Where the Hell is Matt?

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Where the Hell is Matt? is an

Internet phenomenon that features a video of Dancing Matt (Matt Harding) doing a dance "jig" in many different places around the world in 2005. The video garnered popularity on the video sharing site YouTube. There are now five major videos plus two outtakes and several background videos on YouTube. Matt dances alone in the first videos. In 2008 others join with him doing the dance "jig"; in 2010 he does the Diski Dance in South Africa. In 2012 he works with other dancers, sometimes using a local dance or another dance step.[1]

While working in Australia for Activision on the project

ethnomusicologist at the Solomon Islands near Papua New Guinea
. The song, "Rorogwela" was sung by a young woman named Afunakwa. According to the video "Where the Hell is Afunakwa" by Matt Harding, Afunakwa died in 1998.

The video was passed around by e-mail and eventually became popular, with his server getting 20,000 or more hits a day as it was discovered, generally country by country due to language barriers, before the launch of major video upload sites.

Harding created a second version of the video in 2006, with additional dancing scenes from subsequent travels, called "Dancing 2006". At the request of

Stride, a gum brand, he accepted sponsorship[5]
of this video, since he usually travels on a limited budget. Harding states:

"I went in very wary about working with a corporate sponsor but ... they didn’t want to make a commercial for their gum out of it. They’ve got commercials; you can see them on TV all the time. But they’d seen what was going on on the internet – and by that time YouTube had taken off and it was becoming a big deal … and a lot of companies they want to be a part of that. But it’s very very difficult, too, because as soon as a company gets in there and starts making things, we as viewers, a switch flicks in your head and you know you are watching an ad and you interpret it differently. So they said, ‘We want to help you make it, but we’re not making it.’"[2]

The video, with more than 18 million views, shows Harding dancing for 3 to 7 seconds apiece in 36 locations mostly in front of distinct landmarks. The evident advertising only comes with two Stride logo watermarked scenes halfway into the video and a final credit.[3] In August of 2008, Harding gave a talk at the Ignite conference in Seattle where he described how dancing by himself had become “boring” whereas dancing with others was far more interesting. For his newest video Harding had developed a listserv for every country from which he received an email, created a digital sign-up sheet for visit requests, and notified people when he would come to their country. Released on June 20, 2008, the third video is the product of 14 months of traveling in 42 countries. The background music/song of this video is known as "Praan" composed by Garry Schyman and sung by Palbasha Siddique, with lyrics adapted from the poem "Stream of Life," a part of the Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore.[6] As well as the Youtube videos, a wide Visa advertising campaign appeared across 8 countries including in cinema advertising in 2008.[7]

As of August 2008, Harding is represented by Creative Artists Agency.[8] His videos are viewable on YouTube, Google Video, Vimeo and his own site wherethehellismatt.com. His "Where the Hell is Matt? (2008)" video has been watched over 43,700,000 times on YouTube since 2011 and Harding's YouTube channel is ranked "#83 - Most Subscribed (All Time) - Directors" as of December 22, 2010.[9][10]

On June 20, 2012, 4 years after his third video, Harding released "Where the Hell is Matt? 2012". The video features Matt and many others dancing in 71 locations, comprising 55 countries and 11

Alicia Lemke.[11] The song was made available on iTunes, along with "Praan" and the song titled "Dance Outtakes Song" used in a video
released on July 11, 2012, that features outtakes as well as locations which did not make the final video.

Drawing on the practice of Culture Jams, the Situationist International movement and the practices of incorporation and excorporation, Milstein and Pulos conclude that "while some of Harding’s videos are tied to corporate sponsorship, the arc of his projects also argues for the possibility of reorienting oneself with others to keep one step ahead of incorporation – even, ironically, while actively sponsored. This sense of possibility is essential in contemporary society as even not-for-profit public institutions – including universities and philanthropic organizations – seek out sponsorship from multinational corporations."[3]

On November 2015, Harding launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the making of a new video.[12] Backers were allowed to vote on places where they would like him to go to for his new videos and he raised $146,075 out of a $125,000 goal. Via social media, he also broadcast the places where he would be dancing and invited netizens to participate in the making of his new video. By October 2016, he had finished his global dancing tour and was finalizing the edit of the video.

