Ba ba ba ba bird flu!

June 15, 2006 4:30 PM

The "Bird flu dance" is "sweeping" Africa. Or at least the Ivory Coast. DJ Lewis created the dance (youtube warning) which was described in the BBC article as being "like a chicken with Parkinson's disease trying to dance to hip-hop". There are examples all over youtube (warning: here be lofi youtube videos).
posted by casconed (17 comments total)

like a chicken with Parkinson's disease trying to dance to hip-hop

Well it's obvious now they've seen me dance and I demand monetary compensation for lifting my moves.
posted by sourwookie at 4:46 PM on June 15, 2006

Do the Funky Chicken
posted by elpapacito at 4:55 PM on June 15, 2006

Hmm, this was in the side bar. Intresting.
posted by delmoi at 4:57 PM on June 15, 2006

Nice. I think I'll put this one to use. Usually I do the St. Vitus Dance.

My best move, though, for when the circle's formed, is the one where my skin falls off in sheets and I lance the big black buboes under my armpits.
posted by mammary16 at 5:27 PM on June 15, 2006

eewww mammary16, gross! lol

A new version of Ring Around the Rosey?
posted by nickyskye at 6:21 PM on June 15, 2006

nickyskye - i thought to mention that but wasn't sure i had my nursery rhymes straight. good call!
posted by casconed at 6:30 PM on June 15, 2006

By the way, "Ring around the Rosey" is almost certainly not about the Black Death.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:00 PM on June 15, 2006

There is also a tribal tradition in Africa of treating illness with dance. In the West too. Some illnesses, Chorea, Athetosis and Ballismus look like funky chicken dancing. aww. :(
posted by nickyskye at 7:30 PM on June 15, 2006

historically, jamaican music hasn't been afraid to riff off popular culture. this ain't surprising, though it may be a bit weird...
posted by gnutron at 9:44 PM on June 15, 2006

I thought I saw a little mashed potato in there. The greatest dance of all time.

I love when dance trends are new. You'll see some older dance steps in there, and a lot of just making shit up. Six months from now, when somebody says "Bird Flu," everybody will be doing exactly the same dance.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:08 PM on June 15, 2006

From kottke to metafilter in: 10 days.

From metafilter to NPR in: 3 days (prediction).
posted by zpousman at 5:52 AM on June 16, 2006

this is cool.
posted by fungible at 8:20 AM on June 16, 2006

Is standing next to a door part of the dance?
posted by dabitch at 8:49 AM on June 16, 2006

Interesting post, casconed, thanks!
posted by madamjujujive at 11:00 AM on June 16, 2006

Angry at the world, pet birds everywhere are retaliating with the White Guy Dance.
posted by overanxious ducksqueezer at 11:12 AM on June 16, 2006

Those girls sure know how to give it some pasty!
posted by asok at 11:16 AM on June 16, 2006

The last dance craze I remember is the Meatstick.
posted by muckster at 1:27 PM on June 16, 2006