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When we watch popular viral videos and ask ourselves what makes them popular, we learn a lot about the viral video genre. Today’s, number one video, a 4 1/2 minute prison video is a case in point. The video documents a group of uniformed prisoners performing in the prisoner’s lot of a maximum security prison, as they dance in unison to the tune of the Michael Jackson song “This is it.”
The dancing video was preceded by a similar video from the Philippians documenting incarcerated inmates dancing to a different Michael Jackson tune. While not the originator of this genre, this video bests the first one in the dramatic high quality performance of the inmates, who exhibit amazing timing and uniformity, and who obviously practiced under supervision to make the performance. The inmates are divided into groups based on the color of their uniforms, and during the video they create changing geometrical shapes, and at video close they create a peace symbol, which can be seen quite well from the vantage point of the person who filmed the video. The musical background. The effect of the dancing is amplified by the Jackson lyric “all I want to say is that they don’t really care about us.”
No one can deny that the unique content of the video is responsible for attracting the views. The question is why this particular content appeals to people. I believe that the sophisticated creative group dance serves to change our stereotype of prisoners and what goes on behind bars, even in a maximum security unit, for the better. The video allows us to see these prisoners as creative human beings. Like a joke, which lightens a serious situation, this video lightens the otherwise negative thoughts we have about incarcerated prisoners.
Hidden within the subject of the video is an even more poignant contrast. Prison life is characterized by constriction of movement. Dance is characterized by freedom of movement. Disciplined dance bridges the two opposites, and creates a moment of aesthetic freedom for these confined men. So as we watch the video we are relieved that we can have a new image of prisons that is lighter than before.
This ability of the video the present content that we want to take with us, is the quality which makes videos become viral.
Thanks to Winmax Video of California for sponsoring this video. Winmax is a video production company that produces trade show video and restaurant video and other types of business and corporate videos.
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Tags: viral video
Posted in Dance · February 1st, 2010 · Comments (0)
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