...... pretending to be zombies........
Incredible, but true.
My thanks to Leah for alerting me to this oddball delight - although it seems we both come somewhat late to the party. Apparently, this video of Filipino prisoners performing Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' dance routine has been quite the sensation of YouTube since it was first posted 5 months ago, and has recently been featured on a number of American TV shows. Time Magazine, I learn, has just rated it No. 5 in its list of the year's 'Top 10 Most Popular Viral Videos' (Damn, what are the others?? Got to go check out that list!). On YouTube, it has already drawn more than twice as many hits as Michael's original video of the song!
We have one Byron F. Garcia to thank for this. He works with the Philippines government as an adviser on prison security, and a year or so ago he had the idea of developing a new exercise regime for inmates, based on dancing to pop hits. The scheme - implemented at the Cebu Provincial Detention & Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) - was an immediate success, and quickly became famous throughout the country (they've even had the surviving housemates from the Philippines 'Big Brother' show bussed in [blindfolded] to perform a dance routine with the prisoners as their 'challenge' for the day - worth checking out because the girls are very cute).
Now, my first thought when I saw this was that it must be a spoof, a fake. But no, it appears to be genuine. Then I had qualms about the power-dynamics of it - are these prisoners being forced to take part against their will? (I very much doubt if such a programme could succeed in my native England, a nation of notoriously reluctant dancers.) The hours of practice required must get pretty gruelling; and it would be a hugely embarrassing activity for anyone as self-conscious as I am. I have qualms too about the economics of it - the prison is now earning money by allowing tour groups in to view these mass-choreographed performances.
On the other hand, I suppose it's a lot less exploitative and demeaning than sending these guys out to work on road gangs. And they do seem to be having a whale of a time doing these dance numbers. Perhaps Byron really has come up with an idea of genius here, an exercise programme that is fun, and that gives the prisoners a sense of pride and achievement - something that could be truly rehabilitative. How long before we see this kind of thing in prison exercise yards all over the world??
Byron's posted over 20 videos of his prisoners doing their thing now: 'Radio GaGa' is pretty good, too, but 'Thriller' is the classic. My New Year gift to my loyal readers. [I've posted a video for you to enjoy over on the Barstool today as well - go check it out.]
Incredible, but true.
My thanks to Leah for alerting me to this oddball delight - although it seems we both come somewhat late to the party. Apparently, this video of Filipino prisoners performing Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' dance routine has been quite the sensation of YouTube since it was first posted 5 months ago, and has recently been featured on a number of American TV shows. Time Magazine, I learn, has just rated it No. 5 in its list of the year's 'Top 10 Most Popular Viral Videos' (Damn, what are the others?? Got to go check out that list!). On YouTube, it has already drawn more than twice as many hits as Michael's original video of the song!
We have one Byron F. Garcia to thank for this. He works with the Philippines government as an adviser on prison security, and a year or so ago he had the idea of developing a new exercise regime for inmates, based on dancing to pop hits. The scheme - implemented at the Cebu Provincial Detention & Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) - was an immediate success, and quickly became famous throughout the country (they've even had the surviving housemates from the Philippines 'Big Brother' show bussed in [blindfolded] to perform a dance routine with the prisoners as their 'challenge' for the day - worth checking out because the girls are very cute).
Now, my first thought when I saw this was that it must be a spoof, a fake. But no, it appears to be genuine. Then I had qualms about the power-dynamics of it - are these prisoners being forced to take part against their will? (I very much doubt if such a programme could succeed in my native England, a nation of notoriously reluctant dancers.) The hours of practice required must get pretty gruelling; and it would be a hugely embarrassing activity for anyone as self-conscious as I am. I have qualms too about the economics of it - the prison is now earning money by allowing tour groups in to view these mass-choreographed performances.
On the other hand, I suppose it's a lot less exploitative and demeaning than sending these guys out to work on road gangs. And they do seem to be having a whale of a time doing these dance numbers. Perhaps Byron really has come up with an idea of genius here, an exercise programme that is fun, and that gives the prisoners a sense of pride and achievement - something that could be truly rehabilitative. How long before we see this kind of thing in prison exercise yards all over the world??
Byron's posted over 20 videos of his prisoners doing their thing now: 'Radio GaGa' is pretty good, too, but 'Thriller' is the classic. My New Year gift to my loyal readers. [I've posted a video for you to enjoy over on the Barstool today as well - go check it out.]
5 comments:
wow. these things really are viral. I'd heard of the prison dancing from a friend's mother who visited the Philippines and now, here it pops up again.
So, would you pop into Prison for a lookie look if you were in town?
Oh yes, I'd be there in a flash. Shouting out requests for The Time Warp or The Macarena!!
Things have moved on since I was last tangentially involved with the Philippines penal system... In 1981, while collecting bugs there, I visited briefly a Penal Colony in Palawan (a sort of laid-back version of Devil's Island with a sign saying 'welcome to Iwahig Penal Colony' over its wide-open gates ). My guide, the oleaginous 'Gabriel' introduced me to a chap living in a bamboo hut there who was serving 17 years and who had made a beautiful 'bolo' (long, curved machete-like thing) and its scabbard entirely by hand. He had hand-rolled and sharpened the blade from an old lorry spring over a charcoal fire and had painstakingly made the beautiful carved wooden scabbard from a branch of a tree and glued and varnished it with resins made from natural products. God knows how long it had taken him, but with no compulsory dancing classes in those days and 17 years to kill I guess he had the time. He wanted to sell it to me for some cash and all I had on me was the Peso equivalent of three pounds sterling (back in the days when three pounds sterling was still sod-all). To my eternal shame that was what I gave him for this beautiful object...which still adorns my wall today. Once the deal had been made I casually asked him what he was serving 17 years for and he replied "murder". "Oh", I replied nervously, holding up my new acquisition "did you kill someone with one of these?"
"Yes" he replied with a grin. "My wife's lover". Real life (as opposed to mere existence) is held together by the glue of such surreal encounters don't you find?
I've often wondered about the guy since...I hope he got out and has had a happy life. Now I can 'afford' it I have often thought that I would like to track him down and give him the £100 or so I figure that I owe him which represents the true value of this amazing artwork... one of those idle thoughs that will remain stillborn but really shouldn't....
Mothman! Glad you could join us at last.
I might have known we could rely on you for an exotic story to trump even the incredible dancing convicts of Cebu.
I don't believe I've ever seen this remarkable weapon you speak of. I'd like to one day.
I was thinking of a holiday in the Philippines some time. I hear a lot of good things about the place (especially about the food), and it's not so far away from China....
Good of you to stop by. I hope we'll hear from you again sometime.
I particularly liked the ladyboy...
Happy New Year! Sorry a bit behind on my e-mails...
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