First there was Gangnam Style, a dance craze made popular by Korean pop culture icon, Psy. According to an ABC News article, Psy's YouTube video had generated at least $8 in advertising deals before his appearance in homes across the country during a Super Bowl ad for pistachios.
In early February, a new YouTube phenomenon began to light up the internet. Harlem Shake videos can be found on the Facebook group, "Harlem Shake Videos."
Brooklyn DJ Baauer's version of "Harlem Shake" tops Billboard's Hot 100, thanks to YouTube comedian Filthy Frank's dance version, which has received millions of YouTube views.
The more tame versions of the Harlem Shake feature one person dancing for a few seconds, as everyone else in the room ignores them. Then the room erupts into a mob of dancers, each dancing in their own style.
From pro team locker rooms to college basketball team courts, Harlem Shake dancers come in all varieties. However, many of the versions of the Harlem Shake appearing on YouTube videos are a parent's nightmare.
Half-naked teens gyrate in front of full-length mirrors, scantily-clad gymnasts perform a version of the Harlem Shake as a pole dance, and drunks strip down to perform the dance wearing not much more than a smile.
In some schools, the dance has been banned because of what some opponents call 'humping' happening in many of the videos.
You won't find many photos of the Harlem Shake online, but you can find plenty of videos, even if you're not a YouTube subscriber. Type #harlemshake into a Twitter search and you may ban the dance for your teens.
Parents, watch some of the videos and tell me what do you think. Is this new dance fad too sexy for teens or just a new way to express yourself for teens and young adults?
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