNESSS, ya’ll! First place!
Anyway, the most egregious offense of this “harlem shake” phenomenon is that it has COMPLETELY ERASED THE ORIGINAL ONE FROM EXISTENCE. That’s what the whites tend to do though.
eh….i don’t see how it erased the original from memory…cleary we all remember it or we wouldn’t be talking about it…or are you just saying that only this “new shake” is all over you tube and the original is not?? but then..the original really wouldn’t be all over you tube right now b/c…well…it’s old…am i wrong?
the original is still all over youtube…but youtube’s search algorithms are google search algorithms, which means it matches up what you’re searching for with what everyone else who searched for that in recent history ended up clicking. So, while previously, a harlem shake search would have had the actual dance on page one, now its deep in the archives on page 5 or 6. Damn SEO optimization.
lol…i get that…i was just saying that it’s not erased from memory…maybe people just need to type in “original harlem shake”…hmmm
*leaves to go try this out *
ooooh!! found it on page 1!! – problem solved
I typed in “origina” and the original harlem shake came up. Yup thats the only way to see it on the first page.
Uhh..no…the Harlem Shake died in 04. As it should have..because it was a fad dance, and back then, new dances were being made every 5 minutes.
Harlem Shake “died” in the mainstream 106 & Park era conscious in 04 and was seen as a fad to people introduced to people that way. But it wasn’t a fad. You were just late. People probably think twerking is a fad too even though people have been doing it for more than a decade.
Malik, I’m being serious. I remember when the Harlem Shake came about. I knew some pretty heavy people in Harlem at the time, the type of girls that would go to the Harlem clubs working out their dances, and then bring them to Midtown for everybody to see. There were always variations, but THAT OFFICIAL DANCE came and went…it was never that serious.
The Harlem Shake specifically I’m ambivalent towards because I do not dance. The tendency for Black people to just brush off white people doing anything and everything with Black culture is another issue entirely.
No, the original is still there. One of the top videos is still a step by step video on how to do the real Harlem Shake.
Instead of complaining, go make an original Harlem Shake video. Smh.
To right this injustice, lets all get together at the next VSB social and do a video of the Original Harlem Shake and call it HS Retro
Didn’t know what it was until two days ago when my neighbor showed me.
I’ll say this as someone who was in school with many of the kids and hood folks who helped make the Harlem Shake noticable for both Diddy & Eve before it blew up………F.U.C.K.I.N.G let it go.
A) It’s not the real dance. The name got jacked. That’s it.
B) White people jacking our shyte and using it for their own purposes….well that’s a new one
C) What…in the last..I dunno…50 years since the Civil Rights Movement has Black people reacting to everything they don’t like with anger and annoyance ever amounted to anything but making us look stupid, irrational, overly sensitive, petty, and a bunch of crybabies?
Anybody offended that I said that? Ask me if I care. If I have to say this like I’m speaking to a child, then I will. Being angry and pissed about being dooped over and over again NEVER CHANGED A DAMN THING. So let’s do something different. Let’s jack a dance White people did 20 years ago, and make some videos of us going crazy. Let’s make some parody videos of those same Harlem Shake vids that show us going over the top to prove a point. Let’s DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN GETTING ANGRY FOR ONCE.
Is that possible? No? Oh ok…so nothing changes until the next Black Rage Moment comes up again. And then we wonder why we are ignored and disrespected.
You get +4 internets for this! I’m right there with you. Folks are literally just upset about the name. Could they have called it something else? Sure but the only freaking words in the snippet is “Do the Harlem Shake”.
This has nothing to do with jacking cultures or any of that overly analytic stuff. It’s fake outrage over folks that want something to shout about.
Rabble rabble…
I’m not going to call it fake outrage. We did get jacked AGAIN for the umpteeth million time, that can’t be denied. I’m just saying…..doesn’t everyone get tired of being angry all the time? That shyte is exhausting. There’s a reason why the idea of the Angry Black Man/Woman is such a caricuriture now…because we know what to expect and the response is always ridiculous.