Major media coverage

Harding's video clips have appeared on television shows including:

In 2007, Jawed Karim, one of the founders of YouTube, stated that Harding's video was his favorite on YouTube at that time.[13]

On July 22, 2008, and again on July 25, 2010, and July 10, 2012, and June 14, 2020,

APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) Web site. Text accompanying these videos, under the heading "Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth", claims that humans worldwide share a common love of dance, stating that "few people are able to watch the above video without smiling."[14]
Harding himself has joked that he is impressed by his appearances on APOD, especially since his videos have nothing to do with astronomy, nor are they pictures.

Hoax

On 11 December 2008, Matt Harding sarcastically "revealed" at the Entertainment Gathering that "everyone knows how easy it is to 'fake things' on the internet."

animatronic puppets and extensive video editing.[15] His presentation included a pie chart of supposed expenses, such as $1 million for “robot uprising insurance." Harding’s hoax was lost on many when his talk was posted online, with a larger public perceiving the prank as an actual confession. A month after his presentation, criticism was so widespread that at the Macworld convention Harding revealed the "hoax about the hoax" and joked that many people took it seriously. He explained he came up with the prankster idea when he himself felt duped by a viral video titled “Bike Hero,” which turned out to be a marketing campaign.[3] He also made it very clear that the videos he made were indeed real.[16]

Videos

The titles in the five major videos are all titled Dancing without the year in the videos; Harding labels them as Where the Hell is Matt? (year) on YouTube. The 2012 YouTube titles have also been titled Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth as well as Happy New Year! Peace on Earth in 2013.

Dancing [2005]

Duration: 2:45 Dancing [2005]

Dancing [2006]

Duration: 3:43 Dancing [2006]

Dancing Outtakes [2006]

"Here's some stuff that didn't make the final cut..."

Outtakes. Duration 4:28 Dancing Outtakes
[2006]

  1. #1 Kjeragbolten, Norway
  2. Los Angeles, California
  3. Nakun [sic Nakum], Guatemala
  4. Dead Vlei, Namibia
    Should've gotten closer.
  5. Gulung [sic Gunung] Mulu, Malaysia The jungles of Borneo. Could've done better.
  6. Tokyo, Japan Got kicked out before I could get it right.
  7. Giza, Egypt
    Pyramids. Didn't quite do them justice.
  8. Singapore Lame shot. Sorry, Singapore.
  9. #1 Chuuk, Micronesia Dancing underwater is hard.
  10. Peterman [sic Petermann] Island, Antarctica ...snow too.
  11. #1 Mulindi, Rwanda
  12. Haute-Picardie, France
  13. Bad dancing... big shark.
  14. Grand Canyon, Arizona
  15. Mokolodi, Botswana Tip: Get to know the elephants before you start dancing.
  16. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, Sydney, Australia A lot of folks think this is fake... ...nope.
  17. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia Neither is this.
  18. Routeburn Valley, New Zealand Wedgie pick!
  19. #2 Chuuk, Micronesia Dancing on the ocean floor... lesson learned.
  20. Easter Island, Chile Phony tourist photo op? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
  21. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador Marine iguanas... they don't really do much.
  22. #2 Mulindi, Rwanda
  23. Cuverville Island, Antarctica Penguins! Too small.
  24. New York, New York
  25. Luang Prabang, Laos ...umm... Li'l awkward.
  26. Sossusvlei, Namibia
  27. Redwood National Park, California Do not look at the man-boobs. Ignore the man-boobs.
  28. Athens, Greece Don't try dancing at the Parthenon. They don't like it.
  29. #3 Mulindi, Rwanda
  30. Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada
  31. #2 Kjeragbolten, Norway 1000 meter drop. Dumb.
  32. Seattle, Washington

Dancing [2008]

Duration: 4:29 Dancing [2008]

