Dying (sorry) Dancing Matt in Cairo’s Tahrir

There are some things that you think of doing and they seem like a great idea at first and then you realise you may have misjudged the situation. Like when I put a large TV in my kids bedroom and now haven’t spoken to them in about 17 months. Or maybe more serious things, like going to Tahrir Square just months after police/thugs massacred people there so you can show the tired, angry, fustrated and grieving Egyptians there how you dance.

For those of you who do not know, Dancing Matt is an internet phenomena that peaked in around 2008. He dances in a strange kind of “white boy” way (…..what? I’m sorry but what?……it’s not like you don’t know what I mean by that) in different places around the world.

I think Dancing Matt is a fun guy with a fun job and I applaud the effort he has made to make a living out of it. But if he had asked me, I would have said “Tahrir? Now? Dancing? White American chubby man? Nooooooooooo, bad idea.” Hindsight….wonderfful thing.

Anyway he came to Cairo, went to Tahrir and despite everything pointing a complete disaster, managed to get out pretty much unscathed and even with a few more fans. Egyptians, despite all that is going on in this country are very upbeat. Egyptians are for the most part complete comedians at the best of times, and will even crack a joke at the worst of times. That is not to say he didn;t have a close call. As you will see in the video, it nearly turned nasty.

Sandmonkey jumped on the bandwagon and drove it to Zamalek yesterday, inviting people via his twitter. By all accounts I have heard it went down well.  I have yet to find the video from that event although I’m sure it will surface soon.

I normally post events before they happen, but after one of my favorite and immensely dedicated bloggers Egyptian Chronicles informed me he was coming last week I thought, “Naaah, he’s not that silly.”

Apparently he was. Matt you get the LTC Award for Bravery Beyond All Reasonable Thinking. Enjoy the video.

Links

Dancing Matt’s Website