They say the definition of madness is to keep repeating the same thing while expecting a new result. So I just think that one day, Black people should laugh instead of yell, brainstorm instead of cry, and create instead of feeling robbed.
my name is cammileblue and i endorse rewind’s message…
*pumps my fist in the air*
All I need now is a gold star next to my name.
i got you…
—
*pulling a bright shiny gold star out of my goodie bag and pinning it on rewind*
hehehhehe
*looks like a goofy 5-year old*
Rewind ☆
My Yolie-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
“Anybody offended that I said that? Ask me if I care.”
I’m offended. Do you care?
*burps*
*side eye*
You know I lubs you
But, who is overreacting? I haven’t heard about any protests. I’ve just seen people talking about it. Like we are now.
I didn’t mean for it to come off all negative. But I’ve already heard my fair share of criticisms, and many times, when Black people question things they don’t like, they approach it with anger. I’m just tired of seeing that, because it never solves anything.
THANK YOU!!!!
“Let’s jack a dance White people did 20 years ago, and make some videos of us going crazy. Let’s make some parody videos of those same Harlem Shake vids that show us going over the top to prove a point. Let’s DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN GETTING ANGRY FOR ONCE.”
Yes!!! This is why I love your comments, Rewind. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You encapsulated my sentiments on this “issue” exactly!!!!!! Rewind for president!!!!!!!
After reading some of these dumb a$$ comments, I felt like my head was about to explode! I can’t do it anymore!!! I just…I just can’t take the niggary anymore. Niggarocity? lol It’s too much.
*bursts into tears AND uncontrollable laughter* I officially love you for this…and your adorable little bastard Fast-Forward too.
lmaooo man you a fool. But I knew I wasn’t the only one thinking these things, glad I’m not alone.
I see where you’re coming from and agree with you. Let me play Devil’s Advocate though. I think that a lot of Black people believe that unless they’re in full-on rage mode that White people won’t listen to any of their concerns. Sadly, there’s a history behind this. The only times Black voices are taken seriously is when there’s a threat of rage behind it or when White people want to patronize and pander to Black folk for their own purposes. Black people are getting up in arms because that’s the only time they’ve been listened to.
Is it a dumb response? Sure. But you have to agree that based on past results, it’s a somewhat logical one. The key is to teach Black people how to communicate effectively so that they’ll be respected and to teach White people how to respect Black speech that doesn’t have guns backing it up.
I just choose to remove race from the problem period Todd. Basic human psychology dictates that repeated actions that end in failure do nothing but incur high stress levels. If you try to open a door by pushing it and yet it never budges, how much sense does it make to keep pushing without trying to pull at least once? That’s all my point states.
Clearly Black anger is rooted in proper standards, no one can deny we have the right to be angry. But our anger has not gotten us good results in a very long time, and eventually people will have no choice but to realize, the world will pass us by because we refused to switch our tactics to be heard.
Sometimes a whisper is louder than a scream.
Panama… I happened to L.O.V.E. Kenny G’s New Years Auld Lang Syne Millinium Version Timeline. It was awesome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS6s4sifQOU
stop it.
You represent, girl. Kenny G comes in handy if used properly. Hit em with the Kenny G.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUStwbciQ80
are we really supposed to not like kenny g?? i like music that sounds good to me period. no matter where it comes from
I like Kenny G. He is just the poster boy for what they now call Jazz and was anointed by the Yuppies who knew nothing about Jazz other than its cool for background music while drinking white zin.
I grew up on Kenny G. I can’t hate him, and his music can put a vagina to sleep. I think that is a special talent.
But real talk..Michael Franks is that dude for some awesome jazz.
lol. Michael Franks should be on the list of things the Black Bourgeoisie love. And, no offense, Rewind, I like his music too.
