Where the Hell is Matt?

Where the Hell is Matt? is an Internet phenomenon that features a video of Dancing Matt (@CarlosRyderBoy as 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]

Harding was known by his friends for a particular dance, and while video recording each other in Vietnam in May 2003,[2] his travel companion suggested he add the dance. The videos were uploaded to his website for friends and family to enjoy. After completing a second journey to Africa in 2004, Harding edited together 15 dance scenes, all with him center frame, with the background music "Sweet Lullaby" by "Deep Forest". The original song uses samples from a dying Solomon Islands language which was recorded in 1971 by a French 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 viral, 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[3] of this video, since he usually travels on a limited budget.

Harding released his third dancing video on June 20, 2008. The 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.[4]

As of August 2008, Harding is represented by Creative Artists Agency.[5] 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.[6][7]

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 US states. The video uses the song "Trip the Light", composed by Garry Schyman and sung by Alicia Lemke.[8] 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.

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.[9]

On July 22, 2008, and again on July 25, 2010, and July 10, 2012, NASA featured Harding's videos on the 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."[10] 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 hoax

On 11 December 2008, Matt Harding sarcastically 'revealed' at the Entertainment Gathering that the videos were a hoax and that he is an actor, not a game designer, and the videos were made using animatronic puppets and extensive video editing.[11] A month later, during the Macworld convention, Matt revealed the "hoax about the hoax" and joked about the fact many people took it seriously and the outrage it caused. He also made it very clear that the videos he made were indeed 100% real.[12]

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. Rock Islands, Palau 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. Fremont Troll, Seattle, Washington

Dancing [2008]

Duration: 4:29 Dancing [2008]

