From the skatepark at Tal-Qroqq to Nadur Carnival via Junior College, the viral Harlem Shake craze infecting the world has not spared Malta.
Hundreds of Maltese have donned ridiculous outfits to film their own versions of the hip-thrusting dance fad that was spawned by comedian and You Tube user Filthy Frank at the start of this month.
Yesterday about 30 students at a boys’ school were reprimanded after they performed the Harlem Shake on the grounds dressed in skimpy outfits.
One of the most popular Maltese efforts is Harlem Shake at Subway Malta, filmed at Tal-Qroqq skatepark.
Published on You Tube last Sunday, it already had more than 14,000 views yesterday.
The video follows Filthy Frank’s formula by starting with a lone figure in fancy dress gyrating to the undulating beats of Brooklyn DJ Baauer’s Harlem Shake, while being ignored by those around him.
We had seen other videos and thought it looked fun
In the Maltese version, the male lead is standing in the middle of the skatepark, proudly wearing a pink G-string and animal ears, as the odd BMX rider jumps around him and skaters sit nonchalantly at the side.
Standard Harlem Shake meme procedure dictates that the lone figure is joined by costumed friends jumping around spontaneously when the bassline drops.
The skatepark video does not disappoint in this regard; Super Mario, a giant lizard, a banana and a scary clown can be seen flipping out among a mass of bodies.
Michael Fletcher, 22, one of the brains behind the video, said it was organised via Facebook and filmed and uploaded onsite by his friend Sacha Schembri, also 22.
“We had seen other videos and thought it looked fun. Until something cooler comes along there will be lots of people making their own versions,” he said.
Tens of thousands of Harlem Shake videos have been uploaded worldwide this month, generating nearly 200 million views according to You Tube.
Students from the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology posted their own version on Tuesday, which had been seen by 8,000 people yesterday.
Filmed outside, a masked man is joined at the bassline by a host of colourful characters including Santa Claus and a bride in a wedding dress. The national flag is waved by a demented masked creature in a pink dressing gown.
Hot on Mcast’s heels was an offering from Junior College students that had reached more than 7,000 views yesterday.
It starts with a clown dancing solo and ends with a bunch of students throwing paper around with wild abandon.
Other Maltese have filmed versions of the dance in their homes and in Gozo during carnival weekend.
But a Harlem Shake video filmed in a classroom and posted by a Maltese user had been set to private yesterday after generating thousands of views.
Perhaps teachers were not enamoured with the desk-jumping behaviour seen in the video, which was filmed when “bored out of our wits during a free lesson”, according to the person who posted it.
Versions of the video overseas have landed the makers in trouble – one New York high school ice hockey team had to forfeit a playoff game for posting a Harlem Shake video featuring semi-nudity and simulated sex acts.