  1. India Mumbai, India April 2008
  2. Bhutan Paro Taktsang (The Tiger's Nest), Paro, Bhutan
  3. Northern Ireland Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
  4. Zanzibar Stone Town, Zanzibar
  5. Netherlands Dune and Bulb Region, Lisse, Netherlands
  6. Christmas Island Christmas Island red crab, Christmas Island, Australia
  7. Kuwait Kuwait Water Towers, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  8. Teotihuacán, Mexico
  9. Iceland Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
    1. (Quick scenes of transition from dancing alone to with others) Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland
    2. Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts
    3. Ontario Toronto, Ontario
    4. Belgium Atomium, Brussels, Belgium
    5. Portugal Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, Portugal
    6. British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia
    7. California Alamo Square, San Francisco, California
    8. France Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
    9. Victoria, Australia
    10. Washington, D.C. Senate Fountain, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
    11. Chicago Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois
  10. Spain Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
  11. Madagascar Antseranana [sic Antsiranana], Madagascar
  12. Queensland Brisbane, Australia
  13. Saint Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
  14. Argentina Caminito, La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  15. Zambia Chakachino [sic Mfuwe], Zambia
  16. Turkey Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
  17. Fiji Wainivilase [sic Suva], Fiji
  18. England National Gallery, London, England
  19. Sweden Sergels torg, Stockholm, Sweden
  20. Solomon Islands Auki, Solomon Islands
  21. Sana'a, Yemen
  22. Philippines Tagaytay, Philippines
  23. South KoreaNorth Korea Demilitarized Zone, Korea
  24. Mali Timbuktu, Mali
  25. Poland Sigismund's Column, Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland
  26. Texas Stevie Ray Vaughan's memorial statue, Auditorium Shores, Austin, Texas
  27. Japan Maid café, Tokyo, Japan
  28. Papua New Guinea Huli people, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea
  29. Florida Miami, Florida
  30. Germany Monopteros, Englischer Garten, Munich, Germany
  31. Tonga Tongatapu, Tonga
  32. Chicago Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois Sept 2007
  33. Bhutan Thimphu, Bhutan
  34. India Gurgaon, India
  35. New South Wales Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
  36. Portugal Statue of Joseph I, Praça do Comércio Lisbon, Portugal
  37. South Korea Namdaemun gate, Seoul, South Korea
  38. South Africa Soweto, South Africa
  39. Bethesda Terrace, New York, New York
    .
  40. Japan Tokyo, Japan
  41. Vava'u, Tonga
  42. South Africa Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
  43. Panama Container ship, Panama Canal, Panama
  44. Jordan Wadi Rum, Jordan
  45. Madagascar Lemur Island, Madagascar
  46. New Zealand Albert Park, Auckland, New Zealand
  47. Morocco Batik [sic Aït Benhaddou], Morocco
  48. Netherlands Statue of Multatuli, Torensluis bridge, Singel canal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  49. Georgia (U.S. state) Fountain of Rings, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia
  50. Mexico National Palace, Zócalo, Mexico City, Mexico
  51. Belgium Brussels, Belgium
  52. California Alamo Square, San Francisco, California
  53. Taiwan Taipei, Taiwan
  54. Washington, D.C. Senate Fountain, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
  55. Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  56. North Rhine-Westphalia Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany
  57. Singapore Merlion Park, Singapore
  58. California String section, Alhambra, California Garry Schyman music notes
  59. Israel Fire and Water Fountain, Tel Aviv, Israel
  60. Palestinian National Authority East Jerusalem, West Bank
  61. France Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
  62. Montreal Montreal, Quebec
  63. Reduced gravity aircraft (ZERO-G), Nellis Airspace, Nevada
  64. Los Angeles, California
  65. Brazil Monument to the Independence of Brazil, São Paulo, Brazil
  66. Seattle, Washington

Dancing in South Africa [2010]

Website title: Where the Hell is Matt in South Africa. In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Matt Harding created a special video to celebrate the occasion in which he performed the Diski Dance in locations across South Africa. He uploaded the video to YouTube on March 5, 2010. The following locations were shown in the video in the order listed. Some locations were visited several times. Duration: 1:40 Dancing in South Africa [2010]

Dancing [2012]

The fifth video was released on 20 June 2012. In 2012 Matt works with other dancers, sometimes using a local dance or another dance step.[1] Duration: 4:53 Dancing [2012]

Note: 13 cities have 2 segments. #1 & #2 on left side of city means same location; #1 & #2 on right side of city means different locations in the city.