One of my friends was robbed. Some dudes in his neighborhood broke in his back door and stole all his sneakers and good clothes. He lives in the hood so, even though he knows who robbed him, the police never really followed up/investigated the crime. Now the dudes who robbed him are walking around in HIS CLOTHES like it belongs to them. Matching his shirt with his sneakers. My friend gets, understandably, upset every time he sees this but he can’t really do anything about it. That is what this Harlem shake issue reminds me of. We know the name was stolen (misappropriated), but there’s nothing we can do about it. So we just stand aside and get mad…and write blogs about it.
I’m sorry, but I’m literally in tears about the clothes. LAWD! All they wanted was clothes?! They could have stole other valuables [I'm assuming they didn't] but noooo clothes?!
Really, his clothes were the most valuable thing in his house. He had a really old tv…like the ones that sit on the floor and you have to turn the knob. They stole the key to a broke down car that sat in front of the apartment. They actually came back and stole the car but cops found it a few days later parked in the middle of the road a few blocks away. Oh yeah, they stole all of his p0rn.
it is kinda funny, but you know that just had to suck the most b/c i can’t even imagine seeing the heffas that stole my swag twirlin’ they happy @sses down the street wearin’ my swag and yet i know that i can’t say nan’ word to noneofem b/c i know they’ll beat my @ss down to the ground…bout my swag….no.bueno.
For some reason this reminded me of the rant Omar went on from the Wire when they shot at him and his grandmama while they were leaving church. “They shot her best crown yo! Aint no shame!” LOL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_zTY4S2m_Q
I too would be seriously heated. The audacity to walk around with my clothes on in front of me!?! Good Lord.
“There’s nothing we can do about it…”
This is the problem. Too many people, such as yourself, have this defeatist attitude. Your friend could do a lot about his stolen clothes, he’s just decided to stay mad. For example, he could take the clothes back. And just like with these videos, there is plenty that black people can do about it besides get mad.
you mad?
lol. nah. i have never watched any of the harlem shake videos.
and to be honest, i only know of the original harlem shake because of Diddy. so i don’t know how “real” or gangsta that is. lmao.
but. i see your point.
good post.
and for all those who care, the lastest Sliding Doors is finally up.
i don’t know….i just saw a video of it the other day…i just can’t bring myself to take it seriously enough to get upset about…so..they put a pilgrim spin on a dance from however long ago…it’s too ridiculous to even take seriously…and if you’re that upset about it then hop your merry @ss on you tube and make a video doing the real thang so that you can re-educate the masses…seems relatively simple to me, and after some of the discussions that have taken place on this blog, it just seems like there’s better things to go ham about….*shrugs*
Never underestimate someone’s outrage. It can be dangerous.
Seriously, I’m not in with the outrage, but I’m not in the business of telling people what they should feel. Harlem has been stripped, robbed and re-branded as so many things I can imaging why some folks from Harlem find a problem with this, even if they never did the shake. Most people commenting here (me included) are educated-cool and viral video friendly. Sh!t like this matters to a lot of folks who are not as cool or educated. They outnumber us by the way.
Culture, regardless of how silly I think it is, matters. People are serious about the cultures they create, where they are from, and what it all represents. Folks will fight you or kill you over it. Ask Rick Ross. And folks, black folks, have a hard time with how easily things can at first be vilified, then a curiosity, then taken, then thrown out and forgotten.
but i just wonder if it would even be so much of a discussion if it were not the HARLEM shake?? what if it was the tuscaloosa two-step? i mean seriously…is it because it hails from one of our meccas that it seems to put so much fire in peoples loins? i mean, because it still seems to me that it boils down to a dance fad from several years ago..serious question here….i’m a native of shaolin island, but i’ve been gone way to long so i don’t feel the connection…
” what if it was the tuscaloosa two-step?”
maybe not. but if you made up a silly dance called the bensonhurst bounce you might get a few angry folks.
if a bunch of folks not from shaolin said they were doing the wu-tang wabble the wu dudes and anybody else that takes that seriously would be ready to fight. i might think it’s dumb with my very smart ass….but dudes about that wu aint playing.
i understand your point…but the wu-tang wobble tho?? lol
i know thats silly. i was going to say the wu waltz….you get what im trying to say though.
We >>>>>here<<<<<< I got you….
