Of Idiocy and Idiosyncrasy.

by tybmmjourno

In the after-math of what happened on October 7, after the West Indian team broke into an impromptu dance after winning the Twenty20 World Cup finals against Sri Lanka. Didn’t it remind us of a style of dance which recently got viral? Here it is.

I am never the kind of person who keeps herself updated about the recent video which has got viral, or the most trending event/ personality or even an idea. I am always one of those who gets this information last. Either through friends, newspapers or sometimes through bulk SMSes sent by cellular companies, making an offer to facilitate downloading the videos.

That day, while I was in class and doodling in my notebook, I wondered why I should be the last one to know about yet another video which just got viral. The thought wasn’t random, of course, and I kid you not it was indeed triggered by the Psy-Gangnam style video which has now crossed over 400 million views on YouTube.

PSY doing Gangnam style

A video going viral on YouTube isn’t a new phenomenon. One must have heard about Kolaveri Di and Rebecca Black’s Friday. And even Justin Bieber who made a fortune after being picked up from YouTube. But this Psy Gangnam had created a maniacal trend amongst all my hostel- mates. And I wondered why. Back in my college hostel, the song was even played and danced on dandiya night and would be surely performed even on college’s annual day. Yet, I hadn’t known of it until a batch-mate of mine forced me to watch it.

 Unusual yet funny steps, a portly man reiterating Oppa Gangnam Style, and K-pop song lyrics which made no sense to me, were some of the stark characteristics which stood out. I watched only half of it. Not quite intrigued by the video, I did not seem to amuse my friends who already were intensely captivated by Psy’s moves. And suddenly, I was abandoned from the group who did gangnam style on every opportune moment of joy they could fetch.

 It had indeed got viral!

 Today, I accidentally happened to poke Google and tap the keys to write Gangnam Style. To my amazement, I stumbled upon articles written in the Guardian, The Economic Times which talked about Psy-Gangnam style. Adding to this was the video in which Psy (the Korean rapper) teaches Britney Spears the Gangnam style on Ellen DeGeneres Show. That was the end. I could no longer curb myself from not viewing what people were going crazy about.

 So, yes I did watch it.

 It is a K-pop song with a portly Korean rapper singing in comical English. Even if I couldn’t fathom the lyrics (which I later did when I browsed the English translation), the ridiculously catchy element in the video is its Americanisation. Even if one is not familiar with Korean slang, it doesn’t take an Einstein’s mind to understand the backdrop. It is not only a blend of Korean culture but there is a deep undercurrent which runs through Western viewers. And of course, Indians who would more or less find it analogous.

 The lyrics are pointless. Till the end, I find it difficult to understand what the purpose of the song is. It makes sudden references to women who eat in shady places privately only to be able to afford a mocha at a high end café. Now here is what it does. It picks up an idea and drops it in a nanosecond and gradually moves on to the next one. And does what? Nothing at all.

 The only entertainment value I would attribute to the video, are its ridiculously hilarious yet easy-to-catch dance steps. And the amount of times Psy must have reiterated ‘Heey seksy lady’ and ‘Oppa Gangnam style’ which made me laugh uproariously.

 I kid you not, but you’ll soon begin to find memes shared on Facebook and Twitter on Gangnam style. It may further have you see a flash mob or two, in Gangnam style. Did I forget to mention Gangnam style tees which would be sold on every street in Bombay? And you never know, it may emerge as a contemporary dance style as well.

After all, it is the world of idiocy and idiosyncrasy.

Niharika Pandit