  1. Prelude
    1. Rwanda #1 Kigali, Rwanda
    2. Spain Fountain Giralda, Seville, Spain
    3. Austria Ballroom #1 Vienna, Austria
    4. Pennsylvania Cheerleading #1, Penn State Schuylkill, Schuyhill Haven [sic Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania
    5. 2011–2012 Damascus clashes
    6. Papua New Guinea Huli people #1, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea Matt journal post
    7. North Korea lobby, Pyongyang, North Korea #1
  2. Lebanon opening dance of West Side Story, Martyrs' Square, Beirut, Lebanon
  3. Greece Agora #1, Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Athens, Greece
  4. South Africa Lesedi Cultural Village, Lesedi, South Africa
  5. Kapong, Thailand
  6. Venezuela Parque del Este, Caracas, Venezuela
  7. Indonesia Dance in Indonesia, Bali, Indonesia
  8. League City, Texas
  9. Australia Scuba diving, Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia
  10. Saudi Arabia Shuffle Off to Buffalo, Al-Muzahmiyya, Saudi Arabia Behind the Dancing Matt Videos
  11. Oakland, California
    #1
  12. Michigan Horace E. Dodge Fountain, Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan
  13. Mongolia Mongolian horse, Terelj, Mongolia
  14. Maldives Music of the Maldives, Rangali Island, Maldives
  15. Zimbabwe Dance in Zimbabwe, Ruwa, Zimbabwe
  16. Hungary Elisabeth Bridge, Budapest, Hungary #1
  17. Haiti Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  18. Iraq Robot (dance), Erbil, Iraq I found Matt
  19. Louisiana City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana
  20. Philippines Jeepney, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
  21. Pennsylvania Cheerleading #2, Penn State Schuylkill, Schuyhill Haven [sic Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania
  22. 2011–2012 Damascus clashes
  23. Afghanistan Afghan Mobile Mini Children's Circus, Kabul, Afghanistan
  24. France Alegría (Cirque du Soleil), Saint François de Paule church at Place Louis Blanc and Cours Lafayette, Toulon, France
  25. Austria Waltz, Ballroom #2, Vienna, Austria
  26. China Chinese New Year, Beijing, China Matt journal post
  27. Salsa (dance), Jaffa Gate near Tower of David, Jerusalem
  28. North Korea Mass Dances, Pyongyang, North Korea #2 Matt Reddit excerpt
  29. Namibia Himba people, Opuwo, Namibia
  30. Puerto Rico Capilla del Cristo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  31. Serbia children Ballet, Belgrade, Serbia
  32. Boise, Idaho
  33. Pennsylvania Rocky Steps, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  34. South Africa Robben Island, South Africa
  35. Toronto Fountain, Trinity Square, Toronto, Canada
  36. Frauenkirche #1, Dresden, Germany
  37. France Place Bellecour, Lyon, France
  38. United States F/A-18 Hornet, USS Abraham Lincoln, Pacific Ocean (Colored jersey guide), Nat'l Geo behind scenes, Mayhem Weekend on the USS Abraham Lincoln AirCraft Carrier, flight deck signals
  39. Texas Willams Waterwall, Houston, Texas
  40. Slovakia Old Town Main Square, Bratislava, Slovakia
  41. Australia Graffiti - tekno in the light, Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia
  42. Egypt Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt #1
  43. Hong Kong Kowloon Public Pier south of Clock Tower, Hong Kong, China
  44. Town Hall Square, Tallinn, Estonia
  45. Japan Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan
  46. Willard Park, Cleveland, Ohio
  47. Solomon Islands Kalafasia [sic Honiara], Solomon Islands Matt journal post
  48. Medellin, Colombia
  49. Papua New Guinea Hitch hike (dance), Huli people #2, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea
  50. Spain Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
  51. England The Poznań Celebration, Queen Victoria Monument, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, England, United Kingdom
  52. Pakistan Jehangir Kothari Parade, Karachi, Pakistan
  53. Czech Republic Parterre of Ledeburg Palace, Prague, Czech Republic WtHiM in Prague WtHiM Prague
  54. Greece Agora #2, Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Athens, Greece
  55. Qasr al-Nil Bridge(?), Cairo, Egypt
    #2
  56. Switzerland Polyterrace of ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  57. Frauenkirche #2, Dresden, Germany
  58. Italy Piazza del Popolo #1, Rome, Italy
  59. Costa Rica National Theatre, San Jose, Costa Rica #1
  60. Hungary Stephen I statue, Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary #2
  61. Italy near Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy
  62. Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Port of Spain, Trinidad Trinidad Carnival Diary
  63. Stata Center, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  64. California Clyde, California sea lion, SeaWorld, San Diego, California
  65. Italy Piazza del Popolo #2, Rome, Italy
  66. Maryland Baltimore Crab Dance, Pagoda, Patterson Park, Baltimore, Maryland Welcome Matt
  67. Baile Folklorico, San Jose, Costa Rica
    #2
  68. Colorado The Dancers, Denver Performing Arts Complex, Denver, Colorado
  69. St. Petersburg, Russia
  70. #2
  71. Rwanda #2 Kigali, Rwanda
  72. Washington