  1. India Mumbai, India
  2. Bhutan Paro Taktsang (The Tiger's Nest), Paro, Bhutan
  3. United Kingdom Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
  4. Zanzibar Stone Town, Zanzibar
  5. Western AustraliaAustralia Lancelin, Australia
  6. Netherlands Dune and Bulb Region, Lisse, Netherlands
  7. Christmas IslandAustralia Christmas Island red crab, Christmas Island, Australia
  8. Kuwait Kuwait Water Towers, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  9. Mexico Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacán, Mexico
  10. Iceland Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
    1. (Quick scenes of transition from dancing alone to with others) Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland
    2. MassachusettsUnited States Boston, Massachusetts
    3. OntarioCanada Toronto, Ontario
    4. Belgium Atomium, Brussels, Belgium
    5. Portugal Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, Portugal
    6. British ColumbiaCanada Vancouver, British Columbia
    7. CaliforniaUnited States Alamo Square, San Francisco, California
    8. France Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
    9. Victoria (Australia)Australia Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    10. Washington, D.C.United States Senate Fountain, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
    11. Illinois Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois
  11. Spain Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
  12. Madagascar Antseranana [obsolete spelling of Antsiranana], Madagascar
  13. QueenslandAustralia Brisbane, Australia
  14. Republic of Ireland Saint Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
  15. Argentina Caminito, La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  16. Zambia Chakachino, Zambia
  17. Turkey Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
  18. Fiji Wainivilase, Fiji
  19. England National Gallery, London, England
  20. Sweden Sergels torg, Stockholm, Sweden
  21. Solomon Islands Auki, Solomon Islands
  22. Yemen Sana'a, Yemen
  23. Kyrgyzstan Ala Archa Gorge, Kyrgyzstan
  24. Philippines Tagaytay, Philippines
  25. South KoreaNorth Korea Demilitarized Zone, Korea
  26. Mali Timbuktu, Mali
  27. Poland Sigismund's Column, Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland
  28. Texas Stevie Ray Vaughan's memorial statue, Auditorium Shores, Austin, Texas
  29. Japan Maid café, Tokyo, Japan
  30. Papua New Guinea Huli people, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea
  31. Florida Miami, Florida
  32. Germany Monopteros, Englischer Garten, Munich, Germany
  33. Tonga Tongatapu, Tonga
  34. Illinois Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois
  35. Bhutan Thimphu, Bhutan
  36. India Gurgaon, India
  37. New South WalesAustralia Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
  38. Portugal Statue of Joseph I, Praça do Comércio Lisbon, Portugal
  39. South Korea Namdaemun gate, Seoul, South Korea
  40. South Africa Soweto, South Africa
  41. New York Bethesda Terrace, New York, New York.
  42. Japan Tokyo, Japan
  43. Tonga Humpback whale, Vava'u, Tonga
  44. South Africa Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
  45. Panama Container ship, Panama Canal, Panama
  46. Jordan Wadi Rum, Jordan
  47. Madagascar Lemur Island, Madagascar
  48. New Zealand Albert Park, Auckland, New Zealand
  49. Morocco Batik, Morocco
  50. Netherlands Statue of Multatuli, Torensluis bridge, Singel canal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  51. Georgia (U.S. state) Fountain of Rings, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia
  52. Mexico National Palace, Zócalo, Mexico City, Mexico
  53. Belgium Brussels, Belgium
  54. California Alamo Square, San Francisco, California
  55. Taiwan Taipei, Taiwan
  56. Canada Inuksuk, English Bay, Vancouver, British Columbia
  57. United States Senate Fountain, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
  58. Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  59. North Rhine-WestphaliaGermany Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany
  60. Singapore Merlion Park, Singapore
  61. California String section, Alhambra, California Garry Schyman music notes, go to June 22, 2008
  62. Israel Fire and Water Fountain, Tel Aviv, Israel
  63. Palestinian National Authority East Jerusalem, West Bank
  64. France Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
  65. MontrealQuebec Montreal, Quebec
  66. Nevada Reduced gravity aircraft (ZERO-G), Nellis Airspace, Nevada
  67. California Pacific Park, Los Angeles, California
  68. Brazil Monument to the Independence of Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  69. Washington (state) Gas Works Park, 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 Seville Fountain Giralda, Seville, Spain
    3. Austria Vienna Ballroom #1 Vienna, Austria
    4. United States Pennsylvania Cheerleading #1, Penn State Schuylkill, Schuyhill Haven [sic Schuylkill Haven], Pennsylvania
    5. Syria Dance studio #1 Damascus, Syria The dancers are blurred for their safety. 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 Beirut 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. Thailand Yaowawit School, Kapong, Thailand
  6. Venezuela Caracas Parque del Este, Caracas, Venezuela
  7. Indonesia Bali Dance in Indonesia, Bali, Indonesia
  8. United States Texas Fire Drill Field, 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. United States California AXIS Dance Company, Oakland, California #1
  12. United States 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. United States Hawaii Fire dancing, Polynesian Village Luau, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
  20. United States Louisiana City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana
  21. Philippines Jeepney, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
  22. United States Pennsylvania Cheerleading #2, Penn State Schuylkill, Schuyhill Haven [sic Schuylkill Haven], Pennsylvania
  23. Syria Dance studio #2, Damascus, Syria The dancers are blurred for their safety. 2011–2012 Damascus clashes
  24. Afghanistan Afghan Mobile Mini Children's Circus, Kabul, Afghanistan
  25. France Alegría (Cirque du Soleil), Saint François de Paule church at Place Louis Blanc and Cours Lafeyette, Toulon, France
  26. Austria Vienna Waltz, Ballroom #2, Vienna, Austria
  27. China Chinese New Year, Beijing, China Matt journal post
  28. Israel Salsa (dance), Jaffa Gate near Tower of David, Jerusalem, Israel
  29. North Korea Mass Dances, Pyongyang, North Korea #2 Matt Reddit excerpt
  30. Namibia Himba people, Opuwo, Namibia
