Remember when dance crazes were simply infectious dances inspired by catchy tunes with unforgettable lyrics that were easy enough for anybody and everybody to learn? Take for example, the Twist…

… timeless, right? Chubby Checkers first introduced the Twist in 1963 with his chart-topping song and people are still doing it today! There are dozens and dozens of dance crazes etched in history… the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, the Shag, Hustle, the Macarena, Gangnam Style (“Ride the Pony” with a Korean flare) just to name a few. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention YMCA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ImdPdbqmw

Kudos to the Village People for not only giving us this faaaabulous ode-to-the-Young-Men’s-Christian-Association-gay-anthem, but also for giving us the greatest idea for group Halloween costumes in the history of forever. Admittedly executing the C can sometimes be tricky, but I defy you to find someone who hasn’t done YMCA at every wedding they’ve attended since 1978.

Anyway, there’s a new dance craze that has taken this summer by storm and it’s called the Shiggy. It was invented impulsively by a guy named…wait for it… Shiggy, while dancing to Drake’s hit single In My Feelings. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard this song because by the time you get to the end of this blog post you will not be able to get… Keke, do you love me? Are you riding? Say you’ll never ever leave me… out of your head. (You’re welcome)

Shiggy is also the creator of The Shiggy Show on Instagram. He is famous for his comedic rants on the streets of New York City which he punctuates by drooling on himself. I’ve never seen him perform, but I imagine it’s a far cry from the likes of George Carlin, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy. Evidently people find his brand of humor funny, though, because he has amassed more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram and is credited with catapulting the previously under-appreciated In My Feelings to the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top 100. The viral phenomenon began when one evening in July, Shiggy posted this video of himself and anointed it with this challenge: #DoTheShiggy. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just Do the Shiggy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_40FOKx1cQ

(***PLEASE NOTE:  Shiggy is neither dancing in front of a moving vehicle in this video nor has he ever posted a video of himself dancing in front of a moving vehicle.***)

Look at that guy’s smile! He’s so carefree! It’s no wonder throngs of people followed suit! The song is forgettable on it’s own, but his joy… I know that joy! I feel it when I dance with the Dancing Doc and it makes me want to hop out of my chair right now and start dancing as I write this post (probably why it’s taking me so long to get it written). If you’re like me and can’t quite figure out what to do past the squatty Mashed-Potatoe-ish steps at the beginning just by watching, no need to worry. Here’s a helpful tutorial that’ll get you on your way.

#DoTheShiggy seems like a fairly straightforward, benign dance challenge… until it’s not. As if posting videos of oneself eating Tide Pods isn’t idiotic enough for folks these days [RELATED: The REAL Tide Pod Challenge] some Einstein came up with the idea of doing the Shiggy along side a moving car. In traffic. I am completely serious. People actually are doing this and posting videos as proof. Watch.

DO NOT PANIC!!! This terrifying video turned out to be a fake (phew) and Kari Miller, the young woman dancing, is fine. Watch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmoGOgwBXQ2/?taken-by=karimiller

What’s more unsettling than the video itself, is why someone would pull a prank like this. After a little research, however, I discovered Kari Miller, et al. are not a group of deranged psychopaths. The video, you see, was intended as a Public Service Announcement, a warning to all the knuckleheads contemplating taking the challenge. The professional videographer (@lofi3d) who edited the video included the following caption when it initially was uploaded to Instagram.

Be careful when dancing in the street. If you think know dancing in the street, let alone along side a moving motor vehicle, in the middle of traffic is NEVER a good idea, congratulations. You are officially not a nincompoop. Believe it or not, however, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who lack the common sense to decide this type of thing is not a good idea. Just type “In My Feelings Challenge” or “KeKe Challenge” or “Draking and Driving” or “Shiggy Challenge” into any search bar to see for yourself.

Fortunately, neither of these geniuses was seriously injured, but my goodness, I miss the good old days when “viral challenge” meant agreeing to play Parcheesi after school with your strep-throat-afflicted best friend/next door neighbor, who was probably-not-but-possibly-still contagious.

Whatever you call it #KekeChallenge, #InMyFeelingsChallenge or #DrakingAndDriving, it’s just plain dumb. By all means #DoTheShiggy, but if you take the challenge, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Copyright © 2018  The Dancing Housewife  All RIghts Reserved

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