Culture, regardless of how silly I think it is, matters.
This.
As a Harlemite, (but no longer a resident….I’m out in Astoria now), I feel some kind of way about these videos. Not enough to go out on 125th (say it with me… two fif’) and protest (although I do need to reup on some scented oils & hood lit books), but I roll my eyes everytime a new version of this fad makes its way to my timeline/newsfeed. Seriously, I’ve seen an Asian Grandma one, a Sea World one, a T-Pain one, a Dirk Nowitzki one, a local news one….STOP IT. It’s annoying.
It does have cultural resonance in Harlem. I mean, I grew up near the Rucker where the originator of the dance used to come out during the EBC games. And to this day, if you’re at a throwback party and for whatever reason someone plays G-Dep (and debatably, “Roc the Mic”), cats will still come out and do it out of nostalgia. (Also, if more than 7 Harlemites are at a party, the toe-wop will happen at some point. Don’t debate me on this.)
So yeah, white people get a “really??REALLY?!” from me, but that’s about it. They’ve stolen way more important cultural lexicons.
I would also like to note that going to the comments sections of ACTUAL Harlem shake videos and seeing confused white people is pure hilarity. I can already imagine them in their heads going “….fish and spaghetti?? what in the world?” (You better believe that plenty of them don’t even know that the Harlem Shake is an actual thing.)
Also, I don’t put this on Baauer. I actually dig the dude. He could have picked a better name for the song of course, but I actually think he’s a dope producer that integrates hip-hop snippets into dance/house music beats in unique ways. But I don’t see him as worse than Diplo, and I’m a fan. (although I’m fully aware that there is a large West-Indian population that hates everything about Diplo. lol).
Shamira… i’m feeling some kind of way that we never met… i thought you lived in DMV area… hmpf
strike 1
@Yoles – I know I’ve dropped the ball!!! To be fair, I did live in the DMV…and then I was hopping back and forth between DC & NY for my job..but I moved back to NY last May and didn’t tell nobody. Lol. I wanted to go to the VSB NYC meetup but I had prior obligations :-/ I’m also a lame in the winter (seasonal affective disorder is so real), but I’m working on it.
We need to make Todd schedule another meetup ASAP! And not before I move back to DC ( I swear I cannot stay in one place lol) – but that gives him, like six months.
Don’t hate me Yoles! I need your glitter in my life
We can do that. Yoles is in charge. She makes things happen. I dunno how but she does.
keeping in line w/ today’s G-Dep theme…”let’s get it”
@shamira…ok…this makes more sense to me…it came from where you called home so you’re protective and can’t just any ol’ body be trying to jack it….when you speak of it on a micro level it made the light bulb turn on for me moreso than folks speaking of it on a macro level….
@Ms. Bria:
“Wait…so all this attack on Black women is all because of a severe case of “Short Man Syndrome???—
O: That’s the story, to let the likes of Ms. Wild Cougar and her ilk tell it. Of course, it’s all a not-so-clever cover for the fact that such individuals couldn’t forge a coherent argument if their very lives depended on it, and instead must resort to naked ad homiem, and not very good ones at that, with which to make their case.
“Surely not. Look. I’m Black and a woman. I’m 5’1, quite petite. All Black women do not want a super tall man. My only requirement is that he be at least eye level with me when I have on heels. Which would mean any man 5’6″ and above is suitable for me. There. Problem solved.”
O: Indeed. It just couldn’t be that my arguments have legitimate merits on their own, right?
Whew…
O.
Because this discussion is getting to be too big for the current thread it’s on, I am taking the liberty of moving it to the end of the current thread and reposting all relevant comments there so as to foster a more coherent discussion. At issue: the notion that I have a personal animus against Black Women due to personal flaws and/or failings. I address these notions and the arguments put forth by those who foster them, below.
@Ms. WildCougar:
“Basically he is mad at black women because they want tall attractive men with good jobs.. He’s really mad about itâ€
O: Hardly. I’ve never had an issue with who any Woman, regardless of color, choose to mate with or what reason; what I’ve always had a problem with is their refusal towards honesty and clarity, to say nothing of a lot of Women’s ability to engage in blatant hypocrisy about it.