Dancing Outtakes [2012]

"I always shoot more than I can use. Here's some stuff that didn't make it in." Outtakes. Duration 3:45 Dancing Outtakes [2012]

  1. Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, California
  2. Al-Muzahmiyya, Saudi Arabia
  3. Market House, Fayetteville, North Carolina
  4. Waimea Bay, Hawaii
  5. Gigantor statue, Wakamatsu Park, Kobe, Japan
  6. Elephantstay, Royal Elephant Kraal & Village,
    Ayutthaya, Thailand
  7. Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England September 2011
  8. Pioneer Plaza, Dallas, Texas
  9. Nashville, Tennessee
  10. Science and Technology Museum, Shanghai, China
  11. National Monument of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
  12. Hula, Maui, Hawaii
  13. Free Stamp,
    Willard Park, Cleveland, Ohio
  14. Parque del Este, Caracas, Venezuela
  15. Hong Kong Island skyline viewed from Kowloon Public Pier, Hong Kong, China
  16. The Great Salt Lake, Utah
  17. ASIMO, Tokyo, Japan
  18. Jewish dance, New York, New York
  19. Oakland, California
  20. Sheep Meadow, Central Park, New York, New York
  21. Fuji Television headquarters, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan
  22. Fountain Hills, Phoenix, Arizona
  23. Statue of the Victor, Belgrade Fortress, Belgrade, Serbia
  24. Friendship of Nations fountain,
    All-Russia Exhibition Centre, Moscow, Russia
  25. Clown, Erbil, Iraq
  26. ?near Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia
  27. Sanlitun SOHO, Beijing, China
  28. Seattle, Washington
  29. Berlin, Germany
  30. Huli people, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea
  31. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon
  32. Polyterrace of ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  33. Lesedi Cultural Village, Lesedi, South Africa
  34. Taoyuan City, Taiwan
  35. Clyde, California sea lion, SeaWorld, San Diego, California
  36. Carnival, Port of Spain, Trinidad Trinidad Carnival Diary
  37. Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy
  38. Watts Towers, Los Angeles, California
  39. Spoonbridge and Cherry, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis, Minnesota July 2011
  40. Islands Brygge, Copenhagen, Denmark
  41. Cairo, Egypt
  42. Fountain Giralda, Seville, Spain
  43. Erbil, Iraq
  44. Afghan Mobile Mini Children's Circus, Kabul, Afghanistan
  45. Lesedi Cultural Village, Lesedi, South Africa

Dancing [2016]

Duration: 2:54 Dancing [2016]

References

  1. ^
    New York Times
    , July 12, 2012. accessed 2013-02-24.
  2. ^ a b "Where the Hell is Matt?" Lecture Part 1 of 3, retrieved 2015-09-20
  3. ^
    ISSN 1753-9137
    .
  4. ^ “FAQ” page on the “Where The Hell Is Matt?” website, answer to “How long did it take you to make the first video?”, retrieved 2012-06-21
  5. Stride gum. Archived from the original
    on 2007-03-20. Retrieved 2006-12-16. We really liked the idea of a ridiculously long dance round the world. So we supported him on his second tour.
  6. ^ "Where the Hell is Matt (2008)". YouTube. Retrieved 2009-02-07. Music source at the end of video.
  7. ^ "Sydney Morning Herald". December 2008.
  8. ^ "It Was a Musical Thing and You Were Supposed to Dance".
  9. ^ "mattharding2718 Channel". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2007-03-15. #100 - Most Subscribed (All Time) - Directors #12 - Most Viewed (This Month) #7 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Directors
  10. ^ "Directors - Most Subscribed (All Time)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-07-10. #99
  11. ^ - Where the Hell is Matt? 2012YouTube
  12. ^ "Where the Heck is Matt?". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  13. ^ "YouTube co-founder tells grads to be persistent, take risks". Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  14. ^ Robert Nemiroff (Michigan Technological University) & Jerry Bonnell (University of Maryland, College Park) (2008-07-22). "Astronomy Picture of the Day". ASD at NASA. Archived from the original on 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  15. ^ "Matt Harding: Where the Hell is Matt? a Hoax". FORA.tv. December 11, 2008.
  16. ^ "Not to dwell but..." January 9, 2009.
  17. ^ - Camp Jabulani Official Website
  18. ^ Bourke's Luck Potholes

External links