T w e n t y S i d e d
Where the hell is Matt has gone on walkabout again:
He travels the world so I don’t have to.
It makes me smile to think about Matt, bouncing around the world, dancing, doing his thing.
Keep dancing Matt, and Godspeed.
How to Forum
Dear people of the internet: Please stop doing these horrible idiotic things when you talk to each other.
Shamus Plays WOW
Ever wondered what's in all those quest boxes you've never bothered to read? Get ready: They're more insane than you might expect.
The Biggest Game Ever
Just how big IS No Man's Sky? What if you made a map of all of its landmass? How big would it be?
This is Why We Can’t Have Short Criticism
Here's how this site grew from short essays to novel-length quasi-analytical retrospectives.
Gamers Aren’t Toxic
This is a horrible narrative that undermines the hobby through crass stereotypes. The hobby is vast, gamers come from all walks of life, and you shouldn't judge ANY group by its worst members.
Damn, now I’m disappointed, thid wasn’t a new movie at all :-(
The best part of that is on the eighth scene of people rushing in to dance with Matt. Right in the center of the screen some guy slips and falls hard.
With that little mean streak satiated I’ve always enjoyed those videos for the simple silliness of somebody enjoying themselves that thoroughly.
Many funs.
Aaaaw, anyone else getting the feeling there’s too many places in the world? How am I supposed to have time to go to all of them?
Only been to two, soon three of the cities in that video.
That made me smile on a rainy day.
I wouldn’t mind visiting all those places.
Anyone wants to sponsor?
When the news is filled with nothing but tragedy and drama from across the world, Its refreshing and comforting to see a guy who cant really dance, having a good time any where and every where. And that people can let go of the inhibitions and have fun doing a silly thing. 10/10
Personally, I wish Matt would stop travelling and start making games again.
I mean: he invents Destroy All Humans as a joke, but then chickens out of actually developing it and decides to take a perpetual vacation? You know he’s come up with something really good by now. We need Matt Harding like we need the Fallout-Chris Taylor and Warren Spector.
P.S. Another video I beat you to, Shamus! Mwahahaha!!!
I loved the video, but I had to turn the sound off. What’s with the mournful music, anyway? It’s a complete mismatch to the exuberance exhibited onscreen.
I also found it interesting how much dance styles differ throughout the world, even when people are just goofing off. The people in Turkey looked a bit zombified. The folks in England and Australia looked like they were suffering from epilepsy. And many of the people in the African nations were human pogo sticks!
Pogo sticks with good rhythm, no less.
Leslee
I was quite pleased that I’m pretty sure I recognized both of the Tokyo locations–one was a maid cafe in Akihabara, and the other was near Yoyogi Park in Harajuku.
Also, I recognized both Cape Town and Soweto.
Leslee Beldotti, you must be watching a different video than me, I hear no mournful music.
Yeah, it’s been around for a few months, but it makes me smile from ear to ear every damn time. Just pure joy in motion. And I don’t get the “mournful” music either. What I hear is incredibly uplifting and greatly adds to the atmosphere of joyousness.
Here’s a very interesting article on the video, which focuses on the music, the lyrics and in particular, the singer. Well worth reading.
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/06/27/2396/dancing_with_the_universe
Old news. Still great, pure joy. Thanks for the link to the music.
Also, I was in Japan when he was. And I found his blog only a few weeks afterwards. I would so have liked to join the dance in yoyogi. Damn!
I wish I could travel around the world and have someone sponsor me so I didn’t have to pay for any of the trip.
Also, Papua New Guinea was my favorite clip. Gotta love their dancing style!
I loved it when he showed up at the cosplay cafe, and the nellis space camp. Man I’m gonna call stride.
I’m almost 100% certain I saw his group of dancers in Los Angeles, California. They’re in front of the Santa Monica Pier, and my place of work is about 300 feet from where they were stand– err, dancing. I looked out the window and saw a large crowd gathered. Now I am pretty sure the group in the video is the same that I saw.
Pretty wild stuff. He sure looks like he had a lot of fun all around the world! Go Matt! :D
here’s a funny video.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3170198
Wow, I’m awe struck. One, because I want to be that guy. Two, because it’s so fun to watch and three, because it gives me hope for a world seemingly gone down the tube.
BTW, this thing was filmed in HD. Why such crummy compression? Anyone know where to find a higher quality version?
Edit: Nevermind, I’m downloading an HD Quicktime now from the Stride Gum website.
That was really, really cool.
There’s a high quality embed available at vimeo here http://www.vimeo.com/1211060?pg=embed&sec=1211060
The sheer spectacle of people all over the world rushing in to dance makes always makes me smile.
I don’t know why but that was one of the most uplifting things I’ve seen in ages. Makes me happy to keep believing that humanity just may pull it off one day and ‘get it’…
Thanks Shamus…
Leslee, you turned the sound down too soon.
The song is based on a poem by Rabindranath Tagore:
Stream of Life
(translated from Bengali by the author)
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.