But you’re welcome to try again…
O.
@Todd:
“CBBL, I won’t speak for the man, but I do remember him saying in the past that a lot of sisters weren’t checking for him b/c of his height (apparently, he’s a shorter dude) or his blue collar background.â€
O: As I’ve said to Ms. Wild Cougar, all of what you report here is a matter of public record, since I’ve written about these matters to some extent over at the Good Men Project. Moreover, and again as I’ve made clear to WC, I’ve never had a problem with whoever any Woman chooses for a mate or why; what I’ve had a problem with is the way in which so many of them go about it.
For example, many Women will bemoan being “objectified†yet they have no problem in the least objectifying Men just the same, if not worse. Many Women say that Men are “superficial†in their desires and tastes, yet quite a few of the very same Women are themselves shown and proven to be “superficialâ€. Again, I wouldn’t have a problem with any of that so long as the actors themselves were upfront about it. What I have an issue with isn’t their choices; it’s their blatant disingenuousity and rank hypocrisy.
In any event, none of that has anything in the least with what I am discussing at the moment; how one can forge a link between that and the twerkin’ issue, is something that for one need to see explained.
Hope that makes things clear.
O.
@Ms. Bria:
“Wait…so all this attack on Black women is all because of a severe case of “Short Man Syndrome???—
O: That’s the story, to let the likes of Ms. Wild Cougar and her ilk tell it. Of course, it’s all a not-so-clever cover for the fact that such individuals couldn’t forge a coherent argument if their very lives depended on it, and instead must resort to naked ad homiem, and not very good ones at that, with which to make their case.
“Surely not. Look. I’m Black and a woman. I’m 5’1, quite petite. All Black women do not want a super tall man. My only requirement is that he be at least eye level with me when I have on heels. Which would mean any man 5’6″ and above is suitable for me. There. Problem solved.”
O: Indeed. It just couldn’t be that my arguments have legitimate merits on their own, right?
Whew…
O.
Paul Mooney said it best.
But when I saw the dog version… did I laugh? Yes.
I think (hope) that most people know that this is not the Harlem Shake. But the reason the meme is called this is because in the dubstep song in the drop the vocalist says “Do the Harlem Shake…”
But honestly, we have bigger problems like incarceration, poverty, etc. to deal with.
I feel sorry for the people of Harlem. It must make them sick to see this foolishness.
Hotdamnitirock aka Kain Carter’s vid should do the trick for those who hate the “new” Harlem Shake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OME7bRYKySQ
To be fair culture jacking is the American way. We’re all guilty of it, for instance Hip-hop jacked the funk/blues and disco, fancy weaves and wigs were a Europe tradition, and I believe mac and cheese started as an Italian tradition. Oh and my favorite, “I Will Always Love You†by Whitney Houston was first sung beautifully by the fabulous Dolly Parton.
I think the Harlem Shake is pointless fun that potentially puts the spotlight back on Harlem. Instead of being mad those residents should use this as an opportunity to build their community. I would use local elementary school kids to post an old school versus new school Harlem shake video and include a link to donate money to art/music programs in area schools. I don’t know it’s just a thought.
” It was a stereotype gone live.” —> That was yhilarious.
Also, I too witnessed a public Harlem Shake. Some kids were hanging out after school on the corner of 125th and St. Nick doing the Harlem Shake MAD in the street…in a puddle. The surrounding kids chanted “NO MUSIC! *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* NO MUSIC!!”. I’ve never felt more proud to be brown.
If White people steal the cat daddy, then I quit dancing.
That happened a long time ago when Kate Upton was caught on camera doing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCUnWIs88CQ
Yeah cuz black people never steal!
My favorite Harlem Shake is Dave Chapelle doing it as a crackhead.
Pingback: That ain’t the harlem shake, B | Planet Ivy
couldnt agree more, same thing snoop lion is doing to rasta, and ironically its the same white dude behind the scenes for both…
Snoops white now? Interesting
*claps* I love this entire post. It slayed by the thousands. I have nothing of value to add at all.
