The "Harlem Shake" takeover continues. Versions of the viral Internet meme are now popping up all other the world. The YouTube sensation even caused a protest in Tunisia and Egypt last week. It knows no bounds. And now the meme's popularity is soaring to new heights, 30,000 feet up in the air.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it's launching an investigation into a "Harlem Shake" taken on a February 15 Frontier Airliners flight, according to CNN. This particular version of the dance upset the FAA as well as airline pilots and flight attendants, not because of the passengers' obnoxious, behavior, but because it posed a safety threat.
"I hate to be a bureaucratic kill-joy," said former director of the FAA's Office of Accident Investigation Steve Wallace. "I think there is a safety issue here. Turbulence injuries are the most common types of injuries, and they are virtually eliminated when people are in their seat belts."
On this particular flight, 18 college students decided to make a mile-high "Harlem Shake" video while on their way to an ultimate Frisbee tournament in San Diego. Although flight attendants and pilots have voiced how the dancing impedes other passengers and makes communication more difficult, two students claim they had the crew's permission prior to filming.
"We wanted to make sure that we followed every regulation and that nothing went wrong, and that it was OK," said Matt Zelin, one of the students responsible for the video. "We just figured being on a plane, you know, you need to make sure everything is safe, and we just talked to flight attendants and they were excited." Others are not as "excited."
"It's ridiculous," said Jim Tilmon, a retired 29-year-old airline pilot. "A commercial airplane in flight... is not a dance hall, it's not an entertainment stage, it's not any of those things... wrong place, wrong time."
The plane landed without a hitch and the crew never reported any problems, but after the video went viral, the FAA stepped in. The students claim that the seat belt light was turned off during the one minute of shooting, but the FAA is trying to prove otherwise.
Although there are certain safety risks involved, the whole incident seems rather innocent. The FAA is perhaps looking too far into it. Experts even say that the "Harlem Shake" dance could be used to distract the flight crew from terrorist activity. The "Harlem Shake" a weapon?
Where should the line be drawn with the viral meme? Wherever there's a "Harlem Shake," there's distraction and obstruction, and there's always risk for injury while dancing. Perhaps it's time to put an end to the "Harlem Shake" before it's too late, or not.