Harlem shaking the Arab world?
For more Last Look, watch GPS, Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET on CNN.
In America, "Harlem Shake" may be the top pop single. In Egypt and Tunisia, there's some serious Harlem shaking going on. And it's causing leaders to tremble as it becomes a potent symbol of protest, revolt and defiance.
Take the kids in the video at a school in Tunisia. They danced en masse to the song and posted their exploits on YouTube. That prompted a quarter of a million hits and reports of an investigation by the country's minister of education and that prompted a backlash. Video after video after video of Tunisians proudly doing the Harlem shake in defiance.
More from CNN: What the Shake has to do with Harlem
And then there's Egypt, where the authorities went further and the backlash was worse. Four pharmaceutical students were arrested for doing this Harlem shake in front of the pyramids, and that set off a big reaction. Late in the week in Cairo, there was a mass shake in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters to protest.
Now, who says America's popular culture exports have no value?
@fareedzakaria on Twitter
RSS
This isn't freedom of expression this is just simply acting stupid and childish. There are other ways to protest your feelings than embarrassing yourself. In the past there were many respectable reformers and speakers and honorable people. Things were done with maturity and seriousness, but the world has really grown immature and out of control. You can barely find a traditional society anymore with simple values, the world is eroding. I feel sorry for the generations of kids that must grow up in this kind of world. No class. Do you want to act like people or animals? I think we know the answer already. God help us.
I see your point, but you have to remember that in the Arab world there society is so repressive from any form of expression: dancing, western music and modest clothing, that these spontaneous outbursts might be fairly effective in terms of a protest against the repressive and backward idealogies of Islam.
I do see your point. But you have to remember that in the Arab world their society is so repressive that any form of expression: dancing, western music and dressing provocatively, would be considered a protest. Since the Harlem Shake incorporates all of these elements, even these isolated spontaneous outbursts might be fairly effective in terms of a protest against the repressive and backward idealogies where these people live.
The headline says the North Korean's cut the phone line to the hotline. I thought they only had 1 phone in NK.
If NK were a capitalist country the people working for the North Korea Bell would all be out a job.
Muhammad is Shaking in his grave right now! Shake! Shake! Shake!
Sharia don't like it? Rock the Casbah.
@maryam up there aways -- I am gay, I am not flawed. Thanks anyway.
It's amazing that people would get arrested for dancing. I mean, seriously????
Yeah, and The Mighty Wurlitzer plays on. These people are pawns of the CIA.
HBar your CIA comment is ludacris, but I believe there must be something that you really fear in these protests, otherwise you would not lash out with another inane conspiracy theory such as this. Is it possible that modernity is begining to effect the Arab world? Where women will be allowed to have the same rights as men: education, driving, working and not having to cover their faces in public. This is just the beginning: the winds of change are going to start whipping through the Arab World and no one is going to be able to stop that train from finally reaching Mecca.
Hey HBar, the C.I.A. is under your bed. Go look.
LOLOLOLOLOL
HARLEM SHAKING WITH MY FRIENDS
None of these people are doing the Harlem Shake. They are merely duplicating a mocking of the Harlem Shake and insulting the culture of Harlem.