Shake what Baauer gave you

The cultural non-sequitur known as the Harlem Shake is a video dance meme named after a Billboard hit of the same name. Said hit is in turn named for a style of dance which originated in Harlem in the ’80s. Confused yet?

The meme, originally featuring several white students performing a dadaist routine to a snippet of the song, has sparked several accusations of racism from Internet commentators and interest groups.

In brief, the verdict of the Harlem Shake meme hinges on a question of cultural appropriation. Broadly defined, cultural appropriation is borrowing elements, themes, styles or motifs specific to a minority culture for use in the dominant culture.

One need look no further than the Bloomington bar scene to understand how problematic this can be. You know that white guy who has African tribal tattoos because he thinks they make him look like a badass?

Or the girl who doesn’t speak Chinese, but nevertheless has the word for either “Peace” or “Bok Choy” on her arm, because everyone knows the Chinese are all, like, mystic and spiritual and stuff?

When outsiders seize a single facet of a culture and distort it without understanding the tradition and culture around it, they perpetuate gross caricatures of minority cultures. Let’s not be misunderstood: Cultures are not fashion accessories.

The racism argument posits that the Harlem Shake meme has appropriated an iconically black dance and perverted it by turning it into something radically different for white people.

Frankly, that’s a stupid argument, and one which misses the entire point of the meme. Baauer‘s music simply provides the framework for 30 seconds of pure absurdist glee. 

No one can look at this meme and think, “Yep. This is a solemn and sincere depiction of Harlem culture, and the obscure, regional dance which originated in the 1980s.”

That’s because no parallel between Harlem culture, or any other culture for that matter, exists beyond the lyrics of the song itself.

The argument of cultural appropriation wants to know why white people are intruding on Harlem culture.

Well, because they like the song, and it’s appropriate for their video. Why should white people listening to hip-hop, or anything else, be suspect?

We must consider the Harlem Shake controversy as part of a larger trial against the white co-option of hip-hop, rock ’n’ roll, Michael Jackson’s music, Michael Jackson and other things that began as solely black.

Is this really cultural appropriation? No. Ideas are not and should not be constrained by race.

The fundamental goal of art is to express oneself in a way which speaks to a deeper, shared human connection.

President Barack Obama proved a black man could lead the United States. Joan Jett proved that women could express themselves through rock ’n’ roll. Eminem proved white men could, on occasion, rap with genuine skill.

If we allow ourselves to define cultural appropriation in such sweeping terms, we unwittingly confine and limit ourselves.

What then becomes of the white writer who draws inspiration from Maya Angelou? Or the woman who wants to rap like Tupac? Or the white comedians who want to use Baauer’s music to make the world chuckle?

The Harlem Shake meme is an idea that began in Harlem and migrated to Los Angeles with its lovely wife and business partner, Dutch House music. Their child was adopted by white college students who made a video that sparked millions of imaginations, from Atlanta to Norway, affirming our shared humanity. It’s a celebration of artistry that transcends race.