The "Harlem Shake" craze continues to wreak havoc. The victim this time around? An innocent librarian at Oxford University.
Well, maybe she's not entirely innocent. She did allow 30 students to participate in a "Harlem Shake" meme in the St. Hilda's College library where the only requirement is silence. In the eyes of the University, she may have violated the timeless librarian code, but is it really grounds to take her job away?
The 30-second video only took up seven minutes of library quiet time to complete, but to Oxford administrators, that's seven minutes too long. The video features a student dressed as a member of the jailed Russian pop group Pussy Riot, one in a horse costume, some as weight lifters and another as a skier. The students danced through the library aisles and on top of tables and chairs. This is not the image Oxford is trying to convey.
The librarian wasn't the only one to be punished. The Dean has also fined the students involved and a graduate student was also stricken of his library responsibilities along with the poor librarian.
Ellen Gibson, a student at St Hilda's, said "The situation seems ridiculous. The Librarian had nothing to do with the protest; she just happened to be there at the time."
Students rightfully protested the University's decision and are calling for the reinstatement of both the librarian and student. The two were simply innocent bystanders and were punished for not interfering with the other students' shenanigans. The students are also battling against the proposed fines, stating they filmed their "Harlem Shake" late on a Sunday night as to not disturb study time, although isn't Sunday night usually reserved for study cram sessions?
It's been said before but needs to be said again. The "Harlem Shake" craze is over. Let it be. It's now causing more trouble than it's worth. People are fed up. Perhaps it's time to move on to the next big Internet sensation.
Watch the video here.