Idk a race that’s more racist than modern age African Americans. I’m sick of all the “white” labels. Why is that relevant?
Wassup yall. I go to a dominantly white college in Purchase, New York and I am also born and raised in East Harlem. I am having a meeting tonight at my school about the Harlem shake as well as appropriation.
Not too long ago I had a huge debate on my Facebook where most people responded to me with, ” It inst that serious.” Well it may not be to my white peers or non-harlem shaker it is for me.. I am at a place where my peers want me to understand why saying “gay” in their presence is offensive.What they do not understand is that gay mean “whack, lame” or in the context of it being used it has nothing do with ones sexuality, but yet I am forced understand their cares and worries about fracking, water and the earth but yet they do not understand why my black ass is upset. I am upset because I (YAZ) am tired of seeing people take shit form my negro community and making it fun, profitable, an intern thing or something thats deemed cool. There is nothing cool about my high school classmate saying ” Hey Yaz, I had cornbread for dinner,” my response ” do you want a trophy from the NAACP?”, he did not know what to say but laugh, but truth is aint shit funny with being down, because half of yall dont know shit about being down.
Harlem is a location where a dominate demographic (once lived due to gentrification that is all changing too damn quickly), population and community exists. We are loosing the land that we call home as we speak, we created the 5000, toe-wop, chicken noodle soup and the Harlem shake, seeing people who point blank ” aint about that life”, do it is not okay. My white comrades do not understand why I am offended. A white man who made the song, lived in Harlem 2 years and has an audio clip of a friend of his saying ” So, do the Harlem shake” is part of the track, and from his creation he is getting paid. Nobody was tryna shake that wasn’t from when G-dep did Lets get it and now other people globally are doing this dance as well because it is cool and the new thing. That is the issue with appropriation, the fun is so extreme that the underlying context of some group being made fun is removed. This appropriation that has happened to the dance and lifestyle being the Harlem Shake have been destroyed by this track.
I have heard the concept of black face being incorporated with this meem Harlem shake thing, I can see how that may be true to some as well.
Bottom line everything that is mainstream is offensive and appropriates, but why is it that we do not know of these things or care? Is it because of race? Is it due to that concept that people are become so clever in ways of hiding the reality of this fucked up world that people cant see how this is of putting to people.
If I was to make a song that had a dub step beat but a hip hop sound and put on a yam-aka (spelling idk ) and do a traditional Jewish dance but switch it up a bit, I am sure I would have so many people on my ass. So, why cant others see why the black community or those who understand are on their asses?
Although it is obvious this dance doesn’t look like the real Harlem shake it comes across as such simply with the bloody name of the song ” The Harlem Shake”.
Me personally I am fed up with people dismissing the voices of the black community that talk about their blackness in relation to mainstream appropriation, but yet I have to hear about other things on the news and media that do not pertain to my blackness let alone my beliefs. I do not wish to stop anyone from harlem shaking i do not have that control I do have control however, in bringing reality ti people which is not everything that is the norm is okay let alone meant to be fun.
As a black person and a harlem native, I do not know how to articulate why myself and others are outraged, saddened or disturbed by this epidemic. It is not flattering nor a compliment to see people do what I do for fun and in the wrong way. And it does not make this look better seeing white people do it either. Although, I am aware at my school all different races partook in the Harlem shake I did not and will not watch, listen or download.
I would like to know from anyone if they find the Harlem shake not a big deal like a lot of people I have encountered. I feel like we all need to be educated about the communities in which we are not part of. I feel like the bottom line is the black community has issues that aren’t understood or considered in the eyes of the others. Therefore, my frustration wont be understood by someone who is not like or is me.
I look forward to a response, shyt you can even email me directly: yls1130@gmail.com
Peace and equal love to all, this world is too fucked up for us to be at throats when all we want is peace and fun, lets find a way to do it without being arrogant or deaf to those that oppose.
Yaz