In the last fortnight, the internet has become saturated by the latest phenomenon which is sweeping the globe. ‘Harlem Shake’ by 23-year-old Brooklyn producer Baauer was released in May 2012 as a free download to little success, but this week was a new entry into the official UK chart, going straight in at number three. When Filthy Frank uploaded a 31 second clip of him & some friends “doing the Harlem Shake” onto YouTube, the track exploded, creating a huge wave of knock on memes, with some of the most unlikely and incredible people/animals/objects making their own version. Chances are, you’re as confused as everyone else as to why this has suddenly become so popular, but it’s been hailed as the next ‘Gangnam Style’ (PLEASE, NO!). Here are 10 of the best versions that The Edge could find.
10. Army Shake: These Norweigan soldiers didn’t have anything better to do with their time, so skipped training and made this instead. I especially like the guy who has rolls for arms.
9. Machine Shake: This non-human effort really just takes the piss out of all the people making this meme. Is 2.3 million YouTube views really worth smashing your washing machine to bits for though?
8. Fireman Shake: “Your house is burning down? Oh alright, we’ll come over in a bit. Just need to be filmed pole dancing vigorously first.”
7. Big Shake: This effort by students from University College London claims to be one of the biggest in Europe, and for that it must be considered one of the best. Special big-ups to the guy who falls over at the front.
6. Beanie Shake: You think it’s just Bongo the monkey having an innocent dance when all of a sudden the beat drops and all of the Beanie Babies go crazy. This is just funny because someone clearly spent a long time doing it, and after watching a whole load of other versions, made me realise ‘Harlem Shake’ is rubbish really, isn’t it?
5. Matt & Kim Shake: From 2 people to a whole stadium full. You have to give it to them, this one’s pretty epic.
4. Underwater Shake: This is one of the most viewed and you can understand why. It seems a physical impossibility to be able to stay underwater like that let alone bust out these moves. The guy in the sleeping bag is incredible too; resembling some kind of inflamed eel.
3. Grandma Shake: Old people just make everything funnier don’t they? These two ladies don’t really look like they know what’s going on. The one on the right also looks like she can’t breathe. Amazing.
2. Black Shake: This one is just plain odd. It doesn’t have the hundreds of people like some of the versions have, but it does have an extremely disturbing man pouring milk on himself, and a giraffe doing horrible, horrible things to a pony.
1. SeaWorld Shake: This is just incredible. SeaWorld in San Antonio must be praised for the weirdest version, complete with dancing sea lions and some weird manatee thing doing sit-ups.
Hopefully you understand the ‘Harlem Shake’ now. Yes? No, me neither.
