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What Exactly is the Harlem Shake?

You cannot have gone through February without hearing about or seeing a Harlem Shake video. The phrase Harlem Shake has been everywhere over the last few weeks- TV, newspapers and of course all over the internet. But what exactly is it?

The name was first coined back in the 1980's when a new dance came out of Harlem in New York. As the dance became more and more popular, it was referenced by a number of different hip hop artists and songs in the early 2000's.

The current craze started to get going last year when American music produced Baauer released a song with the title ‘Harlem Shake'. However, it wasn't until the beginning of February 2013 when the first recognizable Harlem Shake meme video was posted on YouTube.

Initially, a number of video bloggers uploaded versions of the song and dance, each developing the concept a little at a time. Though they were all pretty popular, the first one to go truly viral was the video below uploaded by the staff of online video production company Maker Studios. Within its first week, it was watched by more than 7.4 million people.

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Top Five YouTube Christmas Videos

Chances are you've got some free time at the moment over the university holidays. And what is the best way to spend spare time? By watching YouTube videos of course. Here we've gathered together some of the very best Christmassy videos the internet has to offer. Sit back and enjoy.

 

A Very Modern Nativity

Ever wondered how the Nativity story would play out in today's world of social media, mobile phones, emails and Amazon? Well wonder no more, as the charming video below shows you just that.

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The TV So Realistic It's Scary... Supposedly

TVs are getting better and better so quickly now. Just think, it wasn't so long ago that flat screen TVs were pretty rare and cost A LOT of money. Now you can get huge flat screen, HD, 3D televisions for not all that much.

The technology company LG have found a novel way to advertise their new TV, by convincing people that what they're are seeing is real life. They think that their TVs give the most 'real' picture ever and to prove it they set up a prank on the unsuspecting public. They set up their TVs on the floor of a public lift to then create a terrifying effect whenever anyone entered the lift. 

Well that's what they want you to believe, but YouTube users are a suspicious bunch and reckon it is all a fake. Watch the video above and see what you think.

Read our extra analysis via our Top Student Viral Videos Archive.

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What Exactly is Gangnam Style?!

You can't help but of heard of Gangnam Style in the last few weeks. First of all it flooded the internet and now it has broken free in to the real world. But what is it?

Gangnam Style is a song and dance from South Korean rapper Psy. Though well-known in his home country, the song only went worldwide after racking up millions of views on YouTube. It broke in to the UK top 40 singles chart two weeks ago and has been climbing ever since, reaching number 1 on Sunday. Along the way, it has broken all sorts of records:

  • Psy is the first musician from South Korea to get a UK number 1
  • The original YouTube video of the single is currently approaching 350 million views
  • With almost 3.3 million ‘Likes' the single is the most ‘Liked' YouTube video of all time

Indeed, such has been the success of the song, that Psy has been signed by Justin Beiber's management team in America. If you haven't already seen it, here is the video in question:

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Most Watched YouTube Videos of 2011

YouTube has revealed that the most watched videos of 2011 include a cartoon cat, a royal wedding spoof and a Charlie Sheen remix. However, the crown for the number 1 most viewed video in the UK this year has gone to 'Ultimate Dog Tease'- a comedy clip of a dog pretending to talk. 

The video site unveiled the top videos of the year both globally and in the UK, with the UK versions claiming a combined total of over 300 million views, and the gobal ones boasting an incredible 650 million. 

Whilst Rebecca Black with her infamously bad 'Friday' song only made 8th place in UK views, she topped the world chart with a staggering 180 million views worldwide. The winning UK entry shows a dog moving its mouth whilst its owner teases him with food and talks over the top.

Have a look at the UK top ten below to find your favourite.

1. Ultimate Dog Tease

 

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