Woah the Harlem Shake has stormed the internet. I have no idea where the song came from, or where the “shake” came from (altho Leo has an idea below). But frankly, I’m glad it’s here. When it’s done well it is really funny. When done really poorly it’s also really funny. Mediocrity is boring though….
So here’s the first video I saw of it (mobile Youtube Link). I started watching, and there’s some folks in a gym working out and a random guy in a creepy horsehead starts walking across the screen making humping motions. The fellow gym-goers seem not to notice… until the bass drops and then all sorts of mayhem ensues.
http://youtu.be/S9NpdZPg8sk
The scene always plays out the same. One person starts it out (usually wearing some sort of mask) by gyrating, humping, or otherwise “shaking” by themselves while others nearby appear not to notice. When the bass drops, the screen fills with randomness. The really good ones have the best action going on in the background. Awesome.
Here’s Leo Laporte & the gang from This Week in Tech doing the Harlem Shake (mobile link)
The TWiT crew discusses the origins of the Harlem Shake.
Here’s the crew of Geek & Sundry (mobile link)
The CollegeHumor.com edition (mobile link)
Break.com breaks it down (mobile link)
IGN wins serious nerd points with theirs. How many superheroes do you see in the background? (mobile link)