  31. Puerto Rico Capilla del Cristo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  32. Serbia children Ballet, Belgrade, Serbia
  33. United States Idaho Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho
  34. United Kingdom Scotland Scottish highland dance, St Anthony's Chapel, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
  35. United States Pennsylvania Rocky Steps, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  36. South Africa Robben Island, South Africa
  37. Canada Fountain, Trinity Square, Toronto, Canada
  38. Germany Frauenkirche #1, Dresden, Germany
  39. France Place Bellecour, Lyon, France
  40. 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
  41. United States Texas Willams Waterwall, Houston, Texas
  42. Slovakia Old Town Main Square, Bratislava, Slovakia
  43. Australia Graffiti - tekno in the light, Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia
  44. Egypt Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt #1
  45. Hong Kong Kowloon Public Pier south of Clock Tower, Hong Kong, China
  46. Estonia southern tower Viru Gates east of Town Hall Square, Tallinn, Estonia
  47. Finland Sibelius Monument, Helsinki, Finland
  48. Japan Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan
  49. United States Ohio Free Stamp, Willard Park, Cleveland, Ohio
  50. Solomon Islands Kalafasia, Solomon Islands Matt journal post
  51. Colombia Plaza de la Luz (Plaza Cisneros), Medellin, Colombia
  52. Papua New Guinea Hitch hike (dance), Huli people #2, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea
  53. Spain Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
  54. United Kingdom England The Poznań Celebration, Queen Victoria Monument, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, England, United Kingdom
  55. Pakistan Jehangir Kothari Parade, Karachi, Pakistan
  56. Czech Republic Parterre of Ledeburg Palace, Prague, Czech Republic WtHiM in Prague WtHiM Prague
  57. Greece Agora #2, Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Athens, Greece
  58. Egypt Qasr al-Nil Bridge(?), Cairo, Egypt #2
  59. Switzerland Polyterrace of ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  60. Germany Frauenkirche #2, Dresden, Germany
  61. Italy Piazza del Popolo #1, Rome, Italy
  62. Costa Rica National Theatre, San Jose, Costa Rica #1
  63. Hungary Stephen I statue, Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary #2
  64. Italy near Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy
  65. Gaza Strip UNRWA's Summer Games, Rafah, Gaza Strip
  66. Taiwan Taoyuan City (now Taoyuan District), Taiwan
  67. Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Port of Spain, Trinidad Trinidad Carnival Diary
  68. United States Massachusetts Stata Center, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  69. Russia Friendship of Nations fountain, All-Russia Exhibition Centre, Moscow, Russia
  70. United States California Clyde, California sea lion, SeaWorld, San Diego, California
  71. Italy Piazza del Popolo #2, Rome, Italy
  72. United States Maryland Baltimore Crab Dance, Pagoda, Patterson Park, Baltimore, Maryland Welcome Matt
  73. Costa Rica Baile Folklorico, San Jose, Costa Rica #2
  74. United States Colorado The Dancers, Denver Performing Arts Complex, Denver, Colorado
  75. Russia Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
  76. United States California Gazebo, Lake Merritt, Oakland, California #2
  77. Rwanda #2 Kigali, Rwanda
  78. United States Washington (state) Nuclear family, Home, Seattle, 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
  8. Pioneer Plaza, Dallas, Texas
  9. Parthenon, Centennial Park, 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. AXIS Dance Company, Oakland, California
  20. Djabugay people, Caravonica, Australia
  21. Memorial Union Terrace, Madison, Wisconsin
  22. Sheep Meadow, Central Park. New York, New York
  23. Fuji Television headquarters, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan
  24. Fountain Hills, Phoenix, Arizona
  25. Statue of the Victor, Belgrade Fortress, Belgrade, Serbia
  26. Friendship of Nations fountain, All-Russia Exhibition Centre, Moscow, Russia
  27. Clown, Erbil, Iraq
  28. ?near Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia
  29. Sanlitun SOHO, Beijing, China
  30. Nuclear family, Home, Seattle, Washington
  31. Berlin, Germany
  32. Huli people, Poria [sic Tari], Papua New Guinea
  33. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon
  34. Polyterrace of ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  35. Lesedi Cultural Village, Lesedi, South Africa
  36. Taoyuan City (now Taoyuan District), Taiwan
  37. Clyde, California sea lion, SeaWorld, San Diego, California
  38. Carnival, Port of Spain, Trinidad Trinidad Carnival Diary
  39. Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy
  40. Watts Towers, Los Angeles, California
  41. Spoonbridge and Cherry, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  42. Islands Brygge, Copenhagen, Denmark
  43. Cairo, Egypt
  44. Fountain Giralda, Seville, Spain
  45. Erbil, Iraq
  46. Afghan Mobile Mini Children's Circus, Kabul, Afghanistan
  47. Lesedi Cultural Village, Lesedi, South Africa
  48. Fire dancing, Polynesian Village Luau, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Behind the Dancing Matt Videos. David Pogue. The New York Times, July 12, 2012. accessed 2013-02-24.
  2. ↑ “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
  3. ↑ "Meet Matt". 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.
  4. ↑ "Where the Hell is Matt (2008)". Retrieved 2009-02-07. Music source at the end of video.
  5. ↑ "It Was a Musical Thing and You Were Supposed to Dance".
  6. ↑ "mattharding2718 Channel". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2007-03-15. #100 - Most Subscribed (All Time) - Directors #12 - Most Viewed (This Month) #7 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Directors
  7. ↑ "Directors - Most Subscribed (All Time)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2008-07-10. #99
  8. ↑ - Where the Hell is Matt? 2012 - YouTube
  9. ↑ "YouTube co-founder tells grads to be persistent, take risks". Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  10. ↑ Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) (2008-07-22). "Astronomy Picture of the Day". ASD at NASA. Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  11. ↑ "Matt Harding: Where the Hell is Matt? a Hoax". FORA.tv. December 11, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Not to dwell but...". January 9, 2009.
  13. ↑ - Camp Jabulani Official Website
  14. ↑ Bourke's Luck Potholes

External links

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