Leslee, I also have a different take on things. To me, it’s just immeasurably reassuring and uplifting, to see that people all over the world, acting like dorks, are exactly the same. There are regional differences in the details, sure, but as others have said, something about this makes me feel– well. Just really good. Like, big stupid smile good. “Maybe things are gonna be okay” good.
hotsauce: that just makes it more awesome. Thanks for finding that.
Thank you. Just, thank you.
I think the coolest bit is India, where he joins in the dance of those women for a few moves. What do you know, he actually does have a slight bit of rhythm :-P
I agree with many of the comments above. I’ve got a big stupid smile on my face (Hello Auckland, New Zealand!) and I too find something reassuring that there are happy dorks all over the world – except apparently the Korean DMZ. Feb hits it on the head. Theres so much bad news in the world that this is an awesome reminder that humans may not suck!
@Heph:
That’s probably my favorite part.
I’d agree on the India scene; my favourite part as well.
My favourite part is the one in the Korean DMZ, with the soldier looking on. I can only guess he’s in full “WTF?” mode.
It’s not new, but I hadn’t seen this video before of Matt. It really made me smile and chuckle. I loved the surprise of everyone rushing in, the way everyone was having a great time, the contrast between Matt’s silly dance and the serious solider in the Korean DMZ, the Japanese “maids”, and the unexpected part where he joins in with the dancers in India.
Where in the World is Matt Lauer
Some info on the singer, from the website of the writer of the song (who also wrote the score for Bioshock)
Her name is Palbasha Siddique, and she’s a 17-year old from Minnesota. Originally from Bengladesh, she came to the US when she was 6.
The title of the song, “Praan”, is a particularly poetic way of saying “life” in Bengali.
Facus (#7) said it really well. In a world where the media bombards us day in, day out with negative events, it’s just so refreshing and heart-warming to see people just dancing, smiling and laughing. It reminds me that despite differences in race, culture and religion… Ultimately, humanity is all just one big family.
That said, my favorite parts in the movie were at Christmas Island (I love the way the crabs just slowly crawl across the sand as if to say, “Yeah, whatever.”), the “maids” in Tokyo, Japan, the tribal dancers in Papua New Guinea, and the Demilitarised Zone with the soldier looking stoicly on as Matt does his goofy dance. :D
For those who haven’t realized it yet, the high quality video, along with some outtake videos and a great behind-the-scenes video with the Huli Wigmen, can all be found at Matt’s own page http://www.wherethehellismatt.com.
Yay, Montreal, Quebec at 3:50! Though the rain and bleak location are in no way accurate representations of this city…
Thanks, Shamus; I never knew of this guy, and that video really made me feel good.
I watched this video several times when I broke up with my girlfriend a few months ago, and it really helped me bounce back from a painful situation. Truly Matt knows what humanity needs.
Also, my favorite moments are at the DMZ, in Nellis Airspace, and the scene in Taiwan in front of the giant colored animals. :)
I also really like the juxtaposition of Jerusalem and the West Bank of the Gaza Strip.
I remember seeing the Merlion at 3:39 and going “Singapore! \o/”
I’m surprised he got away with that in the Korean DMZ building.
Slightly off topic, that building in the DMZ straddles the border between North and South Korea. More specifically, that ROOM straddles the border, and that SK soldier is technically in North Korea.
Friend of mine is also dancing int he video (in Amsterdam). Of course there is no way you can tell him apart from the rest, but he was there at least.
Me and my girlfriend have somewhat taken this as a hobby as well. Starting on our trip to Egypt last year where we danced at Karnak, Hatshepsut Temple and the Pyramids. Good times :)
Sic quoque Clementia.- Thus too Humanity.
We are Differant, We are One.
Matt’s videos always fill me with a sense of hope and joy, that people can join together in happiness.
Let’s Dance.
Thanks for sharing Shamus…you seem to have really good timing, it’s a rainy day here and the start of a really stressful week and that video made me smile and relax.
I also agree with the comments above, the part in India is my favorite, it was unexpected and perfectly graceful.
Thanks again!
Moved me to tears. Thank you for sharing with the meme-impaired, Shamus!
Cool video. Makes me wish I was single and Stride sponsored sending me all over the world to dance. Of course in my home city he had to dance in front of that ugly ass bee in millennium park.
Very cool. I’ll echo the comments that it’s nice to see people around the world dancing and not (say) killing each other.
Did anyone else notice that Europe is definitely dance-deficient?
Gee thanks, Shamus. I cried.
Tears of joy.
post more and thank you so much for posting this.
I should feel this is totally lame, silly, and a waste of an apparently awesome traveling opportunity, faux-uplifting, etc.
But dang if that isn’t one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
It’s happened twice in as many weeks. First I saw Matt doing his dance which touched me immensely, and then I saw this. In Britain, the Hovis bread advert made by Ridley Scott is considered by most as the best this country has ever produced. Hovis have just gone one better.
I can’t do the html to embed the posts but the original Ridley Scott hovis ad is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFLBvLxLJMI
And the new one is here: http://www.hovisbakery.co.uk/our-ads/